Well my tank has a DSB with a plenum and has been running for 15 years now as a FOWLR tank. Been learning alot about CUC on this site and have just removed bioballs from wet dry over the past 6 months. I placed a ornange spot watchman goby in three days ago and he has really gone to work! The problem is that as he sifts I see a cloud of detritus lift up into the water column and the tank is now cloudy for two days. Will it get better as he cleans since this is 15 years of really not much sand cleaning? Should I remove him? Do I need to let him work for several weeks before making a decision? My scheduled water change is in about 2-3 weeks. I miss the crstal clear water I had and Im sure so do my fish!
Orange spot goby making a mess! Ditritus all over the place! HELP!
- Thread starter vrod2169
- Start date
yote
In Memoriam
Plenums,DSB's,and sand sifting gobies tend to not work so well together.
Just going on what you posted,but I'd remove the goby.It's only a matter of time until he uncovers a pocket of hydrogen sulfide and crashes the tank.
Just going on what you posted,but I'd remove the goby.It's only a matter of time until he uncovers a pocket of hydrogen sulfide and crashes the tank.
OK so what else can I se to keep the sand clean? In the past I just moved it around a bit but I've beenr eading that's not such a good idea. I have two large serpeant starfish but they don't seem to keep the sand clean white. I have well over 50 of the nassarius snails I purchased from reefcleaners but they don't seem to do it either,
yote
In Memoriam
I'd use a gravel vac to gently skim over the top 1/8th inch of sand during water changes.
That will get a lot of the gunk,plus if you happen to hit a gas pocket,the siphon will pull it out before it can cause any trouble.
That will get a lot of the gunk,plus if you happen to hit a gas pocket,the siphon will pull it out before it can cause any trouble.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
+1 Yote I know some people thoroughly clean out one small area of the tank during water changes. Each time they'll sift through a different area, until the sand is pretty much cleaned off, but they keep the sand manually stirred. But again, small areas at a time. You had lots of patience removing bioballs; have the same w/ the sand :)
fastrd400
It wasn't me!
You can also add a whole lot of Nassarius snails. They live in your sandbed, and eat the crap that accumulates there. They also will "boil" to the top of the sand at every feeding. Between those two actions they preform, they can keep your sand bed looking really clean.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
When I first got my gobies, my tank would be cloudy for a few weeks. But now he's got the sand surface so clean that my tank never clouds up anymore.
Good to hear that you experienced it. He has been busy for sure and I notice he really has just stuck to the very top (quarter inch) of the sand so I'm not worried about him digging at this point too deep to create a problem. Will just be patient for a few weeks and see what happens. Will also look to add more of the nassarius snails but will wait till water change in June.
valasaraptor
Proud ocelot owner!
what about a sandsifter star? they eat large amouts of sandbed crud fast?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yep, and then they die just as fast.
I see the starfish all the time at LFS but have never purchased based on biffer's many posts on them. Noone I know has had them for over a year but with a DSB that is 15 years old I sometimes wonder if one would work. Anyways I thought maybe the nassarius tonga would be good but I will have to wait till LFS has them. I noticed reefcleaners does not carry them. They only have the very small nassarius which I order in late summer 2011.
Here's the update. Holy cow he has officially dug under a rock completely and has covered the rock with sand making it look like a big sand mound! A tiny opening just to go in and he can go out the other side where it is covered by oter rock! What a fortress! Sand is super clean around that area and the ditritus does not cloud up in that area. During the day as he roams he is still cleaning and that's when you see more detritus floating. I do believe within a few weeks the tank will be back to 100% clearer. Already looking much better so for sure he is working and not to mention I helped with a siphon yesterday of the top area of the sand. All paramaetres still good and holding. I might this weekend tear down his new home and have him start all over after building the area up so when he starts again he desn't get that close to the plenum! The family loves him! He is not scared of people pulling right up into his face and he is positioned almost near the middle of the tank and about 4-6 inches from the front glass, What a character! So far he has not taken any other form of food.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Has he found a rock to burrow under? He will dig that out. Hopefully your rocks are on the glass and not on top of the sand, otherwise he might cause an avalanche by sifting the sand under the rock.
Actually he picked the best rock. The rock is on top of the sand but this one rock is not holding large pieces but just the end tips of two rocks to create a ledge. No avalanche with this one. Got lucky. I'm hoping three weeks from now I will be in the positioned you stated earlier! Keeping fingers crossed cuz I would hate to try to pull him out with such a personality. Will he survive just eating off my large sand bed or will he need to start eating other foods?
yote
In Memoriam
He should be fine with whats growing on the sand bed.IF he depletes the sand,he should accept frozen with no problems.
Well it's been exactly one week and during the day while he is out the detritus he sifts is being pushed all over the tank contining to make the water not clear. Once he settles around 8:00 pm the tank starts to look clearer and in the morning it is spotless again before he gets back to work. All the other fish look fine but rocks are covered in "dirt". Will continue to wait to see if it gets better in the next few weeks as long as others don't start showing signs of stress. Very frustrating to not have crystal clear water as usual!!
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Don't worry, eventually he runs out of detritus, and you'll love your tank for it :) Problem is if you have corals, the sand can irritate them. My first time having a goby, my tank was cloudy for a few weeks. He died a year or so later, and I got another one after a few months, and he only messed up my water for maybe 2 weeks. Now he sifts all day, but my tank stays clean. Mind you, I don't have a dsb. Just enough sand to cover the bottom.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Recently in Coral Magazine, Dr Shimek (coral expert and hobbyists) said its impossible for enough hydrogen sulfide to build in a tank and destroy it. That's not to say kicking up enough detritus won't start a tank killing ammonia cycle.
yote
In Memoriam
I've seen hydrogen sulfide crash a tank.Took just about an hour for everything in the 200gal reef at the LFS I help at to die.
The tank had a DSB at the time.During a water change the sand got blown from the incoming new water,releasing whatever was in the sand bed.That happened right about the time I got into the hobby.
