Why is my sand hard?

Shazbah

Shazbah

Member
Hi all
I have noticed after adding a sea hare that my sand is hard. By hard i mean all clumped together like a piece of rock. The top layer is loose but underneath it is hard. It is half to 1 inch deep. I syphon and clean the top layer about once every month. I would say they are medium size grains
Any ideas
Thanks Shaz
 
Shazbah

Shazbah

Member
All i have is about 7 /8 hermits and 6 snails. Do i need something in there to turn the sand over??
Thanks Shaz
 
Shazbah

Shazbah

Member
flipin nora, sand size in mm, got to go and get my glasses;)
I'd say a mixyure of 1 and 2 mm
Cheers Shaz
 
shelby522002

shelby522002

Member
I would get something to move your sand around...but thats just me. Some goby's are great at it, but most don't live to long in tanks....they run out of food quick. Goatfish are great, but they need to be in a tank with no bullies. I would read up on what one would be best for your tank. I have nassaruis snails and a fighting conch which are always digging around. I have heard good and bad things about sea cucumbers, and I never had luck with sifting starfish. I have a horseshoe crab and he does a wonderful job. I don't recommened them though, unless you have a big tank...because they will move your rocks and corals around when they get bigger. He was just too freeking cute, and I always wanted one...so when I saw him, it was over.
 
Nervoustime

Nervoustime

Active Member
Shazabh said:
Hi all
I have noticed after adding a sea hare that my sand is hard. By hard i mean all clumped together like a piece of rock. The top layer is loose but underneath it is hard. It is half to 1 inch deep. I syphon and clean the top layer about once every month. I would say they are medium size grains
Any ideas
Thanks Shaz
Click to expand...

Is this a new setup? Do you use kalkwasser?
 
Nervoustime

Nervoustime

Active Member
The following information was provided by Randy Holmes-Farley.


"It is reasonably common to have sand harden, especially when new.

It is not entirely clear whether sand bed hardening is a purely physical process involving calcium carbonate deposition (or other minerals) that cements grains together, or whether it is mediated by bacterial processes, but it does not always happen.

It happens most frequently to new sand, and especially when the pH is high (as when using limewater). It happened to me when I first set up my first tank, but not when adding tanks to the existing system using the same type of sand. I would guess that higher alkalinity and calcium also contribute, as well as lower magnesium.

Often the effect disappears as tanks mature (the hard sections stay hard, but unclumped sand stays that way, and new sand won't as readily clump).
The addition of organisms (cucumbers, etc) seems to delay or stop the process as they keep it mixed up and perhaps break tiny links between grains before they become too established."



__________________
Randy Holmes-Farley
 
Shazbah

Shazbah

Member
Thanks for the info
It could possibly be that i raised my mag and calc levels to get rid of a bryopsis outbreak? It's certainly not my ph as i cant get that above 7.8-7.9 no matter what i do
cheers shaz
 
no1bubba

no1bubba

Member
As previously written, my sand is doing the exact same thing. My Mag is 1500, I raised it to get rid of my bryopsis problem. My calc however is low. I just started in one corner to stir the sand about 3"X3" now my params are good but my water looks like alka seltzer. I am thinking that I've stirred up some bad things and now the tank has to recycle. I have a sand sifter star, turbos, margaritas and a meriad of other little snails. No crabs.
Any body else fighting bryopsis and having the same sand problem? By the way the bryopsis is almost completely gone. But not without taking the zoas with it. I have been finding chunks of the bry just about to float away with the zoas still attached. Thanks, Bubba
 
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