Black egg smelling residue

[mrmole83]

I have this black rotten egg smelling residue on my shallow sand bed that can be seen from top of the tank. I think it is sulfur. How would you recommned to get rid of it and what is the cause? Thanks

 

[Nano101]

how deep is your sand bed?

 

[Nano101]

how deep is your sand bed?

too deep of a sand bed can cause problems if you don't have livestock to stir it up. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.php #reefsquad probably has more input

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Get it out. Doesn't matter how deep the bed is. It can happen.

Here to say it but I would replace the sand bed right this second.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/rhf/

Use gfo and carbon to remove it from the wate and add an air stone.

For some reason the bacteria died and is polluting the water now.

 

[Nano101]

On my 75g I had too deep of a sand (3-4") without the proper livestock to filter through the bed, I had to replace the sand, as it was black and smelly as well. Lost 2 fish during the process, but it had to be done. All corals recovered and flourished after

 

[melypr1985]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/rhf/

Use gfo and carbon to remove it from the water and add an air stone.

For some reason the bacteria died and is polluting the water now.

+1 Makes sense to me :)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

On my 75g I had too deep of a sand (3-4") without the proper livestock to filter through the bed, I had to replace the sand, as it was black and smelly as well. Lost 2 fish during the process, but it had to be done. All corals recovered and flourished after

Yup. Deep sand. Must love worms.
I do.

It can happen in rock too and reactors. And clearly a shallow sand bed as well.

 

[mrmole83]

I have about 2 inches sand bed only. I found some of it on the floor of my sump too. Right now tds of topup is reading at 7ppm with a Diatom bloom in dt.

 

[Reefing Madness]

http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

 

[Nano101]

IMO, RO/DI TO water should always be 0, but probably unrelated to your sand bed. Replace your sand, or at least take it out and rinse the heck out of it with RO/DI water

 

[dbl]

Agree with others...sounds like it's time to replace the sand.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO, RO/DI TO water should always be 0, but probably unrelated to your sand bed. Replace your sand, or at least take it out and rinse the heck out of it with RO/DI water

Very off chance that it was a chem like chlorine that killed the bacteria. Or a pipe cleaner.
Kinda nice we drink that stuff.

 

[Nano101]

Very off chance that it was a chem like chlorine that killed the bacteria. Or a pipe cleaner.
Kinda nice we drink that stuff.

I drink my RO/DI water for the purpose of all the crap that is in our drinking water. 0 TDS for me!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Actuall should drink rodi either. Esp depends on the ph of it

 

[mrmole83]

0 tds not good for drinking

 

[mrmole83]

I am not sure but is it possible that the diatom and cyano covers the top of the sand and therefore no circulation can reach the sand thats why its rotten egg?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea kinda maybe. But it's in the sump too.
Sounds like a possible bacterial bloom then mass dieoff. I would def start to siphon at bery least

 

[Nano101]

I am not sure but is it possible that the diatom and cyano covers the top of the sand and therefore no circulation can reach the sand thats why its rotten egg?

Diatoms and cyano should be relatively blown off by proper flow. When I get cyano, it's more like strands flying off rock, because of the flow I have. Low flow=more cyano. The cover of cyano over the sand MAY be contributing, but make sure you have enough inverts to be sifting through the sand. It really does help stir up the sand.

 

[Tahoe61]

It's an hypoxic area, consider adding some Nassarius Snails to stir the sand to alleviate areas that hydrogen sulfide may develop. I would just take larger diameter tubing and clean that area. Clean the sand bed in this manner in small sections as to not stir up too much detritus at one time or release significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide.
Test nitrates just to see if nutrients are contributing to the development of increased numbers of anaerobic bacteria.