Why is my live sand black and chunky?

[FrostyKevin]

It looks disgusting.

 

[Troylee]

Do you carbon dose or use mb7??? Normally bacteria in high amounts will cause the clumping.. The black might be detritus build up...

 

[FrostyKevin]

I don't like to sound like a newbie, but what's carbon dosing and mb7?

 

[Troylee]

That would mean no haha... Vodka or microbacter7... Prolly just a dead spot where left over mater is gathering... Try stiring it up a little bit at a time... Like a 1/4 of it one day and then 2 days later another 1/4 etc...

 

[FrostyKevin]

Ok, thanks! :D

 

[Teeb]

Get LOTS of Nassarius snails. They'll help keep it stirred up.

 

[Spsfan]

+1 on the nassarius snails also maybe a conch, sand star or a black sand sifting sea cucumber they help me I also siphon my sand when I do my water changes

 

[Me z]

man looking at that you have nutrient problems mainly nitrate and phosphate. I am also going to guess that you dont have an RO/DI water filter or it needs new filters bad. You need to get your water in line before you add anything to clean it up. I would buy GFO (thats what its actually called) to remove phosphate. Second once you get an RO/DI filter or replace your filters start doing water changes to remove DOC's (dissolved organic compounds) and nitrate. I would also purchase a better protein skimmer and that should help as well. In the future give your system parameters as well as your water parameters. For example I run bio pellets, skim heavy, run gfo, replace my pre filters and DI resins every three months and my membrane every six-eight months current TDS reading on the RO/DI unit is .02, I have a refugium with feather and grape caulerpa also sea lettuce and cheato. My calcium is 450ppm my alk is 11dkh Specific gravity is 1.025 checked with a refrac, my phosphate is 0.0 checked with a hanna checker, my nitrate is 0 same with amm and nitrite my magnesium is about 1350 I run a calcium reactor to maintain magnesium (use of neomag from brightwell) calcium and alk. I Dose coral amino once a week and use selcon in my food once a week. I feed flake food four times a week, cyclopeeze flakes once a week, brine and mysis once a week, and ad nori twice a week for my tangs. My current inhabitants are a yellow tang, powder blue tang, mystery wrasse, red coris wrasse, bar goby, two chromis, two flame angels, and two clowns in the dt. I also have a scooter blenny in the 40g frag tank that is tied into my DT through my chiller, and I have a chromis and a peacock mantis shrimp in my refugium. My DT is a six foot 125g and I have a 40g fuge, 30g sump, and a 40g breeder frag tank all tied in together total water volume is around 200g. I have a mixed reef that is sps and zoa dominated. I run two 400w radiums and a 150w 20k bulb on the DT. My frag tank uses 120 LED's and four 24w t5's.

It takes a while to write everything, but if someone was to read through my tank info they would know what to exclude when trying to help me or recognize a potential problem whether its with compatability, lighting, chemistry, or a myriad of other factors. Its just hard to help when we are missing lots of info. If you have questions just pm me im more than happy to help newcomers. :bigsmile:

 

[FrostyKevin]

Ok, thanks!

 

[FrostyKevin]

Where can I get selcon for a low price?

 

[Me z]

I buy mine from fosterandsmithaquatics.com I buy the 200g box of reef crystals which are 48$ then add the selcon to my cart so my order is over 50$ and ships free. Best place I have found since I can buy alot of salt cheap and have my order ship free.