FAQ FAQ Search Search Register Register Profile Profile Check private messages Check private messages Log in Log in

Rate My Fish Tank Forum Index - Saltwater / Reef Tank Discussion - Play sand in a reef tank - Reply

Goto page Previous  1, 2


 fihsboy

Joined: 19 Mar 2008 GMT
Posts: 1838
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:14 pm GMT   Reply      

 

Cyno aka red slime feeds directly on silica. you will know within a week or two. :)



 jnelson1983

Joined: 22 Apr 2009 GMT
Posts: 38
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:36 pm GMT   Reply      

 

Ok... but do I have to worry about it killin the fish at all? or would that risk come from any chemicals or whatnot that are on the sand itself?



 saltwaterpimp

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 GMT
Posts: 1297
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:59 pm GMT   Reply      

 

"Cyno aka red slime feeds directly on silica" Do you have readings to back this up ? From what i understand Nitrate,phosphate,lighting and ph are common sources for cyno. Your playsand will be fine, and your going to get your normal cycles of all algaes no matter what Substrate you use.


SWP



 fihsboy

Joined: 19 Mar 2008 GMT
Posts: 1838
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:51 am GMT   Reply      

 

In the oceans, diatoms are silica limited in some natural settings (like the polar regions and the Sargasso Sea, where the ambient silica concentration is less than 1 mM (0.06 ppm SiO2).11 There have also been many cases where eutrophication of natural waters has raised nitrogen and phosphorus levels to the point where silica has become limiting,12 even when it was not limiting in pristine waters. In reef tanks, where nitrogen and phosphorus are often not in short supply, it makes sense that silica could be limiting. In case you were thinking that silica limitation to diatom growth is necessarily a good thing, there are drawbacks. The limitation of silica, inhibiting the growth of diatoms that would otherwise take up the limiting nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, has even been implicated in blooms of cyanobacteria.1


http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm



 fihsboy

Joined: 19 Mar 2008 GMT
Posts: 1838
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:02 am GMT   Reply      

 

Directly, it feeds diatoms....which we all know makes a complete mess out of our tanks. I HATE diatom blooms. I was reading where play sand comes with diatoms in it....no matter how much you rinse it. But a little bit of silica is a good thing.......HUGE amounts is bad. fish corals and sponges all use it, so its good to have. And play sand will dissolve silica faster than anything, so thats why you end up with brown and green algae covered sand, because the algaes eat it up

In short.... its safe to use yes....thats all im going to say.......its safe.



 Tmercier83

Joined: 13 Feb 2008 GMT
Posts: 875
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:26 pm GMT   Reply      

 

In freshwater situations because of the fine quality of the sand it can become very compacted (particularly when over 2.5" deep), and stranded detritus can form aerobic pockets within the sand which decay over time and can eventually release deadly amounts of sulfur gas into the water column. I'm not sure if this plays a threat in SW but I can't imagine it doesn't if there is nothing present to stir the sand top to bottom.

I've witnessed this in a tank with flourite black sand where detritus seeped down around a piece of wood submerged in the sand and when I pulled it out large amounts of sulfur bubbles rose to the surface. Thankfully it seemed to gas off fast enough so that no harm was done..except to my sense of smell.



 fihsboy

Joined: 19 Mar 2008 GMT
Posts: 1838
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:24 pm GMT   Reply      

 

Same thing in salt.....thats what a DSB is famous for. Which it is a good thing for reefs.



 saltwaterpimp

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 GMT
Posts: 1297
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:25 pm GMT   Reply      

 

"The limitation of silica, inhibiting the growth of diatoms that would otherwise take up the limiting nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, has even been implicated in blooms of cyanobacteria.1 " Call me a dumbass but this states nothing about cyno directly feeding off silicates, But they do fuel Diatom..Do you have any other info proving this ?

swp



 Snowboss

Joined: 27 Jan 2008 GMT
Posts: 2098
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:13 pm GMT   Reply      

 

lol



 saltwaterpimp

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 GMT
Posts: 1297
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:05 pm GMT   Reply      

 

Here is a great article on cyno,RHF can make your head spin, this should be easy for everyone to read...Even you boss;)

TMERCIER here is one on sandbeds,Im lazy also (don't feal like typing) lol.

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic59558-13-1.aspx



 fihsboy

Joined: 19 Mar 2008 GMT
Posts: 1838
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:52 pm GMT   Reply      

 

no Direct reading. sorry pimp. But thats what I was told.



 jnelson1983

Joined: 22 Apr 2009 GMT
Posts: 38
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:12 pm GMT   Reply      

 

8 days and counting.... Added about 40lbs of sand (maybe 1/2 an inch so far), and so far so good. No algae growth (above and beyond what i normally have)...

*Crosses his fingers* Here's hoping.



 barnsey

Joined: 21 Apr 2009 GMT
Posts: 19
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:13 am GMT   Reply      

 

Carrib seas Fiji pink (white) coral sand is £15 for 20ib on the net,its ideal for DSB at 2-4mm particles,has no silica or any others issues.
It also wont get stirred up every 5 mins by your fish/powerheads.

Im no expert on DSB's but im sure i read somewhere that ultra fine or large particles are a no go,the fine particles compacting far to much and the large ones allowing gasses out too freely.



 barnsey

Joined: 21 Apr 2009 GMT
Posts: 19
Contact User Send Message

View user's profile

 

Post Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:23 am GMT   Reply      

 

P.s If you want to pull copper out of your system use Pollyfilters,for Meds carbon is fine.

Just bear in mind it will take a VERY long time to pull Copper out of live rock,many places dont recommend snails,cuces,seahares,starfish etc if copper has ever been used in a system.

We have a closed quarantine tank which has a 10 kg of live rock which i used to use to quarantine fish and treat any illness.
No copper/medications have been added to the tank for 2 years,it houses 1 Frogfih and a few varieties of marco algae.
I still get slight blue(copper) on pollyfilters even now.


Goto page Previous  1, 2

Rate My Fish Tank Forum Index - Saltwater / Reef Tank Discussion - Play sand in a reef tank - Reply