clean sand..??

[UVaJester]

Hows does everyone seem to keep there sand/substrate so clean.. I have a clean up crew, but my sand always looks liek soemthing is growing on it... hmmm.... any suggestions..?? Thanks..

Jester

 

[scytale]

Welcome to RF!

What exactly does this growing stuff look like? brown spots, green, red, etc. (pics are best if you've got them.)

There's alot of different things (algaes, cynobacteria, etc.) that can grow on a sandbed--but they usually all appear when there's excess nutrients and/or areas of low-flow in the tank.

(FWIW: I use a regualr aquarium-gravel vacuum siphon to clean my coarse "sand" during water-changes.)

 

[burning2nd]

well... i dont have sand i have crushed coral...... lil bigger then sand sand... but i get a dirtyness in spots....

you can stirr it a little.. but not all of it at one time...

every week pick a diffrent small spot and move it around slowly....

how deep is your sand? what are you equipment stats?
could be algae, could be just detritus.

got a pic?

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a couple of sand sifting starfish in my 250gal and they do a great job cruising around and 'cleaning' the sand. I assume they are also eating detritus. They are not the most attractive with no real color (shades of white, gray, and one is got some black on him) but I am real happy with them.

 

[Passinetti2007]

I just have sufficient flow and enough creatures that stir up the sand that I don't have to mess with it.