What color is your sand or CC

[Apone]

I use a SSB in my tank to allow for weekly cleaning of the sand bed. I do this when I do my water change. My sand is fairly coarse and probably qualifies as "fine crushed coral" rather than sand. WHen I put it into my tank it looks nice and white, but after a few weeks it tends to start turning brown. I end up replacing the top layer with new substrate about every 3 months to fight this phenomenon.

What color is everyone else's substrate, and do you replace yours periodically to keep it looking white? Does anyone use a brown olor sand? If so can you post a picture...

 

[FinzAquatics]

I use a SSB in my tank to allow for weekly cleaning of the sand bed. I do this when I do my water change. My sand is fairly coarse and probably qualifies as "fine crushed coral" rather than sand. WHen I put it into my tank it looks nice and white, but after a few weeks it tends to start turning brown. I end up replacing the top layer with new substrate about every 3 months to fight this phenomenon.

What color is everyone else's substrate, and do you replace yours periodically to keep it looking white? Does anyone use a brown olor sand? If so can you post a picture...

the sand that i use is called "fiji pink". i think it is manufactured by carib sea(not sure though). and no i do not replace my sand. keeping it clean is the job of my snails and hermit crabs(or a goby if you have one, but i dont)

 

[Apone]

I think my problem is that my sand is too coarse, which allows for algae to build up in the llittle cracks and crevices, which tends not to be removed by clean-up crew members....I think I need to try a finer sand. Does that make sense?

 

[MichaelJ]

I have figi pink and aragamax or something like that.. one if fine and the other is not.... snails do their job... IMO at least in my tank... but mine is still young too.

 

[NateHanson]

I think I need to try a finer sand. Does that make sense?

Yes, that makes sense. If you have crushed coral it will allow detritus to settle into it, and then it will grow algae and cyano and stuff (the brown is probably cyano). You want sand that is the consistency of sugar.

 

[smcnally]

Another thing to consider is that because you vacuum your sand weekly, you are not giving it time to build up anything to eat that algae. As soon as it starts to build up critters you are vacuuming them out. There is no need to vacuum a shallow sand bed.

 

[merk1_99]

YOu should get nassarius snails. And depending on the size of the tank a conch or a sand sifting goby. I just started the 75 and let the sand go brown with algae. When that happened I added a few more nassarius snails, and a dragon goby. I personally wouldn't add a goby or conch unless the sand is brown....They have to eat something....

 

[NateHanson]

I wouldn't add a sand sifting goby at all in a medium or small tank. They'll strip everything live out of the sand, and then starve. Stick to things like nassarius, cerith and conchs to clean your sandbed.

However, if you substrate is closer to the size of rolled oats than to the size of sugar, then I think the first problem you need to address is substrate replacement.