live sand almost turning into rock???

[Jon]

In October when I started this new tank I wentwith the large coarse sand (somesort of live carribean). I wanted a change from the very fine sand which was easy for the fish to displace. I was told when I bought it that there was no difference in either other than astetic reasons. Since than my sand that I do not move around when doing normal cleaning has somehow bound together and it almost impossible to move. It is almost a rock like formation, maybe attaching to the live rock. Has anyone ever experienced this before?

 

[adesimone1]

Jon are you sure the bag didn't say cement ;D

 

[Jon]

Anthony, I think you are on to something... This is why I am having all of these small annoying problems. I put cement in my tank instead of live sand. Let me get my chisel and solve all of my probelms

 

[blange3]

Are you dosing calcium supplements or kalkwasser?

Got any sand stirring critters like cerith snails, cucumbers or sand sifting starfish?

 

[Jon]

You it the nail on the head Blange. I thought that it could be from my daily dosing of calcium and alkalinity but was not sure. No I do not have any sand sifting critters in my tank. This is the first tank taht I have not had any in either. I think that I might invest in some.

 

[SirFragalot]

Are you dosing calcium supplements or kalkwasser?

Got any sand stirring critters like cerith snails, cucumbers or sand sifting starfish?

Not having any critters in the sand would cause your sand to become so compacted that it seems like cement??

 

[blange3]

Are you dosing calcium supplements or kalkwasser?

Got any sand stirring critters like cerith snails, cucumbers or sand sifting starfish?

Not having any critters in the sand would cause your sand to become so compacted that it seems like cement??

You will get some compaction over time that breaks up easily. But the rocklike situation is usally from using too much kalk in my experience.

 

[SirFragalot]

Are you dosing calcium supplements or kalkwasser?

Got any sand stirring critters like cerith snails, cucumbers or sand sifting starfish?

Not having any critters in the sand would cause your sand to become so compacted that it seems like cement??

You will get some compaction over time that breaks up easily. But the rocklike situation is usally from using too much kalk in my experience.

OK. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Must have been the way I read it. (apologies for jumping in Jon)

 

[Mbodell]

Do you heavily feed a lot of flake food? The stuff that they use to bind the food together can do that as well.

 

[Jon]

No I do not use any flake food. but I keep my alk. between 9 - 12. Which means a daily does of 3 tsp of kent dkh daily. I think tht is what is causing it.
Jon

 

[blange3]

No I do not use any flake food. but I keep my alk. between 9 - 12. Which means a daily does of 3 tsp of kent dkh daily. I think tht is what is causing it.
Jon

We have a winner! ;D

Check your Ca and Mg at this point Jon. These three things work together. By forcing the alk up you are probably precipatating calcium. Raising magnesium will allow you to supersaturate to a point.

I'm planning on a post about water parameters and maintenance in the future. In the meantime check out this link.

Just a quick note, natural seawater is 7dkh.

 

[Jon]

Blange I check my calcium and magnesium every other day. May calcium is always around 420 - 460 and my mag is usually around 1350 - 1450. I only keep my alk up because it can drop three points (ie: from 12 - 9) in a day. From what I understand and have read it is ok to keep your alk. at those levels. Besides when my alk. drops below 8 you can see it in my leather corals. They seem to like the water pretty hard.

 

[blange3]

Blange I check my calcium and magnesium every other day. May calcium is always around 420 - 460 and my mag is usually around 1350 - 1450. I only keep my alk up because it can drop three points (ie: from 12 - 9) in a day. From what I understand and have read it is ok to keep your alk. at those levels. Besides when my alk. drops below 8 you can see it in my leather corals. They seem to like the water pretty hard.

It's dropping 3 points everyday because 12 is out of balance with your calcium level. If your calcium is 420 your alk will be balanced aound 8.2. You wanted to know why your sand is caking. You are precipitating calcium carbonate. Most of what you add on a daily basis is just going to build that cement floor on you tank.

What makes you think the leathers aren't happy. They may have to adjust to the new balance, but they should be fine at 8 dkh.

 

[Jon]

The leathers are fine at 8 but I can not maintain my alk. levels to stay at 8. Which I why I manually dose 3 tsp to keep it in a higher range so that it does not go below 8 which is when the leather start to get unhappy. What can I do to keep my levels at 8 all of the time. I have heard of using a reactor but have not used one nor do I have a whole lot of extra space under my tank. The sump takes up 80% of it. Any other ideas>

 

[blange3]

The leathers are fine at 8 but I can not maintain my alk. levels to stay at 8. Which I why I manually dose 3 tsp to keep it in a higher range so that it does not go below 8 which is when the leather start to get unhappy. What can I do to keep my levels at 8 all of the time. I have heard of using a reactor but have not used one nor do I have a whole lot of extra space under my tank. The sump takes up 80% of it. Any other ideas>

Well, overshooting 8 by that much is probably not necessary.

As for other methods, do you have a topoff system? I would mix ESV kalkwasser with your topoff water.

 

[Jon]

I do not have a top off system because I do not have the space. I will try to lower my daily alk dosage and see what happens.
Thanksfor your thoughts - Jon