Christmas in my tank?

[ulfius]

My fish (6" niger trigger, 4" trigger trigger, 4" tomato clown) are continually stirring up my sand (switched from crushed coral 2 weeks ago) and it's getting all over my live rock. Is this a problem that I should be worried about?

I'm going to be switching to more reef friendly fish in a couple months, but the LFS is not taking trades right now.

 

[ludnix]

The sand is pretty new so it's not uncommon for it to be easily stirred. It should stay down better with time.

 

[evsalty]

That looks like deep enough sand to be considered a deep sandbed so you will need to cautious about disturbing it down the road or it could lead to a tank crash. You are safe for now but do read up on DSB's so you know what to look out for.

 

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288348#post15288348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by evsalty
That looks like deep enough sand to be considered a deep sandbed so you will need to cautious about disturbing it down the road or it could lead to a tank crash. You are safe for now but do read up on DSB's so you know what to look out for.

I thought a DSB was only once you got to 3-4"+ and my bed is close to 2".

 

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288309#post15288309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ludnix
The sand is pretty new so it's not uncommon for it to be easily stirred. It should stay down better with time.

But should I continue to clean the sand off the LR as I'm doing a couple times a week right now?

 

[evsalty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288479#post15288479 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius
I thought a DSB was only once you got to 3-4"+ and my bed is close to 2".

Wow. That pic makes your SB look deeper the two inches.

What size tank is it and how much sand did you put in there?

 

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288505#post15288505 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by evsalty
Wow. That pic makes your SB look deeper the two inches.

What size tank is it and how much sand did you put in there?

60lbs in a 40gal tank.

 

[widmer]

Yea my guess would have been like 4 inches. Maybe your ruler isn't calibrated correctly =) ?

 

[Toddrtrex]

The only time the sand being kicked up will be an issue (( not talking about the bed itself )) would be if you have any corals that will end up being covered. It won't harm the live rock at all.

Even if you go to reef safe(r) fish, if you have a clown in there, the odds are good that you will still have this problem, it is what they do. The only clown that I have kept that hasn't done that is my pink skunk pair.

It took my Clarkii pair about 5 minutes to do this.

Before,

After

 

[Cbravo212]

I put sugar size sand in my tank and it was a pain for a while. Eventually, it will compact and stay put. Keep using a turkey baster to blast the grit off the LR to keep it effective.

 

[ulfius]

I'll keep blowing the sand off for the time being, but me and the clown are going to have blows. He tries to take a piece out of my arm no matter where I am in the tank and I've almost knocked him senseless a few times.

 

[1DeR9_3Hy]

I must have dodged that bullet, my clowns never stir up the substrate (special grade reef floor). The only time it gets moved is when i screw up a water change and stir it up with the water.

 

[ulfius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288977#post15288977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 1DeR9_3Hy
I must have dodged that bullet, my clowns never stir up the substrate (special grade reef floor). The only time it gets moved is when i screw up a water change and stir it up with the water.

Lucky man. All three of my fish (but mostly the clown and Niger trigger) will go all the way to the tank bottom making depressions and causing my LR to shift.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288931#post15288931 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius
I'll keep blowing the sand off for the time being, but me and the clown are going to have blows. He tries to take a piece out of my arm no matter where I am in the tank and I've almost knocked him senseless a few times.

Just wait until they draw blood an a regular basis.

 

[evsalty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15288993#post15288993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ulfius
Lucky man. All three of my fish (but mostly the clown and Niger trigger) will go all the way to the tank bottom making depressions and causing my LR to shift.

There are many ways to prevent the rock from shifting. For me I put my bottom rocks down the glass. Some are opposed to rock touching glass but I have never lost a tank and I have had tanks for over 15 years doing it that way the whole time.