Is Live Rock Supposed to Do This?

[VoiceInTheDeser]

So I've had this FOWLR tank set up for about 8 months, but the last few weeks, I've been noticing this:
http://imgur.com/QURSi
http://imgur.com/egSyA

Is this a normal thing that happens? I've been googling "rubble in sand" and other variations but haven't come up with anything quite like what I'm seeing. I've read that Live Rock can break down if the water chemistry isn't good, but my hardness and calcium are fine, so I don't think that's it. That and the live rock in the tank looks healthy with no real erosion anywhere I can see.

To be honest, the sand bed is kinda shallow, so I was gonna pick up a bag and mix it in with my current stuff, but I was wondering about this and thought I'd get a picture before I altered it too much so I can prevent it from happening in the future if it is a problem.

 

[DoubleM 10]

it could just be portions coming off while trnsporting. or now that the power heads are moving they may blow the loose stuff off and it lands in the sand.

im very sure their is nothing to wrry about here accept for the visual things

 

[Recty]

Looks normal to me. Everything is settling, from the looks of it. You always end up with the largest pieces of stuff on the top and the smallest particles of sand on the bottom, with everything else in between.

Did you change your flow direction or powerheads around at all in the last month? Something as minor as that can cause it, a little current across the sand can change the way your sand bed looks pretty fast.

 

[VoiceInTheDeser]

I changed the flow, but it was after I noticed these changes. If that's just what happens over time, that's cool, I was just worried something might be wrong. I added a little bit of new sand, so I stirred it up and it's less ugly now...that's my only real objection to it.

Is there something some people do to clean it up? It looks kinda crap in my opinion, but if that's the healthy progression of the tank, I'll leave it alone.

 

[pnavarro170]

this should be in the newb section.

 

[VoiceInTheDeser]

this should be in the newb section.

Sorry about that :-\

 

[namxas]

I'd recommend against stirring the substrate up other than than just pushing your fingers into it (if you feel you must). There are compounds in the lower layers of the substrate that your do NOT want in your water column that will kill your tank. Your tank is still fairly new, so you got lucky there. BTW, your substrate looks pretty darned clean to me.

 

[Meshmez]

i have seen this in my tank, i always just assumed it was the sand separating out as the animals sift through it..