Sand clumping

[pdfb55]

I've got a shallow sand bed on my 120 and the sand clumps up into hard rocklike clumps that I have to constantly break up. What causes this and how do I keep it from happening? The sand is argonite and its not fine but not like crush shell its in the middle.
Thanks
Kyle

 

[nmbeg]

do you have any burrowing type creatures like cuc's or snails?

I have noticed that my cuc causes little sand balls all over the place (cuc poop I suppose) but i have never tested how hard it is to break those up.

 

[STH53]

Do you run a calcium reactor? I've seen a couple of situations where the sandbed didn't have any sand stirrers and the CO2 starts to dissolve the argonite sand bed.

 

[bane]

By Ronald L. Shimek, Ph. D
"Rapid bacterial growth rates only occur without competition for space or nutrients. As the bacterial populations fill in all the open spaces growth slows and may stop altogether. Some bacteria also secrete a exterior covering called a "glycocalyx." These glycocalices are made of a hard sugar-like material similar in consistency to rock candy. Rapid bacterial growth may produce so enough of this material to glue sediments together. These sediment lumps may be glued so tightly together that hammering is needed to break them apart"

"Fortunately, prevention of sediment clumping and the simultaneous maintenance of optimal biological filter operation is easily done by the establishment of a healthy and diverse sediment dwelling fauna, or "infauna." The infauna, so-called as the FAUNA lives IN the sediments, is a very diverse array group of wonder-working organisms. Unfortunately, they are small, and are not particularly attractive. Like Rodney Dangerfield, "They don't get no respect." And, that is a pity, as they do most of the work in keeping any reef tank functional."

 

[pdfb55]

Yes I do run a calcium reactor without really anything to stir the sandbed. I went to my lfs today but there werent really any inverts that would help stir it up. I'll have to keep my eye out for some. For now ive just been breaking it up as much as I can.

Bane,
by fauna do you mean like sandsifting gobies, stars, and cucs? Or do you mean like bacteria or pod like creatures?

 

[dzeadow]

bristle worms are great sand sifters. If you don't have any, try and get some sand from a fellow reefer or get a scoop of live sand from your LFS.

 

[pdfb55]

yeah I still have yet to see a bristleworm in my tank. I'll try to talk to my teacher at school in charge of the school aquarium see if I can dig around for a few.

 

[bane]

The infauna are flatworms, round worms, dozens of species of bristle worms, small snails, brittle stars, small sea cucumbers, protozoans, and many types of small crustaceans ect