Will removing sand bed reduce algae growth?

edmund36

Premium Member
I have been having problems with algae formations in two tanks, one 125 gallons, and one 60 gallons in size. I have green hairy algae in the 125 gallon and red, probably diatom, in the 60 gallon tank.

I have tried extensive RODI water changes, phosphate media bags, re-cleaning sand bottom, with no long term luck. The growth will just continue within two weeks after a thorough cleaning.

Someone told me from the LFS that if I remove my sand bed, in total, it will prevent the phosphates, silicates, other impurities from building up in the tanks. He claims this is the better way to keep up a salt water tank, that is, no sand bed.

Just wanted to get thoughts from others on this. As I never heard this concept, and don’t want to try it before I’m sure it is the right thing to do.

Thanks in advance.

Ed
 
What is the grain size of the sand? If it's along the lines of crushed coral (large grains--like gravel) I'd say it might not be a bad idea to remove the bed (easier said than done). If it's of much finer sand it's probably not the root of the problem IME.
 
How old are these tanks...maybe you are just having an algea cycle. Also, when you are doing your water changes I would suggest blowing out the debris in your rocks. It may not look like anything is in there but take a turkey baster to the crevices and see how much stuff blows out, that could be the cause of the nitrate/phosphates that are building up from that debris.
 
These tanks are over 1 and 2 years old. I have cleaned the rock in past, especially when removing the green hair algae which somtimes requires a bristle brush. I do like your suggestion to doing this at same time as water change to capture the rock debris in the old water.
 
Removing the sand might help, if the sand is dirty enough. There's no good way to tell whether that's the case, though.
 
The small 60 gallon tank has the larger size sand bed. However, the 120 gallon tank has the fine sand.

Ed
 
put GFO in a reactor and change media every 2 weeks. You can remove your sandbed, remove 1/2 and add fine sand or just add 10 pounds. Your sandbed might be saturated, but who knows? replenshing sand bed also could work for ya.
 
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