It was so simple to fixed my problem with dirty sand !I steel couldn't believe.I bough sifting GOBY. This guy is gorgeous and total sifter ))))My sand is cristal white!
Thanks for the valuable information. Years ago I was having this problem and had some sand sifting fish that alleviated it. After about 6 years the fish died so I opted for snails. They worked out well until to my horror the snails bored into the mantle of my beautiful clams and killed them. AAGGGHH! Make sure that the critters that you put in are compatible. The tank that I have now is about 20 years old and I suck out the sand that is accessible during a major water change to remove the naturally accumulating hydrogen sulfide compounds, wash it all down in a large bucket of water, then put it back into the tank.
My sand-sifting diamond goby is amazing, but you have to be careful if you place corals on the sand bed. They might bury them. Still, hardest worker in my tank.
I like my Nassarius snails and enjoy watching them travel around in convoy. I did not know how large their mouths actually are until I set up a small aquarium where I could really watch in detail. They have no problem injesting a large size pellet from Ocean Nutrition. They have enormous appetites.
Dino flagellant was the most annoying problem I had to face one year to get rid of it and I managed to successfully get rid of it but it is true lack of phosphate did cause the dinoflagellates to take over violently but when I started to notice my phosphates going up my My dinos disappeared finally
DINO X worked amazingly for me to remove dinos. However it killed the crab and shrimp. Could be a coincidence but never lost anything till I used it. So use with care.
2:37 just one word of caution here, I had tragic results from siphoning deep gunk out through a filter sock and then pumping that same water back into the tank. The technique makes sense in theory, but in my case I hit a deposit of toxins in a previously undisturbed area that resulted in terrible fish deaths within hours. It was awful to watch, and I didn’t have the experience to realize what was happening until it was too late. Skip this technique. If you use it, be careful not to clean too deeply.
Best wishes for the New Year! I have used Dino X a couple of times according to the instructions and even dosing less in my 35 gallon nano tank and even the second time it killed one or two fish, my shrimps, a crab and a coral or two. My skimmer, A Bubble Magus C3.5 couldn't keep up with all the gunk coming out of the collection cup; it spilled over a couple of times and the second time I used Dino X I woke up every 2-3 hours a night in order to empty the collection cup and a bucket. It led to a considerable loss of saltwater (I added a spillovertube to a 2,5 gallon bucket that I had to empty every couple of hours, day and night) over a couple of days, which was unseen for and perilous to my water stability. And in the end I couldn't proceed further being afraid more corals and especially fish were to die. The problem wasn't solved, I still have dinoflagellates and now battling them with UV. Attempted a series of like 5 blackouts from 2-3-4-5 days (corals, LPS and SPS seemed to handle this pretty well) , then saw a clean sandbed and no oxygen bells anymore from the dinos but after a couple of days they managed to return to forever or so it seems. Raised NO3 to no avail. UV must do the job now in conjunction with extra NO3. I think it wouldn't be wise to use this product in a small tank like mine. Seriously.
Hey I just want to say I agree with Dino X. I tried it 2 years ago when it first came out, livestock did NOT respond well. Just want to let u know Youre not alone. Try taking out like 1/8 of your sand rinsing it in tap water and then put it back in. It doesn’t kill the bacteria but it will clean it and kill the dinos in the sand. Do a little at a time
My diamond goby is amazing. My sand bed is perfect. I have really fine sand and it looks gorgeous. I couldn't imagine not having one of these fish. Best tip you can give a new hobbiest is to stock their tank with fish and inverts that will work to keep their tank clean first, then focus on a couple of really pretty fish to add. Build an eco system.
I bought one for that reason. I put him in 3 days ago and havnt seen since. He was hiding under the rock when I bought him! I told her I wanted one of the 3 in another tank that were opening siifting sand and she said he is sulking because she sold his buddy that day and she wanted to clear that tank out for another fish! ! Shouldnt have listened or do they hide at first? I dont have a lid but I dont see him anywhere o n the floor!
I would like to see more clear uses for Brightwell products (MicroBacter7, MicroBacterClean and Razor). How about Brightwell having their own investigates type videos that show their products at work?
It's all part of saltwater naturally. The best and safe way is U.V steriliser in plumbing, ozonizer in skimmer, both are expensive to buy and operate. and sifin sand monthly, clean rocks with brush weekly, monthly water changes hence regular maintenance. and keep away warm light or direct day light on tank.
You 2 are the equivalent to the reefing community of what Batman & Robin are to Gothem city 😅 Seriously though just you 2 alone (of course with Brs in your corner 😉) have done more for the hobby and helped more people understanding so many different things then any other youtubers out there. I don't wanna short end all the other people who do a good share as well, which there are a decent handful that are extremely helpful but you 2 are freaking awesome 💪🏻 i know this is already a known thing but just wanted to give a little more credit where it's do! Keep it coming guys, everything you put out here is changing or helping peoples issues somewhere 💯
Idk if Batman & Robin is a good comparison cause I don't see 1 of you as the others side kick 🤣 amd Robin was cool but he wasn't batman 🤣🤣. id like to think its more of an equal type partnership here as far the info and help is put out here, maybe just Batman & Batman Haha but u get what I mean 😅
I never touch my 2.5 cms sand bed, and I never had alguae or cyano on it. And he's almost as first (ocean white red sea). I have a good flow all over the volume, a few of nassarius, detritivores, microfaune, different shapes for rocks, a good filtering, a good oxygen rate in water, a light alguae scrubber.
My sand bed is approximately 9 years old, I'm adding new sand next week. Do I need to remove all the existing sand or I can just add the new sand on top of the existing sand?
I had hair algae growing everywhere, even on my sand Cyano and dynos too and killed some corals. Half the recommended does of Vibrant wiped out my bubble algae, Reef flux took out all briopsis and 75% of GHA then my pincushion took care or everything else. It stared coming back in the sand but I started sifting the sand and cleaning the glass every second day for 2 weeks when I saw there wasn't much coming back that's when I over populated the tank with pods and got more snails, a lot more snails... haven't cleaned my glass in over a month and dont see signs of an outbreak, I just stir up the sand twice a week where I see needed...... this didn't take weeks but 6-8 months to sort it self out... slower is better and deal with one problem at a time And I probably just jinxed myself 😔
I never watched one of your videos and was not more confused at the end. I don't know if this helps others but Every time I watch one of your videos I am totally confused on what to do. I've never watched any of your videos and thought that's the solution, I watched them and then i'm just like i'm more confused than ever
Little correction from my side. I tried battling Cyano by adding all sorts of products with bacteria which made my cyano problem even worse. Until somebody told me "get your nitrates and phosphates" up. Was a firm believer that nutrients are too high when I had them and always wondered why all tests seem to be broken because they showed 0. Seriously, first thing to measure for me is PO4 and NO3 whenever I see some red or green slime and it has always been too low nutrients. Never too much. And as soon as I get PO4 and NO3 up he slime is gone within days. So don't neglect nutrients when you see red or green slime.
If this is true, it could be the Reason why frequent waterchanges solve the Problem, because they keep the nutriets up on a high level.(if u dont have fish to feed)
They often make it sound much more simple than it is. My clownfish will attack any sand sifting creature that can not get out of the way fast. Crabs cannibalize each other. I just now turn the sand bed on my own.
I have a 40 gallon long Nuvo I upgraded from a nuvo 20 and the only pump I had in the display when I made the switch was my Nero 3 from the 20 gallon and my sand ended up becoming disgusting with a cyano, I bought an mp10, uv and added it in with the nero 3 and my sand was and pristine within 72 hours
Every tank I set up using the fine particle sand like Figi Pink from Caribsea; the sand grows algea. When I’ve used the courser sand like “special grade” I have not had the problem Also, I may be in the minority here but I have always believed that siphoning sand always leads to more problems than just removing the very top layer. All siphoning seems to do is to mix up the algae on the surface with the sand below the surface level meaning it just returns. I think the best way to stop algae from growing is simply to removed the algae from the top level and remove it from the water volume in general. I have never had any success long term with chemicals. In my experience, the best results is from good flow that keeps the top layer moving slightly and airy the help of sand sifters
Except azithromycin for cyano. It works like Magic. But you have to check if it is legal where you live. Chemiclean and Red slime remover don't seem to be as good. I think maybe the medication goes bad with storage or it is a dosage problem.
I have special grade sand for 2 years. For the first time Algae is building up on the sand. I manually get rid of it every week or two but always comes back. I spot feed 5 small fish. I refuse to use the protein skimmer as this once stripped my nutrients leading to dino. . I have good flow. I’ll deal with the algae on my sand rather than dinos again.
@@Tanky141 I use a skimmer and a sterilizer, I haven’t even had to clean the class more than once a week and that’s only because I can see some algae from looking through the back side. I’ve had no algae growth in the rock. I expect that over time I will have some algae growth from old tank syndrome but I hope not
Regarding dinos/cyano I have heard you say before to treat for cyano and if that dosnt work then its probably dinos. Chemi clean did nothing! I followed directions and cleaned it all out left in 3 days the changed water. It was coming back while chemiclean was still in system! I dose mb7 and vibrant on alternating days which I have increased from once about every 3 days. I only have it on walls now and there was a time it was on rocks I can see a little on sand bed but i keep it turned over by basting mostly. I don t know if maybe it was just algae that was on rocks and the dosing helped that or if it is working but very very slowly! Should I just keep doing what I am doing? Maybe switch to refresh and waste way instead, or maybe a different brand of cyano medication? The weird thing is corals that i had from the beginning when it was much worse have been dying and lost a lot of new ones as well! All my parameters are fine! Should I try bubble scrubbing, peroxide dosing? I have a bottle of dino x but afraid to use since I have new, distressed corals already! Stupid to buy I know..even longer story! LOL
It sounds like you're trying to do a lot all at once. Stick to the basics. Keep tabs on your nitrates and phosphates to make sure they're not bottoming out at 0 ppm. Next, I would identify what you're actually dealing with. Is it cyano? Dinos? Something else? This will give you a more clear plan of attack and if you know what it is, others can better help you with a solution when you have questions. An inexpensive microscope can really help with ID'ing different dino strains too
Hey, just one thing: dont we have to make like a 50% WC once the cyano dies off? like after the blackout period? beacuse once it dies off it would release an ammonia boom into the water. Cheers, best reef videos out there!
It depends on what method you're using to rid the tank of cyano. If you're using something like chemiclean, then a sizable water change after the treatment period is a good way to go.
last week i had no red or brown in the tank. nitrate 2ppm & phosphate 0.04ppm. I did a 30% water change on a 75L RSM Nano. and the day after a water change cyano and diatoms spawned. tested again and nitrate 0ppm & phosphate 0.5-1ppm. RO TDS all good and nothing else entered or done to the tank. So for me it's clear that a quick drop in phos and nitrate allowed the red and brown nasties to occur.
I assume the 0.5-1 ppm is your nitrate, not phosphate. If that's the case, double check that you're not dealing with dinoflagellates. They often occur when your nitrates and phosphates get at or near undetectable ranges.
Kessil makes a few different models. A single A80 is likely going to be too small, but an A160 would be a great option for softies and LPS in a Nuvo 20!
Could you guys please help me with what sizes wave maker I should use for a 36 gallon bowed tank… and which models are relatively cheaper as I’ve seen many 100-200$. And I’ve seen SUn Sun 110 ones for 20$. I have no idea what the difference is. And once I get my live rock into the tank I was told not to add fish for like 8 weeks abs don’t do a water change either as the tank has to cycle. I love your videos and this is my first saltwater tank. I am forever grateful for your input on a newbie guy like me. I just subbed also guys! Thanks from Ontario Canada
We usually suggest a small DC controllable powerhead like the Nero 3 as it allows you to provide variable flow and also fine tune the flow to exactly what you need. The aquascape will greatly affect your flow pattern and since every aquascape is different, the controllable feature comes in handy. As far as the cycle goes, I highly recommend checking out our 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide series. We have two episodes on the cycle that I think you'll find helpful. The link below will take you to the entire playlist. ua-cam.com/play/PLBaMLrfToJyxJ1PuJZwhkxvvdFP14eV_t.html
I bought 2 gobies and never ever again did my sandbed suffer. Always clean and white. The only downside is that they sometimes get a bit too excited and start throwing sand onto my corals
😢 Diamond gobies are notorious for being jumpers. If you haven't considered it already, a screen top is a great way to keep them inside the tank where they belong.
Not sure why Vibrate is pushed so much all the time because there is no way I am the only person that has used it that has a huge cyano out break afterwards. Tried it on new systems old systems and same thing. Then I do a Chemi Clean and kinda does a reset.
It will beat back the cyno it just takes awhile. I've been using it for about two months and the cyno is finally backing off. I've used chemiclean before but it always came back.
You guys need to do a video addressing the issues with the ai prime 16hd and hydra 32. Fan and burning lense issues. I was victim to both issues and seems its becoming more and more common
@@tunefully1792 the fans pack up very quick and also the lenses melt because of the UV.. it seems they tried to overpower the little unit and increase fan speed with real poor quality bearings..
@@tunefully1792 these issues are unlikely only on the prime 16 and hydra 32.. luckily my prime hd is still running like new nearly 4 years later at its new owner
@@Sieraajkarriem The lens burning on AI lights' UV diode has been pretty common for many years. Unfortunately, it's caused by reefers running them too high for too long which causes the burn. It's not a new thing, is fairly well known and AI released an update which limits power to the UV channel as a preventative measure. (If you missed the update, or don't want the limitation, replacing the lens is a quick & easy task)
I have a deep sand bed and I think it is causing more harm than good. Can I transition from a deep sand bed to shallow without harming my fish? Concerned with hydrogen sulfide etc.
@@BRStv even with incremental removal? I have done this recently over a dozen water changes or so to thin out the sand without notable harm to livestock
should I change filter sock when I do waterchange or maybe next day? I usually wait until the next day because of the benefical bacteria and I do a very good job of vacuuming because my snails suck! LOL. I have a bunch of nassarius but they are so small and wont seem to grow and i have had them almost a year now! I brought fighting conch in from another tank because that one always stayed clean so he seems to be the only one that does anything! Diamond gobies make my nitrates go up because they are difficult to feed or at least the one i had was. he would come out after all the other fish ate and I literally had to throw food down to the sand bed and he barely got any!
We usually recommend to change out your filter stocks twice per week. This can be done after your water change, or before. Just try to stay consistent.
Just in the last week my saltwater tank turned a little cloudy and now I have green water. It’s driving me crazy!! Im currently doing the blackout but is there anything else I can do
Hard to say without a photo, but sounds more like cyano based on your description. As far as colonial hydroids go, that's a tough one. There really isn't a great natural predator for them, so starving them out, some physical removal, or covering them with epoxy will usually be your best options.
Sorry to hear that your corals were negatively affected. I would start with a big water change and then focusing on the basics like good water parameters.
Will there be any attention given to the study performed on Vibrant in comparison to Algaefix? The study claims there is actually no amino acids or bacteria in Vibrant and that it's chemical makeup (tested via two different analytical methods) is identical to Algaefix. There are results to the tests and data to backup the claims. I've some experience with atomic absorption and can interpret some of the data as correlative between the two products, Vibrant and Algaefix.
Hey Jesse, We've seen that data as well. In response, we've removed videos where Vibrant was the focus and have stopped selling it on our website. Vibrant isn't something that will be featured in upcoming videos.
@@BRStv thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate where the hobby has been and going, and that at the time the info wasn't available when some content was generated.
Hi there, does anyone try sand replacement like water changes to keep the tank from getting old tank syndrome. Ie take out say 25% of the sand area and replace with new washed sand , then treat n clean the old sand removed ready for return tomthe tank ?
OK disclaimer for anyone reading this.... my typing sucks and I'm giving way to much info but I'm hoping that something no matter how small just might be a factor in my issue I'm having.. What if everything you said starting with Cyano working my way up to and through Diatoms has been done and still nothing changed.. ? Tank: 40Gal all in one 1 in substrate @ least 20lbs I believe more of Jakarta live rock Really only using 2 different densities of polly now Rox 0.8 Carbon 4 fish all small I did have at one time Bio Balls and ceramic pellets but have taken those out I can't remember when they were taken out in timeline to this showing up. It's been set up almost 2 years never really went through the ugly stage. Last March I changed the rock formation for looks and for stability it had moved some I didn't want it to fall... A week or so later Cyano, Diatoms what ever it is showed up.. I literally treated it as Cyano at first and have done everything in this video with no luck. I started treating it as Diatoms and again everything in this video I've done except DINO X I believe it's called.. Scary I don't wanna lose corals.. LFS swears it Diatoms it does go away or certainly reduces at night I've used UV for 3weeks straight 2 Different times no change at all. I've even added live Copepods, all different types of snails way more then I need. I notice none of the snails really go on the rocks where it's heavy with this algae. Water always test fine using manual and spin test. Only thing my tank did have a problem with from day one is a slight haze.. NOT A BATERIA BLOOM HAZE just enough haze that the ocd in me was totally not happy but UV would clear it up in a week it would show back up in 3 days... I get my water R/O AND SALT from the same store since day one. ANYONE GOT ANY ADVICE FOR ME?
So, identifying what exactly you're dealing with would be my first priority. The course of action that I'd take would differ greatly depending on if it's cyano, diatom, or dinos. What might be worth your time and money would be to pick up an inexpensive microscope and look at a sample of it. This will give you a better idea of what you're dealing with and will allow you to make better decisions about treatment.
The dinoflagellate ID guide attached to post #1 here is a great one to reference: www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellate-identification-guide.671466/ My guess is that you're probably dealing with dinos
Pistol Shrimps. They will overturn 1-2 inches of sand daily (especially in nano tanks) but at a cost of stealing loose frags or burying them with sand.
Use oolite sand and you will never have to clean it (i never touched my sand for 3years and it is as clean as day 1) and yes I have good flow 2x mp40 at 70% reefcrest
Guys and gals, until you have had a HORSE FACE LOACH, you won't believe the way it keeps the sand ariated. AND they accomplished it without disturbing the plants.
I have some kind of red worm in my sand bed and they are breeding like mad if i move my sand my fox face will eat them can any one tell me what they are thanks
I would suggest doing an image search for spaghetti worms. I bet that's what you've got. If so, they're not particularly attractive creatures, but a good member of the clean up crew.
It was so simple to fixed my problem with dirty sand !I steel couldn't believe.I bough sifting GOBY. This guy is gorgeous and total sifter ))))My sand is cristal white!
The level of information in these videos and the way these dudes talks makes it easy for my adhd a** to understand lol
Appreciate every video
super helpful for those beginners out there! thanks you two!
Thanks for the valuable information. Years ago I was having this problem and had some sand sifting fish that alleviated it. After about 6 years the fish died so I opted for snails. They worked out well until to my horror the snails bored into the mantle of my beautiful clams and killed them. AAGGGHH! Make sure that the critters that you put in are compatible. The tank that I have now is about 20 years old and I suck out the sand that is accessible during a major water change to remove the naturally accumulating hydrogen sulfide compounds, wash it all down in a large bucket of water, then put it back into the tank.
I added a Diamond Goby, and that little Dude works overtime!!! The best, and personality like no other 🤙🏽
If you don't have any corals on the sand bed, diamond goby is the best to keep the sand super clean.
Great tips guys on keeping the sand bed clean. I personally use the MB7 & the clean as the latter is a scavenger bacteria and works well together.
My sand-sifting diamond goby is amazing, but you have to be careful if you place corals on the sand bed. They might bury them. Still, hardest worker in my tank.
This video is a must much for all new people.... so helpful!
wow finally a video that gets straight to the point and leaves good tips! thanks!
I like my Nassarius snails and enjoy watching them travel around in convoy. I did not know how large their mouths actually are until I set up a small aquarium where I could really watch in detail. They have no problem injesting a large size pellet from Ocean Nutrition. They have enormous appetites.
In your thumbnail, the “after” sand is photoshopped ;). Good tips though, I tend to agree.
@Carlos Lima Just poking a bit of fun, I meant no offense. Photoshop is the ultimate sand cleaner! :)
Lol the algae is in the reflection of the glass 😂
I have really missed this type of video from Randy and Ryan.
Dino flagellant was the most annoying problem I had to face one year to get rid of it and I managed to successfully get rid of it but it is true lack of phosphate did cause the dinoflagellates to take over violently but when I started to notice my phosphates going up my My dinos disappeared finally
DINO X worked amazingly for me to remove dinos. However it killed the crab and shrimp. Could be a coincidence but never lost anything till I used it. So use with care.
I do have much stronger lights now, but the corals are growing like wildfire now and I like that
2:37 just one word of caution here, I had tragic results from siphoning deep gunk out through a filter sock and then pumping that same water back into the tank. The technique makes sense in theory, but in my case I hit a deposit of toxins in a previously undisturbed area that resulted in terrible fish deaths within hours. It was awful to watch, and I didn’t have the experience to realize what was happening until it was too late. Skip this technique. If you use it, be careful not to clean too deeply.
Happy new year to all you reefing enthusiasts 🥳👍👍
Best wishes for the New Year!
I have used Dino X a couple of times according to the instructions and even dosing less in my 35 gallon nano tank and even the second time it killed one or two fish, my shrimps, a crab and a coral or two. My skimmer, A Bubble Magus C3.5 couldn't keep up with all the gunk coming out of the collection cup; it spilled over a couple of times and the second time I used Dino X I woke up every 2-3 hours a night in order to empty the collection cup and a bucket. It led to a considerable loss of saltwater (I added a spillovertube to a 2,5 gallon bucket that I had to empty every couple of hours, day and night) over a couple of days, which was unseen for and perilous to my water stability. And in the end I couldn't proceed further being afraid more corals and especially fish were to die. The problem wasn't solved, I still have dinoflagellates and now battling them with UV. Attempted a series of like 5 blackouts from 2-3-4-5 days (corals, LPS and SPS seemed to handle this pretty well) , then saw a clean sandbed and no oxygen bells anymore from the dinos but after a couple of days they managed to return to forever or so it seems. Raised NO3 to no avail. UV must do the job now in conjunction with extra NO3.
I think it wouldn't be wise to use this product in a small tank like mine. Seriously.
Hey I just want to say I agree with Dino X. I tried it 2 years ago when it first came out, livestock did NOT respond well. Just want to let u know Youre not alone. Try taking out like 1/8 of your sand rinsing it in tap water and then put it back in. It doesn’t kill the bacteria but it will clean it and kill the dinos in the sand. Do a little at a time
great video very good infomation nice tank bro happy reefing from the Mad Reefer
My diamond goby is amazing. My sand bed is perfect. I have really fine sand and it looks gorgeous. I couldn't imagine not having one of these fish. Best tip you can give a new hobbiest is to stock their tank with fish and inverts that will work to keep their tank clean first, then focus on a couple of really pretty fish to add. Build an eco system.
Mine is moving sand EVERYWHERE
Tell that to my 4 lionfish
@@juistweethetbeter2600 you have 4!? Geese Louise. I wouldn't wanna even put my hand in the tank lol.
I bought one for that reason. I put him in 3 days ago and havnt seen since. He was hiding under the rock when I bought him! I told her I wanted one of the 3 in another tank that were opening siifting sand and she said he is sulking because she sold his buddy that day and she wanted to clear that tank out for another fish! ! Shouldnt have listened or do they hide at first? I dont have a lid but I dont see him anywhere o n the floor!
I would like to see more clear uses for Brightwell products (MicroBacter7, MicroBacterClean and Razor). How about Brightwell having their own investigates type videos that show their products at work?
It's all part of saltwater naturally. The best and safe way is U.V steriliser in plumbing, ozonizer in skimmer, both are expensive to buy and operate. and sifin sand monthly, clean rocks with brush weekly, monthly water changes hence regular maintenance. and keep away warm light or direct day light on tank.
You 2 are the equivalent to the reefing community of what Batman & Robin are to Gothem city 😅 Seriously though just you 2 alone (of course with Brs in your corner 😉) have done more for the hobby and helped more people understanding so many different things then any other youtubers out there. I don't wanna short end all the other people who do a good share as well, which there are a decent handful that are extremely helpful but you 2 are freaking awesome 💪🏻 i know this is already a known thing but just wanted to give a little more credit where it's do! Keep it coming guys, everything you put out here is changing or helping peoples issues somewhere 💯
Idk if Batman & Robin is a good comparison cause I don't see 1 of you as the others side kick 🤣 amd Robin was cool but he wasn't batman 🤣🤣. id like to think its more of an equal type partnership here as far the info and help is put out here, maybe just Batman & Batman Haha but u get what I mean 😅
Love Gobi's such a cool little cleaners
I never touch my 2.5 cms sand bed, and I never had alguae or cyano on it. And he's almost as first (ocean white red sea).
I have a good flow all over the volume, a few of nassarius, detritivores, microfaune, different shapes for rocks, a good filtering, a good oxygen rate in water, a light alguae scrubber.
My sand bed is approximately 9 years old, I'm adding new sand next week. Do I need to remove all the existing sand or I can just add the new sand on top of the existing sand?
Do a lot of these issues happen in a fish and shrimp only tank (no corals)?
Yep plants can help with algae growth tho
Do you have any tips for seahorse tanks? Also thank you all for awesome videos!!!
Great video as always guys.
I had hair algae growing everywhere, even on my sand Cyano and dynos too and killed some corals. Half the recommended does of Vibrant wiped out my bubble algae, Reef flux took out all briopsis and 75% of GHA then my pincushion took care or everything else. It stared coming back in the sand but I started sifting the sand and cleaning the glass every second day for 2 weeks when I saw there wasn't much coming back that's when I over populated the tank with pods and got more snails, a lot more snails... haven't cleaned my glass in over a month and dont see signs of an outbreak, I just stir up the sand twice a week where I see needed...... this didn't take weeks but 6-8 months to sort it self out... slower is better and deal with one problem at a time
And I probably just jinxed myself 😔
All these products no mention of h2o2 for dinos works really well for a fraction of the the cost
I never watched one of your videos and was not more confused at the end. I don't know if this helps others but Every time I watch one of your videos I am totally confused on what to do. I've never watched any of your videos and thought that's the solution, I watched them and then i'm just like i'm more confused than ever
I needed this video lol
Little correction from my side. I tried battling Cyano by adding all sorts of products with bacteria which made my cyano problem even worse. Until somebody told me "get your nitrates and phosphates" up. Was a firm believer that nutrients are too high when I had them and always wondered why all tests seem to be broken because they showed 0. Seriously, first thing to measure for me is PO4 and NO3 whenever I see some red or green slime and it has always been too low nutrients. Never too much. And as soon as I get PO4 and NO3 up he slime is gone within days. So don't neglect nutrients when you see red or green slime.
If this is true, it could be the Reason why frequent waterchanges solve the Problem, because they keep the nutriets up on a high level.(if u dont have fish to feed)
@@marmortischler only if you dose PO4 and NO3 though.
They often make it sound much more simple than it is. My clownfish will attack any sand sifting creature that can not get out of the way fast. Crabs cannibalize each other. I just now turn the sand bed on my own.
I have a 40 gallon long Nuvo I upgraded from a nuvo 20 and the only pump I had in the display when I made the switch was my Nero 3 from the 20 gallon and my sand ended up becoming disgusting with a cyano, I bought an mp10, uv and added it in with the nero 3 and my sand was and pristine within 72 hours
Tanks! Nice work
Tip noted clean your tank get a prune🌿🦐
Every tank I set up using the fine particle sand like Figi Pink from Caribsea; the sand grows algea. When I’ve used the courser sand like “special grade” I have not had the problem
Also, I may be in the minority here but I have always believed that siphoning sand always leads to more problems than just removing the very top layer. All siphoning seems to do is to mix up the algae on the surface with the sand below the surface level meaning it just returns. I think the best way to stop algae from growing is simply to removed the algae from the top level and remove it from the water volume in general.
I have never had any success long term with chemicals. In my experience, the best results is from good flow that keeps the top layer moving slightly and airy the help of sand sifters
Except azithromycin for cyano. It works like Magic. But you have to check if it is legal where you live. Chemiclean and Red slime remover don't seem to be as good. I think maybe the medication goes bad with storage or it is a dosage problem.
I have special grade sand for 2 years. For the first time Algae is building up on the sand. I manually get rid of it every week or two but always comes back. I spot feed 5 small fish. I refuse to use the protein skimmer as this once stripped my nutrients leading to dino. . I have good flow. I’ll deal with the algae on my sand rather than dinos again.
@@Tanky141 I use a skimmer and a sterilizer, I haven’t even had to clean the class more than once a week and that’s only because I can see some algae from looking through the back side. I’ve had no algae growth in the rock. I expect that over time I will have some algae growth from old tank syndrome but I hope not
Good video.
My Diamond goby does a great job
My diamond goby kept my sand clean real well
Dead sea urchin spines are hard to remove. Any tips for that? Need like a sift screen of some sort
Regarding dinos/cyano I have heard you say before to treat for cyano and if that dosnt work then its probably dinos. Chemi clean did nothing! I followed directions and cleaned it all out left in 3 days the changed water. It was coming back while chemiclean was still in system! I dose mb7 and vibrant on alternating days which I have increased from once about every 3 days. I only have it on walls now and there was a time it was on rocks I can see a little on sand bed but i keep it turned over by basting mostly. I don t know if maybe it was just algae that was on rocks and the dosing helped that or if it is working but very very slowly! Should I just keep doing what I am doing? Maybe switch to refresh and waste way instead, or maybe a different brand of cyano medication? The weird thing is corals that i had from the beginning when it was much worse have been dying and lost a lot of new ones as well! All my parameters are fine! Should I try bubble scrubbing, peroxide dosing? I have a bottle of dino x but afraid to use since I have new, distressed corals already! Stupid to buy I know..even longer story! LOL
It sounds like you're trying to do a lot all at once. Stick to the basics. Keep tabs on your nitrates and phosphates to make sure they're not bottoming out at 0 ppm. Next, I would identify what you're actually dealing with. Is it cyano? Dinos? Something else? This will give you a more clear plan of attack and if you know what it is, others can better help you with a solution when you have questions. An inexpensive microscope can really help with ID'ing different dino strains too
Great video! And 1st!
Hey, just one thing: dont we have to make like a 50% WC once the cyano dies off? like after the blackout period? beacuse once it dies off it would release an ammonia boom into the water.
Cheers, best reef videos out there!
It depends on what method you're using to rid the tank of cyano. If you're using something like chemiclean, then a sizable water change after the treatment period is a good way to go.
Video idea.. How to battle bubble algae?
Insert some crabs (Mithras I believe)?!
2 full rounds of DR Tims and my Dino’s are gone. It’s been over 18months and not a single spec has been seen in my tank.
last week i had no red or brown in the tank. nitrate 2ppm & phosphate 0.04ppm. I did a 30% water change on a 75L RSM Nano. and the day after a water change cyano and diatoms spawned. tested again and nitrate 0ppm & phosphate 0.5-1ppm. RO TDS all good and nothing else entered or done to the tank. So for me it's clear that a quick drop in phos and nitrate allowed the red and brown nasties to occur.
I assume the 0.5-1 ppm is your nitrate, not phosphate. If that's the case, double check that you're not dealing with dinoflagellates. They often occur when your nitrates and phosphates get at or near undetectable ranges.
oh yeah nice video very helpful . Everyone ! New reefer here …Setting up a IM nuvo 20 , can 1 kessil run this tank ? Any opinions appreciated !
Kessil makes a few different models. A single A80 is likely going to be too small, but an A160 would be a great option for softies and LPS in a Nuvo 20!
Could you guys please help me with what sizes wave maker I should use for a 36 gallon bowed tank… and which models are relatively cheaper as I’ve seen many 100-200$. And I’ve seen SUn Sun 110 ones for 20$. I have no idea what the difference is. And once I get my live rock into the tank I was told not to add fish for like 8 weeks abs don’t do a water change either as the tank has to cycle. I love your videos and this is my first saltwater tank. I am forever grateful for your input on a newbie guy like me. I just subbed also guys! Thanks from Ontario Canada
We usually suggest a small DC controllable powerhead like the Nero 3 as it allows you to provide variable flow and also fine tune the flow to exactly what you need. The aquascape will greatly affect your flow pattern and since every aquascape is different, the controllable feature comes in handy.
As far as the cycle goes, I highly recommend checking out our 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide series. We have two episodes on the cycle that I think you'll find helpful. The link below will take you to the entire playlist.
ua-cam.com/play/PLBaMLrfToJyxJ1PuJZwhkxvvdFP14eV_t.html
What if you have crushed coral? I inherited my tank with it. Should I try and change the sand? How can i make a change? My sand is always so ugly
I bought 2 gobies and never ever again did my sandbed suffer. Always clean and white. The only downside is that they sometimes get a bit too excited and start throwing sand onto my corals
Love diamond goby’s but we have had 5 jump out of the tank
😢 Diamond gobies are notorious for being jumpers. If you haven't considered it already, a screen top is a great way to keep them inside the tank where they belong.
Chemiclean safe for invertebrates and corals ??
Not sure why Vibrate is pushed so much all the time because there is no way I am the only person that has used it that has a huge cyano out break afterwards. Tried it on new systems old systems and same thing. Then I do a Chemi Clean and kinda does a reset.
It will beat back the cyno it just takes awhile. I've been using it for about two months and the cyno is finally backing off. I've used chemiclean before but it always came back.
I leave the vibrate to the wife for her solo pleasure
@@jonnymbuna actually I use it on her myself! She loves it!
Great update video! Thanks
Does cyano clean work on blue green cyano bacteria in fresh water?
dr. Tim's Waste away Kill everything in my tank! It zapped away all the oxygen. I found this out too late after reading the actual label.
Wait….what do we do with the filter sock?
Does chemipure BLUE work with diatoms (detritus) ?
Just a quick question… do hermit crabs eat soft coral / mushrooms 🍄?
Depends on the species, but most are reef safe and won't consume corals.
You guys need to do a video addressing the issues with the ai prime 16hd and hydra 32. Fan and burning lense issues. I was victim to both issues and seems its becoming more and more common
What are you talking about bro?
@@tunefully1792 the fans pack up very quick and also the lenses melt because of the UV.. it seems they tried to overpower the little unit and increase fan speed with real poor quality bearings..
@@Sieraajkarriem I've noticed the fan filter builds up quick, but I have cats that don't help that. I also use the 3d reefing diffuser on my prime
@@tunefully1792 these issues are unlikely only on the prime 16 and hydra 32.. luckily my prime hd is still running like new nearly 4 years later at its new owner
@@Sieraajkarriem The lens burning on AI lights' UV diode has been pretty common for many years. Unfortunately, it's caused by reefers running them too high for too long which causes the burn. It's not a new thing, is fairly well known and AI released an update which limits power to the UV channel as a preventative measure. (If you missed the update, or don't want the limitation, replacing the lens is a quick & easy task)
My dragon wrasse does a good job of that
I have a deep sand bed and I think it is causing more harm than good. Can I transition from a deep sand bed to shallow without harming my fish? Concerned with hydrogen sulfide etc.
I'd consider it similar to a reboot and wouldn't do it with livestock in the tank.
@@BRStv even with incremental removal? I have done this recently over a dozen water changes or so to thin out the sand without notable harm to livestock
should I change filter sock when I do waterchange or maybe next day? I usually wait until the next day because of the benefical bacteria and I do a very good job of vacuuming because my snails suck! LOL. I have a bunch of nassarius but they are so small and wont seem to grow and i have had them almost a year now! I brought fighting conch in from another tank because that one always stayed clean so he seems to be the only one that does anything! Diamond gobies make my nitrates go up because they are difficult to feed or at least the one i had was. he would come out after all the other fish ate and I literally had to throw food down to the sand bed and he barely got any!
We usually recommend to change out your filter stocks twice per week. This can be done after your water change, or before. Just try to stay consistent.
Just in the last week my saltwater tank turned a little cloudy and now I have green water. It’s driving me crazy!! Im currently doing the blackout but is there anything else I can do
uv sterilizer
I have a burnt orange color slime I can't get rid of...Dino or cyano?
Any suggestions for colonial hydroids?
Hard to say without a photo, but sounds more like cyano based on your description.
As far as colonial hydroids go, that's a tough one. There really isn't a great natural predator for them, so starving them out, some physical removal, or covering them with epoxy will usually be your best options.
@@BRStv starving them out meaning low nitrates and nutrients in the system?
Does the chemiclean or cyanoclean work for the green type?
As long as it's a cyanobacteria, it should still work.
Tried Dino X but after three weeks my soft corals including xenia and GSP were decimated.
Any advice on how to fix the corals?
Sorry to hear that your corals were negatively affected. I would start with a big water change and then focusing on the basics like good water parameters.
@@BRStv Yep, thats what I am doing. hopefully they will recover.
What’s a good sand sifter for a small 15g nano ?
One of our favorites for a tank of that size would be nassarius snails
Will there be any attention given to the study performed on Vibrant in comparison to Algaefix? The study claims there is actually no amino acids or bacteria in Vibrant and that it's chemical makeup (tested via two different analytical methods) is identical to Algaefix. There are results to the tests and data to backup the claims. I've some experience with atomic absorption and can interpret some of the data as correlative between the two products, Vibrant and Algaefix.
Hey Jesse,
We've seen that data as well. In response, we've removed videos where Vibrant was the focus and have stopped selling it on our website. Vibrant isn't something that will be featured in upcoming videos.
@@BRStv thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate where the hobby has been and going, and that at the time the info wasn't available when some content was generated.
Hi there, does anyone try sand replacement like water changes to keep the tank from getting old tank syndrome. Ie take out say 25% of the sand area and replace with new washed sand , then treat n clean the old sand removed ready for return tomthe tank ?
I quarter agree to this video! lots of misinformation here, that's not like brs
OK disclaimer for anyone reading this.... my typing sucks and I'm giving way to much info but I'm hoping that something no matter how small just might be a factor in my issue I'm having..
What if everything you said starting with Cyano working my way up to and through Diatoms has been done and still nothing changed.. ?
Tank: 40Gal all in one
1 in substrate
@ least 20lbs I believe more of Jakarta live rock
Really only using 2 different densities of polly now
Rox 0.8 Carbon
4 fish all small
I did have at one time Bio Balls and ceramic pellets but have taken those out I can't remember when they were taken out in timeline to this showing up.
It's been set up almost 2 years never really went through the ugly stage. Last March I changed the rock formation for looks and for stability it had moved some I didn't want it to fall... A week or so later Cyano, Diatoms what ever it is showed up.. I literally treated it as Cyano at first and have done everything in this video with no luck. I started treating it as Diatoms and again everything in this video I've done except DINO X I believe it's called.. Scary I don't wanna lose corals.. LFS swears it Diatoms it does go away or certainly reduces at night I've used UV for 3weeks straight 2 Different times no change at all. I've even added live Copepods, all different types of snails way more then I need. I notice none of the snails really go on the rocks where it's heavy with this algae. Water always test fine using manual and spin test. Only thing my tank did have a problem with from day one is a slight haze.. NOT A BATERIA BLOOM HAZE just enough haze that the ocd in me was totally not happy but UV would clear it up in a week it would show back up in 3 days... I get my water R/O AND SALT from the same store since day one. ANYONE GOT ANY ADVICE FOR ME?
So, identifying what exactly you're dealing with would be my first priority. The course of action that I'd take would differ greatly depending on if it's cyano, diatom, or dinos. What might be worth your time and money would be to pick up an inexpensive microscope and look at a sample of it. This will give you a better idea of what you're dealing with and will allow you to make better decisions about treatment.
@@BRStv maybe a stupid question but I get a microscope look at it.. Is there a chart or something on the intro wed to help me identify it?
The dinoflagellate ID guide attached to post #1 here is a great one to reference: www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellate-identification-guide.671466/
My guess is that you're probably dealing with dinos
Pistol Shrimps. They will overturn 1-2 inches of sand daily (especially in nano tanks) but at a cost of stealing loose frags or burying them with sand.
I've had them pick at my zoas. I'm sure in an attempt to get diatoms etc, but still they don't care bruh.
can you shout out to "Kevin Novak ph.d" (he's got a youtube) because that's who I've heard some of this stuff before
And this is why im goin barebottom. That time spent cleaning sand can be spent elsewhere
lol mate I’ve had sand for eighteen months and I’ve never had these issues ever. The goal is FLOWWWWWWW
👍
🧐 why don't you just get approved easier to fit safe free sand and lot more useful tip
❤️
Use oolite sand and you will never have to clean it (i never touched my sand for 3years and it is as clean as day 1) and yes I have good flow 2x mp40 at 70% reefcrest
@Jean-FrancoisQuesnel do you have an sps tank? I love small grain size but I’m afraid it will blow around everywhere
@@Elev8minh mixed
I have Bahama oolite and it gets covered in cyano despite I have a TON of sand cleaners they just ignore it.
Its green: fluconazol
Its red: azitromicin
4:12 what kind of tool is that?
That is an Apogee PAR meter. PAR meters are a tool for measuring light intensity.
I wish my sand wouldnt turn into one solid rock. Like it’s crazy my live rock and sand have fused together.
Mine too... this is the first tank I've used special grade and the first time I've had this issue
Sounds like you're experiencing precipitation. This usually occurs if you're two part dosing.
Guys and gals, until you have had a HORSE FACE LOACH, you won't believe the way it keeps the sand ariated. AND they accomplished it without disturbing the plants.
Unfortunately not an option for us saltwater aquarium keepers
Why not just use black sand? The colors of the corals against black sand looks way better to me.
It's an option. That said, it's surprisingly harder to keep clean vs white sand in most cases.
2:45 name of the coral? 🪸
Bubble Tip Anenome
I have some kind of red worm in my sand bed and they are breeding like mad if i move my sand my fox face will eat them can any one tell me what they are thanks
I would suggest doing an image search for spaghetti worms. I bet that's what you've got. If so, they're not particularly attractive creatures, but a good member of the clean up crew.
Cheers mate how do they get into the tank? Would they harm the coral? From baz's reef in Ireland 🇮🇪
Get a sand sifting goby!
So basically, trying to keep things sterile is never a good thing. In nature there must always be balance or the bad guys take over.
A new tank u just wait to do this?????
Güzel olmuş 😂
I couldn’t even hear the video it was so quiet for some reason
Strange, the audio seems normal on our end
@@BRStv it must be my phone then
use nedium colored sand
I added bacteria and it fucked my corals.
Please add translate Indonesian language
So… I hear the sand can be toxic. You say turn it over. Again conflicting information.
PLEASE feed your goby. They starve to death all the time because people don't supplement food for them
Fck vibrant !