But you should sell sand. Then, all the equipment to support that system, then all the chemicals and medias, dosing regimiments, etc etc. That's just good business. The rest of the industry plants it's backbone on maintaing a sewage treatment plant. Why shouldn't you. Lol

Old sand can be one cause of algae. To be fair, Albert never said, you can can't have a clean tank with sand. I took his post to be tongue in cheek anyways.

As I read the thread, I'm reminded of the Propositional Fallacy that I learned many years ago. I think it is was called Denying the Antecedent. :)

I did actually replace my 14 year old sand with new sand after years of battling hair algae and dinoflagellate with regular water changes, gravel vacuum, cleanup crew, algaecides, protein skimming, Chemiclean, etc. Nothing helped. Now, problem gone.

Cept it was just one tank. And I had just removed the sand. Strangely enough, two weeks later, algae is magically gone! Like magic! Oddly effective magic! Practical magic!

Edit: I get the impression that you don't like me very much and that you're belaboring the point for little good reason given that nothing I've said is factually incorrect. You can go over this with a fine tooth comb if you want broski :D

Cuz that's what bitches do. I'm not a bitch.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...hlight=bronies

The guy posted his love for bronies. Whatevs!

That was Tyler (spit.fire) living out his dream via my unattended account!!!!

I totally agree. Even if covered with coraline or zoas, it just doesn't look natural.

My Flasher Wrasse sleeps at the base of the rocks. He builds himself a cocoon.

I like a sand bed and don't generally have a problem with them either....

I have a belief system though....

A sand bed is it's own ecosystem within the equarium. As such it needs it's own attention. I keep a sand star sand sifting goby and both Astra and nassarius snails plentiful if my system to turn the sand.... The key is turning the sand... And that combo does it... I don't aim power heads at it or anything....

I am currently running biopellets and Rowa so my nutrients are low... Which helps with keeping algae at bay, but before the biopellets with just Rowa I would from time to time get some algae that would start on the sand and with a water change I would just vacume it all up and out.... Wash the sand a dump it back in....

If you have a system with excess nutrients they will go somewhere..... Hopefully it's out with a water change.... Or they will find their own way to be 'productive' as in algae.

With all my tanks in the beginning with the blooms I run a few scoops of red slime remover with the skimmer off for a few days then skim it out... I find it really helps in the beginning.

It comes down to TWO things:
1- EXCESS nutrients - run a PO4 remover and biopellets.... Or more water changes
2- livestock NOT turning over your sand - go BUY the items I listed above.

Pick which your failing at and fix it....

I would wonder how much macros help.... I run a few types and chaeto is the best grower by far and home to some life. Maybe the macros just take the easy nutrients on the first pass and the leftovers get used by the pellets and Rowa.

I tried the 'no name' high capacity gfo and it did nothing!!! I measured the PO4 in the tank and the output from the reactor an hour later and it was the same - I now only use ROWA cause it works for me and I can measure the difference...

no such luck with leopards or melanurus tho. i tried making it work and couldn't bear to watch for more than a day.