PDA

View Full Version : Sand bed too shallow?



Cyclura
10-27-2006, 10:34 PM
I have 20lbs of LS in my 29gal tank. Id say the deepest part of my sandbed is at most a little under an inch. Do i need a deeper sand bed to keep my yellow watchman goby? and if so, can i add it now while the tank is up or must i drain the tank? How do i go about putting the sand in the tank if it can be left up, and how much more do i need (i.e. desired depth of sandbed, and how many more lbs i need)

Thanks,

-Adam

Here's a pic, as you can see i have plenty of LR and ive tried my best to construct a network of small caves for a goby to explore.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/geckoguy14/DSC01105.jpg

CarmieJo
10-27-2006, 11:06 PM
Hi Adam,

I like your aquascape.

As far as your sandbed goes there are a variety of opinions. Have you listened to the substrate podcast? I have a deep sand bed and am pleased with the look and the functionality of it. I have about 150 lbs in my 54 gallon tank.

If you decide to add sand you can do it without emptying the tank. I have heard that you can use a funnel and a tube and add the sand that way without too much of a sandstorm.

fat walrus
10-28-2006, 12:31 AM
More sand better.

Amphibious
10-28-2006, 08:23 AM
Agree with the more sand and how to add it.

Stevej72
10-28-2006, 08:32 AM
I agree also that makes 4 of us

Cyclura
10-28-2006, 09:48 AM
how much ( in lbs) should i add and can i get my two true percs today and sand in a few days or can i do it all today?

CarmieJo
10-28-2006, 09:48 AM
Does that make a quorum?

Here is a calculator http://reefcentral.com/calc/SandBed.php that should help you determine how much more sand. Add more than you think, it will get compacted.

Cyclura
10-28-2006, 10:01 AM
im thinking another 20lbs, thats twice what i have. So ill do that probably later next week or so before i get my watchman. Im making an extra drive to a different lfs to see if they have some true percsm if so, im gonna get two as the first fish added to my tank. pics when i get back!

Stevej72
10-28-2006, 01:48 PM
Does that make a quorum?

LOL, I thought there would be more

Boz
10-28-2006, 02:06 PM
I believe you need 3-4" for a DSB to function appropriately. I believe the Goby would prefer something of this depth as well. What does everyone else think?

doctorthompson
11-04-2006, 02:00 PM
For the sand sifter gobies, a depth equal to the maximum length of the fish (no more than ~3-4" for a well-fed yellow watchman) should let him dig as much as he wants without exposing the bottom. Make sure your rocks are secured or he'll topple them!

Note that you won't get as much denitrification out of your sandbed with the goby in there since his digging will oxygenate the lower levels of the substrate and prevent any sizeable populations of denitrifying bacteria from developing.

NHLIVES
11-20-2006, 11:19 PM
I am in my 2nd month of research. I don't own a reef tank...yet...Got one picked out. But during my many hours of surfing, I came across this at the Reefcentral.com. I thought was pretty handy or should be when I need to buy sand.

Reef Central Online Community (http://reefcentral.com/calc/SandBed.php)

Amphibious
11-21-2006, 09:11 AM
NHLIVES,
http://www.theculturedreef.com/welcome.gif to Talking Reef Community.

Yes that sand calculator has come in mighty handy over the years. Thanks for linking it here.

Dick

George
11-21-2006, 11:52 AM
Note that you won't get as much denitrification out of your sandbed with the goby in there since his digging will oxygenate the lower levels of the substrate and prevent any sizeable populations of denitrifying bacteria from developing.
When I get my cube going I was really interested in getting one of these guys, but I always wondered about that. Does a goby's activities release harmful things back into the water column or is the effect relatively negligible? Do these things dig and sift so much that they'll damage a 4" sand bed quickly?

Amphibious
11-21-2006, 12:40 PM
When I get my cube going I was really interested in getting one of these guys, but I always wondered about that. Does a goby's activities release harmful things back into the water column or is the effect relatively negligible? Do these things dig and sift so much that they'll damage a 4" sand bed quickly?My take on your questions, based on working with DSBs for 12 years is this; the goby's activities do not release harmful elements into the water column. Secondly, one Goby in a 24" cube probably will not damage the effect of your 4" DSB. However you have one other worry to consider. Your Goby is capable of moving enough sand in one area to topple your LR so, provisions must be made to prevent that. I use PVC pipe stands and flat rock and build my LR on top of that. You can check my tank thread for pictures and complete discreption. the link is below the pic in my sig line.

JustDavidP
11-21-2006, 01:20 PM
I have a follow up, add-on question for all of you yellow watchmen owners...

Do your gobies really work the sand? This is why I ask...

I HAD a yellow watchman in my 75G reef. He NEVER dug or even mouthed the sand bed. He ate frozen foods and stayed on TOP of the sand bed...

UNTIL.. I bought a candy cane pistol shrimp. He then watched the shrimp build a burrow, and moved in with him. All along, the poor shrimp did the work. All he did was back his fat backside into the tunnel with the shrimp.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/GobyShrimpPair.jpg

So, I just put a yellow watchman into my pony tank. I had a twin spot, but couldn't kept him fed so I adopted him out. My new yellow watchman, again, does NOTHING in the way of digging, or sifting sand.

Crazy eh?

D

cinematek
11-26-2006, 01:30 PM
The Gobies have a long standing relationship with certain shrimp. In the wild, the gobies will burrow a home in the sand, which can be dangerous b/c predators will eat them when they have their backs turned. But... The goby can team up with a shrimp. The shrimp is blind or has really poor vision, so they work out a trade. The shrimp digs the hole and keeps it clean and the goby watches for predators. If he sees something dangerous, he signals the shrimp to go hide and then backs into the hole with him.

There's an IMAX film called Coral Reef Adventure (available on DVD) that has a whole segment about this relationship. Check it out.