Sand clumping

[mvm]

What causes sand to clump? I have seachem special grade reef sand, and it's turning into brick in some locations. I got a goby that has helped, but it's still hard as a rock in the areas that the goby hasn't gotton to.
Thought?
I'm testing ALK, MAG, and CAL right now....

 

[crewdawg1981]

Have you been adding any two part or the like? Trying to raise your calcium too fast can have that affect.

 

[mvm]

I am dosing 2 part. I haven't tested my cal since I set it up. Doing that now....

 

[crewdawg1981]

Thats probably the culprit right there. I know it happened to me when I first started dosing. I ended up with these sand rocks everywhere. I removed some, but others went away on their own.

 

[mvm]

MAG 1500
CAL 350
ALK 7

But, I haven't been doing for 3 days...

 

[crewdawg1981]

How long have you been dosing though?... did you suddenly ramp up how much you dosed?... even if you havent dosed in three days, these clumps could've been there before.

 

[mvm]

Oh, they we definately there before. I have always been dosing the same amount, but have added several more corals, and the existing corals have grown. My guess is that I got CAL too high at some point.

 

[crewdawg1981]

Yup... that'd do it.

 

[acroholic]

Matt, a short piece on 3/4" or 1" pvc pipe will break it up. Cut it at a slight angle so the end has a bit of a point. I had clumping off and on in my various setups.

I read a thread about this in the RC Reef Chemistry Forum, and one of the resident experts said this happens with new systems, and that after a while it can stop. Remove the affected substrate if it will not break up in your hand and replace with new. Your tank is new, right?

 

[flyingarmy]

Pic up a Tiger Cuc....top 1" of your sandbad will be clean and mixed!

 

[drnecropolis]

Hanin's entire sandbed in his 125 was like cement.. I think he figured out it was 2 part..

 

[crewdawg1981]

Yup... too much part 2 and you'll have a brick for substrate.

 

[acroholic]

It happened to me with a calcium reactor and normal calcium levels. No 2 part ever. I was also using a Nilsen.

 

[lilrobb]

Kalk is the real killer - I had that too and needed a hammer to get the sand out, no issues w calcium alone

 

[haninja]

Yep, Kalk! No 2 part here. Especially if you start dosing when the sand is still 'new'.

 

[acroholic]

Clumping has not been an issue since I started using Caribsea Hawaiian Black.

 

[ralph atl]

FWIW, I have used 2 part for years and never have clumping. I have 3 different types of substrate, 80% sugar fine.

here: