DSB in re3fugium is black in a lot of areas!

[Joshsmit56001]

My refugium DSB is black in a lot of areas and I am wondering why it is this color. I put dead sand in there and seeded it with sand from my display tank to make it live but I see no bubbles of any kind. I have a lot of snails in there that sift through the sand. Please Help!

TIA,
Josh

 

[reefrunner69]

If there is no infauna in the sand to keep it sifted below the surface, sulfide area will build up and that could be what is causing the black areas. There are also black algaes and it could simply be an algae. I would increase water flow over the areas and see if that helps and possibly introduce a couple of cups of sand from another reefers DSB or get a detrivore kit from one of the online vendors.

 

[SquishyFish]

Yep...I concur!


Edit: If you want a informative, relatively short, article on how they work that is in basic laymans terms try http://www.reef-aquarium.net/resources/rocksubstrate/dsb.html . Its a short article by Dr. Ron.


Mods..I hope it doesnt bother anyone that I post the links to our page alot. Just trying to help people learn and maybe answer more of their questions than they knew they had.

 

[reefrunner69]

Mods..I hope it doesnt bother anyone that I post the links to our page alot. Just trying to help people learn and maybe answer more of their questions than they knew they had.

Not at all, I find it no different than posting links to any other informative posts. Your site does not appear to sell anything so it's not for commercial gain, I think it's fine