Sand Bed UV Sweeper by 3dReefing has anyone tried it?

[cairolip21]

Hi all,
I've had some issues with dinos on my sand for a while now. I got rid of em for a few months, but then a recent over autofeeding while away kicked em back up again. I know the diatom outcompete route is one of the most effective, but I just came across this at 3dReefing. It's out of stock currently, but has anyone tried it and can speak to it's effectiveness? It sounds like an interesting option for those with dinos that stick to the sand.

Sand Bed UV Sweeper

Introducing the UV Sweeper – the ultimate tool for maintaining a pristine sand bed. This innovative device will effectively help control dinoflagellates and diatoms while preserving the delicate organisms beneath the surface. The UV Sweeper is at the core of a process to help shift the...

3dreefing.com

 

[TARHEEL78]

That interesting. I'm also wondering if it works.

 

[kvansloo]

I wonder how much good bacteria gets killed by it at the same time?

 

[TARHEEL78]

I wonder how much good bacteria gets killed by it at the same time?

If that uv is even able to kill anything it wouldn't kill enough good bacteria to matter.

 

[bkpky]

I have one. Fighting a year plus large cell sand bed dino problem. Tried everything higher temp, higher magnesium, Dr Tim’s recipe / method (blackouts), peroxide, ordered DinoX but afraid to use it. First few days of use they were receding until I went out of town for a week. Back at it and will report in.

 

[cairolip21]

Nice to hear you saw some positive results out of the gate. Can't wait to hear how it goes!

 

[VintageReefer]

What’s the wattage of the uv? (Maybe I missed it )

 

[bkpky]

What’s the wattage of the uv? (Maybe I missed it )

13 Watts

 

[slingfox]

When I had Dino's on my sandbed I siphoned out the top layer of sand into a bucket and rinsed it out thoroughly. I then added bottled bacteria to the sand and added it back in. I had to do this every few days along with dosing bottled bac daily, silicates daily, and running temperature higher, 24/7 UV, etc. and eventually the dinos got outcompeted.

 

[Moe K]

I am the owner of 3DReefing and appreciate you all's interest in the UV Sweeper. I have been testing this method for roughly 3 months now and the reports from the first sales batch have been coming in on Mack's dino group on facebook. The results are better than expected and have not heard it not working for anyone that has not put in the effort.

This started out of desperation to solve my own LCA issue. I did all the recommendations and more such as phyto, copepods, and silicate dosing for several months. Dino populations were reduced but not fully eliminated and as soon as I would think I was in the clear and reduce silicate dosing, the dinos would surge again. I have been reefing for over 12 years now with many tanks under the belt full of trial and error so I understand cutting off the source to an issue which I believed I did. Sometimes reef issues need that drastic solution.

After reading hundreds of pages here on R2R and getting a deeper sense of the issue the solution is clear. The only way to beat dinos is to shift the biome of the tank to a more favorable one and how you do that matters. With ostreopsis dinos a simple UV sterilizer filtering the water column can be enough. With benthic dinos like large cell amphidinium this is not an option as they hide deeper in the sand during the dark but a majority of them will bloom during peak lighting hours but never really release into the water. So we bring the UV to the sand in a controlled way. During the peak lighting hours is when you use the UV Sweeper to get the majority that have come up. Not necessarily killing (while many are possibly dying right afterwards ) but sterilizing them and the spread stops. Following each treatment I recommend bottled bacteria to seal the deal and make it as difficult as possible for any survivors. Even if you are not able to get all the spots it seems that most dinos will start to disappear on their own as if a signal is sent out as they know the environment has shifted to a harsh one (just a theory and observations on this one).

It takes daily treatments for outbreaks to be resolved. It can range from a week to a month to be fully clear and not able to find signs of dinos on the scope from customer reports. The impressive part is no matter how long it takes to be fully clear, you will have a white sand bed again in 4 to 7 days.

I spent a good bit of time and effort into implementing this solution. Early prototypes were sent out months ago all with positive results. Lots of bottled bacteria were tested and ultimately found microbe lift special blend to the be the best. It is a tool and a process but hopefully now we have a better way to deal with this hobby killer and hopefully put it behind us.

Sorry for the long post but I am pretty excited about this tool and could go on and on about reefing.
As of today I should have plenty in stock in about a week. Just make sure to hit the "Notify me when available" button on the product page.

 

[VintageReefer]

Thanks for giving us the background and update on the product stock!

 

[bkpky]

I have one. Fighting a year plus large cell sand bed dino problem. Tried everything higher temp, higher magnesium, Dr Tim’s recipe / method (blackouts), peroxide, ordered DinoX but afraid to use it. First few days of use they were receding until I went out of town for a week. Back at it and will report in.

Treated for 2 days, 3rd day just a few spots. 2 days completely clear. UV sweep at peak of the light cycle, dosed the suggested bacteria. Previous to the UV I was taking the peroxide route so early mornings I also continued 1ml per 10gal mentioned in other threads. Will continue to post my results.

 

[cairolip21]

Thanks @Moe K
It seems like an ingenious solution to something that's been so defeating to so many in the hobby. I'm glad to hear it's getting such positive results!

 

[Fishtastrophy]

What precautions do you need to take when using this? Is it ok to look at the glow as you move it from place to place? Should you have your skin covered by heavy clothing? If you have to leave it in the same spot for a few minutes, do you rest it on the sand itself, or just hold it the whole time slightly above the sand?

I figure I'd do this during school hours so the kids aren't around, but should I kick the dog outside too so she doesn't trot by and look up at it?

 

[Moe K]

I now include reef glasses in the package that are UV400 just as a precaution. The reflection of the UV light is not intense enough to cause any concern. I have a link on the product page where it is recommended to get a foot pedal extension. You then place the UV sweeper as close as possible to the sand then turn it on. More instructions included in the packaging.

I have accidentally gone over sand dwelling corals. They started to bleach but came back. That specific coral was hit a number of times as I was kind of seeing how much it could take. It took quite a bit exposure where I am confident you will be safe if any corals get a couple of seconds of exposure. You just don't want to get them directly for more than 3 to 5 seconds repeatedly. Never the less it is highly recommended to lift any sand dwelling corals off the sand and onto racks during treatment. The hermit crabs and snails were not affected. They just might not reproduce anymore.

This just takes basic precaution as you would anything poisonous in the cabinet. Its not that bad but we all understand not to drink them. Don't stare directly at the UV light and will be fine.

 

[Moe K]

Back in stock and some customer's before and after. Basically only a few days to have white sand again. A couple weeks to a month till not finding dinos on microscope slides is what is being reported. No chemicals, no blackouts, no disruption to your stability. This is the way.

 

[slingfox]

Hi all,
I've had some issues with dinos on my sand for a while now. I got rid of em for a few months, but then a recent over autofeeding while away kicked em back up again. I know the diatom outcompete route is one of the most effective, but I just came across this at 3dReefing. It's out of stock currently, but has anyone tried it and can speak to it's effectiveness? It sounds like an interesting option for those with dinos that stick to the sand.

Sand Bed UV Sweeper

Introducing the UV Sweeper – the ultimate tool for maintaining a pristine sand bed. This innovative device will effectively help control dinoflagellates and diatoms while preserving the delicate organisms beneath the surface. The UV Sweeper is at the core of a process to help shift the...

3dreefing.com

I just ordered this and will plan to start a thread to test it out!

 

[bkpky]

Treated for 2 days, 3rd day just a few spots. 2 days completely clear. UV sweep at peak of the light cycle, dosed the suggested bacteria. Previous to the UV I was taking the peroxide route so early mornings I also continued 1ml per 10gal mentioned in other threads. Will continue to post my results.

I pulled back from peroxide. Put my light cycle from 8 hour back to 12 hour ramp as shorter light cycles was another Dino control method I introduced months ago. After a few days I was getting just a little Dino color in my sand bed. Used the UV sweep again and dosed the recommended bacteria. I have not used the sweeper and I am five days in and all looks good!

I am also working to ensure I don’t scew my tank up again. I am pretty sure it was nutrients bottoming out that allowed the Dino’s to take over. I have had a Trident for several years. I have never been good at testing N & P. I recently added the new Trident N+P.

With Dino’s receding, I AM ONCE AGAIN EXCITED about my tank. When I said the Dino issue has been a year, that was the most recent battle, before that there was another year where I did not know what I did to get a few month recession. Before having a microscope many years even further back I had a carpet like over my sand bed…. Dino’s then also, probably; so bad that I removed and replaced sand. THANKFUL for this BETTER way. I am not saying it’s the cure. I recognize the stupid things I have done over the years; I.e. not watching nutrients, blasting my sand bed often with a water jet to super clean, etc. Perhaps they will not come back with proper husbandry and testing but when/if they do this is certainly a better way to deal with them then the many other things that failed more then succeeded.

 

[Rothric]

@Moe K How long are treatments supposed to last? How many seconds should each section of sand be treated with the UV light? Slow sweeping motion?

Have one coming in soon, excited to try it out!

 

[Moe K]

@Moe K How long are treatments supposed to last? How many seconds should each section of sand be treated with the UV light? Slow sweeping motion?

Have one coming in soon, excited to try it out!

You treat a patch of sand for 5 to 10 seconds at a time. It would take me about 10 minutes to treat my 4ft tank.

2 to 4 weeks to be completely clear of dinos. You still need to check your sand with a microscope for signs of dinos as you would with other methods.

It just depends on how bad your outbreak is and if anything is fueling it or how weak your biodiversity might be until it is built up. Personally it took me about 4 weeks but I was also testing different brand bacterias for the best results. It has been at least a month since I have seen any dinos and have only used the UV Sweeper once just out of habit. A couple of days ago was the first time I dosed amino acids again and so far so good.