Second ugly phase?

[agame2021]

So I tried the whole bare bottom live rock approach and everyone said it had finished cycling numbers looked good. Did a water change(now I have done 3). I have a purple fire fish goby and a foxface rabbitfish(about 3-4 inch).

so first off I was given some reef sand with this tank and they told me they had a ton because their carpet nems loved deep sand beds. So they told me don’t use it all. Well I knew I was going to be moving the tank(still haven’t moved it yet) but I wanted sand in there. I was tired of all the bad algae and so I went ahead and put in the sand last night. It was dry so I rinsed it thoroughly and used the cup method in placing it in the tank. (It’s heavy and bigger pieces)

Will I have to go thru a second ugly phase?
People say you cannot put anything but live sand in the tank after you have fish in it but they rinse all the live sand and just put bacteria back in with it before it goes into your tank?!
My plan was to do a 25%-30% water change in a few days. Would this still be wise after adding the sand?

2nd I haven’t seen my fire fish goby since I started putting sand in the tank. Do they burry themselves in the sand? (It also could be hiding under the rock but I didn’t want to move the rocks…) should I be worried? Or just wait for him?

 

[brandon429]

perfectly clean water like you have is all that matters. you did well on rinsing the sand, no other actions are needed. people make it confusing regarding sand agreed, with their recommends, but just remember that sandbed bacteria are never ever ever needed or required in reefing, they're merely tolerated.

they do not contribute critical filtration ability to the tank, the bacteria x 1000000000 cells consume oxygen, alongside your fish, and use up resources but these tanks deal with the extra loading just fine and as you know, even without sand-bare bottom-things run well.

sandbed bacteria dont matter if they're there, or if they're missing, your filtration runs the same therefore adding live sand, or totally rinsed dry sand, does not matter at all. what matters is you pre rinsed and didn't cloud up that nice reef for 20 days straight.

you simply continue onwards with a sandbed reef now, add nothing new/do nothing new simply reef on.

 

[sfin52]

So I tried the whole bare bottom live rock approach and everyone said it had finished cycling numbers looked good. Did a water change(now I have done 3). I have a purple fire fish goby and a foxface rabbitfish(about 3-4 inch).

so first off I was given some reef sand with this tank and they told me they had a ton because their carpet nems loved deep sand beds. So they told me don’t use it all. Well I knew I was going to be moving the tank(still haven’t moved it yet) but I wanted sand in there. I was tired of all the bad algae and so I went ahead and put in the sand last night. It was dry so I rinsed it thoroughly and used the cup method in placing it in the tank. (It’s heavy and bigger pieces)

Will I have to go thru a second ugly phase?
People say you cannot put anything but live sand in the tank after you have fish in it but they rinse all the live sand and just put bacteria back in with it before it goes into your tank?!
My plan was to do a 25%-30% water change in a few days. Would this still be wise after adding the sand?

2nd I haven’t seen my fire fish goby since I started putting sand in the tank. Do they burry themselves in the sand? (It also could be hiding under the rock but I didn’t want to move the rocks…) should I be worried? Or just wait for him?

Prob a bit scared and hid. They are notorious jumpers make sure you have a lid or net.

You may have some ugly stages as the tank matures. And a balance is achieved. Sand doesn't stop algea.

 

[agame2021]

Prob a bit scared and hid. They are notorious jumpers make sure you have a lid or net.

I keep that lid on! I don’t want a jumper! The fox face has been coming out and eating more today then he has ever since I got him(still less than a week) that is why I am surprised that I haven’t seen the fire fish… but I guess they are all different and have different personalities. So who knows.

 

[Gup]

I have two Purple Firefish Gobys. They have been in the tank 6 months, from the beginning. I can tell you they are extremely bashful to the point of being incognito.

They are a simply beautiful fish, when you get a rare opportunity to see them during feeding

 

[agame2021]

I have two Purple Firefish Gobys. They have been in the tank 6 months, from the beginning. I can tell you they are extremely bashful to the point of being incognito.

They are a simply beautiful fish, when you get a rare opportunity to see them during feeding

So he finally showed up right before I left for work.
It has been out and swimming around everywhere for the past 2 weeks so I just thought it was weird that he went into hiding for that long.