# Rinsing sand from flourish 'gravel'? Black roots?



## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

So during my WC today i was cleaning up some plants that had gotten a bit 'bleh looking' (clipping off dead pieces, etc) and one pulled up. I noticed the roots were turning black. Is this some kind of rotting? o-o

Also my white sand is starting to get this.... 'grey' color mixed into it and its pretty much right up at the surface (brushing off just a little bit of the top reveals the grey) What on earth is going on here? o-o Is the flourish 'gravel' causing this? I only have API root tabs and Jobe's Fertalizer sticks in the substrate. I doze with Leaf Zone and the CO2 booster

I see no other way to get around the 'grey' then to just rinse the sand and the flourish substrate, but if the flourish is causing this would it be best to just remove it and add more sand?

How would I go about 'rinsing' the sand from the gravel so that I can get the two separated? I have a colander would that work?

My Anubis and amazon sword had it and I just snipped it off. along with some of my other rooted plants.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What type of plants had the black roots? How long have they been planted and did they have a lot of roots when you planted them?

I don't see how you will be able to separate gravel from sand without making one big cloudy mess in your tank.


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

The sand will be fine. It can not be flooded by the water movement of the pelvis are formed rotten areas. It will probably also smell bad. 
Coarse gravel would be better.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

How many fish are in the tank?It could just be fish waste?
Most say to cut roots to 1" when replanting,so I think jr was saying the roots may have died if they were too long?
By just doing "normal" vacumming you will be able to remove some sand as slowly I have pulled alot of sand from my salt tanks this way.
Careful stirring it up as it may be anaerobic if the sand is deep enough.
Aquaworld Aquarium - The Silent Killer


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

Yeah no I'd take my tank apart and remove the sand and stable and wash it in my tub. I can easily use my syphon to suck it out. The fish I'll put in a diff tank. 

Almost all the plants I have have this. A crypt. Anubias. Cardinal plant. My dwarf hair grass had it but I removed them all and tossed them Cus all but one bunch had died. My amazon sword. The only plant that doesn't have it is my java fern Cus it's set on wood. 

I've had this tank up since the end of December though just recently (past month) became fully planted with fish. 

I highly doubt it's "fish waste" why would I have a later of grey underneath the too of the sand between the water and the flourish gravel? There's no fish poop down there. 

I have harlequins. Neons. A betta. Cories. And a BN. Schools. 

I trimmed the roots of my larger plants (the sword and anubias) when I first got them. The others were grown in that gell stuff and had short roots so I didn't bother. 


My current substrate is only 2" deep (one inch sand. One inch of that flourish stuff underneath) so I want to add a bit more to the back. I'll be getting snails here today do they'll end up storing the substrate but I don't want that grey cramp to surface all over so either way I'll end up cleaning it completely before adding the snails. I just want to know the easiest way to get it and the gravel separated. Have the colander idea. 

I also won't be switching to gravel. I dislike how it looks, how gross it gets, and plus I have Cories so it wouldn't work well anyway hehe.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Cardinal plant? Have a pic?


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

not of my personal ones, but these are exactly what they look like. only they're still derpy and small so they aren't this bushy.










idk if 'cardinal plant' is what they're actually called, but its what the package said so its all i know.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Lobelia cardinalis. I used to grow that myself. Is that Staurogyne Repens next to it?


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

yup that was the 'scientific name' on the package. P: so I guess they didn't fail at it too horribly then heh.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The anubia should be tied to wood or rock and shouldn't have the rhizome in the substrate.


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

The rhizome isn't buried. Just the roots don't worry.


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