Adding more live sand?

[saltman123]

I am upgrading from a 5 gallon to a 12 gallon and I need to add more sand to the system. I currently have a small grit type sand that has been in an established tank for 2+ years. I have actually only had the tank with the live sand, rock, and critters for about 2 weeks.

How should I go about adding more sand? Should I just wash it really good and add it to the old sand? My thought is that it will mix together and eventually become live as well.

Will this cause the tank to cycle??? Any tips on adding more sand to a tank appreciated.

 

[saltman123]

Anyone???

 

[davocean]

From your post I don't exactly know which sand is old or new, but if you're moving sand that has been in a tank for a year or more, I would only keep the very top layer, 1/2 - 1".
New live sand will have a dieoff, so there will be a cycle.
I would take the top layer of old sand, and lay it on top of new(not live) sand.
Hope this helps.

 

[saltman123]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7984157#post7984157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by davocean
From your post I don't exactly know which sand is old or new, but if you're moving sand that has been in a tank for a year or more, I would only keep the very top layer, 1/2 - 1".
New live sand will have a dieoff, so there will be a cycle.
I would take the top layer of old sand, and lay it on top of new(not live) sand.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply.

I basically have a 5 gallon tank right now that someone has given me live sand, and live rock out of an established larger tank. So I've had this tank for about 2 weeks as my aquapod arrives. I am going to need more new sand to add to the current sand to cover the ground of the larger tank.

I was thinking about buying just plain marine sand (dead) and mixing it together with the live sand that is currently in the 5 gallon once I am ready to move to the 12 gallon.

Is that a bad idea? Or should I be trying to find another live sand and mixing the 2? Just not sure what to do since I have sand that is already live and I need to add more.

 

[davocean]

Just add regular new sand, almost the depth you want, and then put sand from the top layer of your existing tank on top of that sand.
The old live sand will seed the new, cheaper, and should be less of a cycle than adding just new live sand.
New live usually has dieoff.
I used just regular calcite sand to increase depth on mine, and some of my old to seed it.

 

[saltman123]

Is this good regular sand?
http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=6498&Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=calcite+sand&sku=551520&familyID=7534&

I am also curious to know what the story is on this product
(Nature's Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Reef Sand):
http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=5081&Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=calcite+sand&sku=708941&familyID=7452&
I've read that this is as good as dead in many ways. Anyone have opinions on that?

So is the first sand good enough?

 

[davocean]

Go with the first one.
Add some of your already live sand to it and you'll be good.

 

[saltman123]

Thanks for the assurance