Adding more sand to an established tank?

[Gluestick]

My aquarium is about 4 months mature. I do have livestock.
I recently rearranged the rock and set it on top of pvc and eggcrate to stabilize it, and the pvc was cut too long. You can see the eggcrate, so I want to add more sand. Will this disrupt anything? Will I have to cycle again? Would it be better to add live sand or crushed coral or can I add more of my fine grain southdown? I have more "southdown," its the new stuff that the company that bought southdown makes. I'd like to add some different textures.... can someone please point me in the right direction so I can put the least amount of strain on my tank?

Thanks
Valerie

 

[Shagsbeard]

As with just about everything in the hobby... do it slowly. Add a little sand at a time and you wont disrupt anyone's life. You only cause a "cycle" when you kill off a bunch of stuff. Adding a whole mess of sand can disrupt the guys that live in your sand bed. Adding a little at a time allows them to adjust.

 

[Gluestick]

Oh, here's what's in the tank:
2 ocellaris clowns
royal gramma
yellowtail blue damsel
firefish
several hermit crabs and snails, assorted sizes and species
emerald mithrax crab
skunk cleaner shrimp
small frags of xenia, lobophytum leather, mushrooms and button polyps

 

[Gluestick]

I did add a few cupfulls the other night, I have notices some brown (diatoms?) algae on the surface of the old sand.

 

[mg426]

Not unusual at all in a fairly new system

 

[MelloYellow]

You've already done it so this wont help you but I've read you should get the sand wet first before dumping it in slowly. Just helps keep the dust down so it doesn't land on anything and irritate anything. But with only a couple of cups it probably didn't create that much

 

[tunatogo]

Use only live sand from another established tank. If you use the bagged sand you might recycle

 

[Merredeth]

If you only add a very little at a time and use some PVC pipe by putting that low to the sand and dumping a very little in every so often you can safely get the area you want covered. This way your tank doesn't cycle again and you keep the beneficial bacteria in your tank.

When I say a little bit every few days, I mean a little bit though. Don't try to spread it out in a wide area too as the existing sand underneath it will lose the beneficial life forms in it.

The PVC trick helps keep the sandstorm and cloudiness to a minimum.

Denise M.
:beer:

 

[Gluestick]

Great idea!!! Thanks!

 

[Merredeth]

I forgot to add that a funnel works well sitting on the top of the PVC pipe, so when you dump it in the sand doesn't spill everywhere.

Good luck!

Denise M.
:beer:

 

[jmorgret]

What about adding sand to the fuge? I currently have just LR and cheato in there and wanted to add a sandbed. Could I add that all at once or slowly as well?

 

[Merredeth]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7965793#post7965793 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmorgret
What about adding sand to the fuge? I currently have just LR and cheato in there and wanted to add a sandbed. Could I add that all at once or slowly as well?

I'm not sure. I'm know I wouldn't be willing to start adding dry sand this way without having a base that is already in the tank or fuge that is well established. I would think it would make your tank cycle.

However, I think someone with even more knowledge than I have should chime in here with their thoughts on that idea as well.

Denise M.
:beer:

 

[jmorgret]

I have established sand in the main. I was going to put new sand in the fuge then add a few cups from the main for it. I didn't think base sand would start a spike since there is nothing dead in it, but I I'm not sure and don't want to find out the hard way.:rollface:

 

[meco65]

Oh by the way where did you get the southdown.

 

[Merredeth]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7966335#post7966335 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmorgret
I have established sand in the main. I was going to put new sand in the fuge then add a few cups from the main for it. I didn't think base sand would start a spike since there is nothing dead in it, but I I'm not sure and don't want to find out the hard way.:rollface:

I don't know. Lifting it out of the main tank is going to at the very least create some type of sand storm. Due to you moving it around yourself, I would be concerned about the nite issues as well. Again, I'm not sure on this one and this question is better left to the people that are even more experienced than myself. I would hate to steer you wrong, but would rather give you food for thought before you take the plunge.

Denise M.
:beer:

 

[Gluestick]

meco65, apparently, southdown sold out to a different company, it's supposed to be the same stuff though. It's from Home Depot. I bought it this spring, they may have more left. I do have a couple bags in the garage. I'd give them to anyone who is willing to pick them up for a frag or two, but my schedule is pretty hectic.

 

[lux_06]

if its just ur fuge why cant u take the rock and cheato out? stick the sand in and put the rock back ontop? new sand would be fine for this. it will simply becomed seeded by being part of the entire system.