Adding new Live Sand to an Existing Tank

[DLANDINO]

Hi All, can someone tell me what the best way to add new live sand to an existing reef tank? I need to fill in an area that was swept clean by a rogue powerhead and don't want to disturb the sand by moving the existing sand back to it's original location. I know that I need to pour it down a length of pvc with the powerheads and skimmer off but that is about the extent of my knowledge.

Do you have to add it in small amounts over a period of time or should it all be added at once?

Should this sand be rinsed in RO/DI, allowed to settle and then used so there is minimal dust?

I include a picture of the area I need to fill in so you can see my dilemma.

Any other tips and tricks would be welcome and thank you very much!

Dave

 

[faze07hd]

sand movement is good for a reef tank. I stir up my sand every week. It helps keep the nitrates down.

Unless you move your power head its just going to blow the sand out again.

But if you plan on adding sand, i would add the sand a little per day. If its your 46 gall... i would do a couple of cups a day and mix it in with the existing sand in the area that you add it to.

 

[reefscape15]

I just set a 20lb bag on the bottom and cut it open with a razor, then dumped it out kind of gingerly and mixed it into the existing sand to prevent smothering. It did cloud the tank for quite a while, but nothing was affected. Make sure you turn your powerheads off before opening or adding any sand into your tank, let the filtration clear it up a little bit then you can turn them back on

 

[mg426]

Nice tank !!!

 

[bubbly]

The thing you want to avoid is smothering any existing life in the area.

If you trap live stuff under new sand, then the existing stuff will decay but do it anaerobically if it under enough sand that oxygen can't get to it. So I would move the existing sand away from the area and spread it around the rest of the tank, then dump a huge new mound of sand onto the bare area.

 

[DLANDINO]

Thanks all, I am less apprehenisve now. Have a great day!

 

[crvz]

I wouldnt recommend using live sand in almost any case. Just add some dry sand in those spots, and using a PVC pipe to pour it through can help with the cloudiness issues.

 

[DLANDINO]

Crvz, is there a recommended dry sand manufacturer? I have not done much research on it yet, this is my first step but I have only ever seen live sand at local LFS and online. Thanks again!