adding sand to sand bed

Who said anything about "tearing down her tank"?
I merely suggested she remove the top layer of her existing sand (where the nitrifying bacteria live) put her new sand in then put her "live" sand back on top.

Do you understand how much sand/gravel increases the surface area available for nitrifying bacteria to colonize?

Small tanks are not sand bed dependent? News to me.
 
LOL no tank is sandbed dependant lol

and Surreal your pvc idea is great many people have done it that way
 
uncle salty 05 said:
who said anything about "tearing down her tank"?
I merely suggested she remove the top layer of her existing sand (where the nitrifying bacteria live) put her new sand in then put her "live" sand back on top.

Do you understand how much sand/gravel increases the surface area available for nitrifying bacteria to colonize?

Small tanks are not sand bed dependent? News to me.
Click to expand...

news to me as well sand beds produce great amounts of bacteria for tank not to mention copapods. If you have scooter blennies like i do that need them what do you do now..... I would suggest removing the top layer as well. Dont cover up all your goodies add a little and "let er eat"!!!!
 
outy said:
lol no tank is sandbed dependant lol

and surreal your pvc idea is great many people have done it that way
Click to expand...

ok so answer me this whats gunna happend when she covers up all that bacteria and it turn to anerobic pockets within the sand bed and her power goes out.....want me to tell you what happens those pockets release and deplete all the oxygen in her tank and her critters die ask me how i know.......happened to my best friend 125.....

sounds like a stup for disaster
 
stirring up a sandbed is worse and can crash a tank. this is a well known fact.

Adding a thin layer as suggested be a few people keeps all the benificial bacteria in play and is common practice.

why you two want to go against the grain is beyond me, neither one of you knows how deep she should take the sand down your just guessing and gambling with her tank.


ash your asking hypothitical questions you dont even know the answers to. it sucks your buddy lost his tank but power failures left unattended are bad news despite the SB.
 
outy said:
stirring up a sandbed is worse and can crash a tank. this is a well known fact.

Adding a thin layer as suggested be a few people keeps all the benificial bacteria in play and is common practice.

why you two want to go against the grain is beyond me, neither one of you knows how deep she should take the sand down your just guessing and gambling with her tank.


ash your asking hypothitical questions you dont even know the answers to. it sucks your buddy lost his tank but power failures left unattended are bad news despite the SB.
Click to expand...


how does it keep it in play when it covers it up completly think about and dont be so sure of your self i know my way around this hobby
 
I am glad I'm getting so much advice. I have one of those things that you put in your tank thats plugged up and when the power goes out it relies on a build up of air and turns on and keeps oxygen in my tank. I only turn it on when the weather channel says were going to have bad weather.

Anyways, I currently have two small bags of live sand in my tank, idk 10 pounds each? maybe less. So if i buy some fine grane sand and rinse it and slowly add it to my tank with a pvc pipe and after it settles a bit i mix it in with the live sand with my hand or net, what are the chances of something bad happening? If I do shovel out my live sand first I wont be able to get it all out probably just whats in the front. but like I said my sand bed is thin.

Oh and I wanted to avoid siphoning the sand because with it comes water. If I rinse the sand with RO/DI water and put it in my tank damp how much will my salinity drop do you guys think?

Thanks
 
SurrealSerenity said:
I am glad I'm getting so much advice. I have one of those things that you put in your tank thats plugged up and when the power goes out it relies on a build up of air and turns on and keeps oxygen in my tank. I only turn it on when the weather channel says were going to have bad weather.

Anyways, I currently have two small bags of live sand in my tank, idk 10 pounds each? maybe less. So if i buy some fine grane sand and rinse it and slowly add it to my tank with a pvc pipe and after it settles a bit i mix it in with the live sand with my hand or net, what are the chances of something bad happening? If I do shovel out my live sand first I wont be able to get it all out probably just whats in the front. but like I said my sand bed is thin.

Oh and I wanted to avoid siphoning the sand because with it comes water. If I rinse the sand with RO/DI water and put it in my tank damp how much will my salinity drop do you guys think?

Thanks
Click to expand...


i would would say mixing it is better than jump dumping it on pre-exist good live sand at least you give a chance for some organisms to surface and continue to thrive.......but ive always herd the thinner the bed the less anaerobic pockets that exist which is always a plus.....rinsing it with rodi water should drop your salinity to horrible maybe 0.5 ppml as long as its not sopping wet when i add ro water directly to my sump my salinity barely fluxs.... and i am at 1.023 ppml
 
its not going to change salinity adding a slight amount of sand to a small tank. I would still check afterwards but youll be fine.

the dead sand you put on top of the live sand will be "live sand" in a few weeks theres no need to mix.

the problem with mixing as studies have shown, the depth of the different benificial bacteria can be as little as 1/4" deep to a few inches.

really i think everyone is argueing a moot point. Its not a big deal one way or another. This is a simple known thing to do and using pvc like you want to is very very common without digging up a sand bed. I have dug them up and syphoned them off added ect and never had a real issue but that doesnt meen you throw caution to the wind.

I did this last week on my aquarium with no ill effects, if you would like to move the top layer of sand it probably wont hurt its just not something I would suggest. You will still get a diatom bloom on the dead sand as it gains bacteria so dont be alarmed when you see a little light brown coat on top of the new sand
 
outy said:
stirring up a sandbed is worse and can crash a tank. this is a well known fact.

Adding a thin layer as suggested be a few people keeps all the benificial bacteria in play and is common practice.

why you two want to go against the grain is beyond me, neither one of you knows how deep she should take the sand down your just guessing and gambling with her tank.


ash your asking hypothitical questions you dont even know the answers to. it sucks your buddy lost his tank but power failures left unattended are bad news despite the SB.
Click to expand...

I don't know how long you have been in the hobby but your "facts" are hogwash.
I have always stirred my sandbeds (as nature does during a storm) and have never had single problem, in fact if you don't maintain a sandbed it will become a nutrient sink. The best feeding response I have ever seen from my corals are when the sandbed is stirred.
The easiest way to do something is seldom the best way.
It is you sir that is going against the grain and gambling with her tank.
We are suggesting she take the proper precaution and you are saying "just dump the new sand in it will be fine" which is simply not true.
 
Well I'v decided I am going to remove most of my live sand, add the new dead sand and then put the live sand back on top. My sand bed is so thin I could just stir it though. Which may be what I do. Now I have to order some fine white sand. Any suggestions? I found some oocite carib sea fine grain sand but I don't know much about it or any brand of sand really besides the live sand I have. Also when I was switching tanks I had bought more live sand and I put my old live sand in first and then added the new to the top of it, since it was all live sand I guess no reaction came from it?
 
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