Adding water before sand?

[ipiniowa]

I am picking up 100 lbs of LS and 100 lbs of LR tomorrow morning. I would like start adding the water to my tank tonight, but I did not know i that was a good idea.

90 gallon
20 gallon Fuge.

 

[atkinsg]

I put the sand in first. Then I put a piece of acrylic onto the sand so when I pour the water in I don't get too much of a sandstorm.

 

[jun_celis]

You will have a big time sandstorm if you decide to add the sand first and then LR/LS. Patiece, my friiend. Do it the proper way!

 

[ipiniowa]

I was thinking that, but I am a little impatient.

 

[jun_celis]

You're excited! Just like everyone else... Just put your sand, rocks, and then the water... You will be pleased with the results! Trust me, you don't want no sand storm!

 

[Teremei]

Nothing wrong with a sandstorm if you aren't going to put fish in for a month anyways after the cycle. I don't think it matters either way which you put first. .

 

[ipiniowa]

I definitely won't be putting anything in it except for rock and sand for a month.

 

[jun_celis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6720380#post6720380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Teremei
Nothing wrong with a sandstorm if you aren't going to put fish in for a month anyways after the cycle. I don't think it matters either way which you put first. .

True... But , it will be just an additional work to blow all the sands out of the rocks. That's all.

 

[Larry Waughon]

Putting in sand, rock, then water sure makes it easy to aquascape.

 

[jdhanover]

Maybe just brain freeze - but if the sand and rock go in first then the water, don't you get a sandstorm anyway or is the a trick to filling it to avoid the storm (the acryllic sheet?)
Also - the live rock needs to stays wet though, right. Do you just spray some saltwater on it periodically as you set it up?
I have a sump and some live rock, but no tank, pump, skimmer, etc yet so I have time but am curious.

 

[jun_celis]

If you do...sand, LR and the water, it just makes it easier if you do the water last no matter how you do it... It just makes it alot easier! jdhanover, are you from Hanover Park? Maybe we need to hook up to get some stuff goin? I'm from Algonquin. 20 minutes away! I know some reefers around u.

 

[NCreefwannabe]

It really doesnt matter, your going to get some type of storm either way. With LR, it will settle rather fast. Mine did in 1 night with a hang on filter, with panty hose on the carbon sponges to catch smaller particles, and my skimmer going. Looked perfect the next morning!!

 

[graveyardworm]

The last tank I set up, my refugium, I put in sand first then placed a bowl on plate on the sand and added the water slowly, I had absolutely no sand storm. The worst sand storm I ever had was when I added sand after the water was in. I saw one guy use a plastic bag layed over his sand bed while adding water this also kept the sand from being stirred. If you're going to be dumping in buckets then there's probably no way around the storm.

 

[jdhanover]

jun_celis - no, I am in Northbrook (western edge). Just 'blessed' with the last name Hanover.

Wouldn't mind finding reefers around here though. Anyone in the Northbrook, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Waukegan area?

 

[PatMayo]

I just set up my 90 a few weeks ago. No sandstorm. This is what I did. Sand first. Then I laid a dinner plate (clean of course) on the sand and then pumped in the salt water that was premixed in 3 44 gallon brute cans.

I then put the live rock in that was pre-cured. I had virtually no sand storm and the water was clear after about 1/2 hour. I started all pumps right away. I had quite a bit of sand movement, it looked like a desert the way the sand moved, but I tweaked the powerheads and return and solved that.

Regards,

Pat

 

[ledford1]

I use a trashbag layed out over the sand. Pour the water into the tank on the trash bag and it will dissipate the flow/force of the water so it is not flowing directly onto the sand. Using something like this is the best way to avoid the sandstorm IME.

 

[Thorndunes]

I would suggest you put in the water first, then your rock. Put your sand in last. YES this will caouse a sandstorm but that way your rock will be stable as it's sitting on the bottom of the tank. If you put rock on TOP of the sand , things could burrow under it and possibly cause it to topple over....At least that's how I did it. The sand will settle in a day or two and it doesn't matter as therre are no critters in there other than on the rock

(just my two cents)

 

[jdhanover]

What about combining the ideas? Rock first, then sand then water on a deflector (plate, acryllic, trash bag)? Seems like that would limit the sandstorm but put the rock where it should be, on the bottom.

 

[integlikewhoa]

I always put the base rock first then pack the sand around then put the water in last. This will assure you dont have a rock slide if anything digs under the rock.