I just put southdown in my tank. It was a fresh setup. Unfortunately I did not have a 90gal container(s) to empty the tank out to start with dry sand.
So I used a pvc pipe and put the sand in the tank. Well after a about 1/4 the bag, stupid me, I realized I did not unplug one of the powerheads.
Anyway to make a long story short: I have 90gal of milk. I already put 50lbs in but I think I still need to add another 25lbs.
I have 50lbs of live sand from DRmacs to be delivered tomorrow along with a bunch of rock. I am only shooting for a 2" sand bed.
My question is this:
I have read in this thread where the silt is important and not to wash the sand or filter is out. But what if your not going to have a DSB, is it still the same. Right now I can't even see the bottom to know how much is in there.
I have a diatom filter that would clean in up within an hour but I don't want to do it if it will be detrimental to the system. Should I filter it out or not?
What are some opinions on this?
Greg
So I used a pvc pipe and put the sand in the tank. Well after a about 1/4 the bag, stupid me, I realized I did not unplug one of the powerheads.
Anyway to make a long story short: I have 90gal of milk. I already put 50lbs in but I think I still need to add another 25lbs.
I have 50lbs of live sand from DRmacs to be delivered tomorrow along with a bunch of rock. I am only shooting for a 2" sand bed.
My question is this:
I have read in this thread where the silt is important and not to wash the sand or filter is out. But what if your not going to have a DSB, is it still the same. Right now I can't even see the bottom to know how much is in there.
I have a diatom filter that would clean in up within an hour but I don't want to do it if it will be detrimental to the system. Should I filter it out or not?
What are some opinions on this?
Greg
, get it all in the tank, and your sandstorm will clear up in a day or two. Once you can see the rock, kinda blow the sand off of it with a baster. Not too hard though. While a 2" sandbed isn't what most reefers consider a DSB, it's still going to be benificial to your system. A word of advice from someone who is using the same LR... keep the ammonia levels as low as you can. BIG water changes as often as possible. There is a ton of life on that rock, and you should be able to keep alot of it alive if you keep the water quality as good as you can. I'd also recommend turning the lights on after a day or two. Start at a couple of hours a day, and work your way up to a full photoperiod over a couple of weeks. You might get a micro algae bloom, but just let it go. It'll help suck some of those nutrients out of the water column. It'll go away on it's own. If you find any Dictyota macro algae (do a search) on the rock, get it off ASAP. It got out of control in my tank for months. Good luck Greg. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a PM.
