BB no more, how to add sand?

[luckybaker4]

Basically, the subject says it, I have decided that I do not want to run BB anymore as it is just not for me.

How should I put the sand back in the system?

I am aiming for about 3" of sand, how should I add it back in, on cupful at a time?

Thanks!

 

[cootiebugg]

If it were me, I'd get the sand wet with either top-off water or water change water, place it in plastic bags like you get fish in and squeeze it out on to the tank bottom.

 

[Bebo77]

its going to be a mess no matter what you do...

 

[chadfarmer]

take a piece of tubing (sch 40 or anything that you have)and put in in the tubing that the other end is on the bottom of the tank and will still cloud the water but not as bad as if you add it from the top

 

[jay24k]

Stick it in a ziplock bag or larger bag if needed. Drop it in the tank. Flip the bag over and let it out easy. Should settle pretty easy.

 

[luckybaker4]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Sounds like we have some experienced people here?

 

[jay24k]

Changed out plenty of sand here. Swapped out about 50 pounds in my 180 and 20 pounds in my wife's nano. I did black sand in her tank and it took about 20 minutes to clear up. Another trick is to get a filter bag and pump all water into the bag and any excess particles get filtered extremely quick.

Her tank was clear quickly and by morning, crystal clear.

 

[cecilturtle]

I always replace my sand in my SSB tank by using a cup but I prefer the thicker grains. Southdown or Oolitic would be a mess for sure. After I finish I just turkey baste any granules off the rock and corals. No harm done. Minimal clouding.

I tried that method before Chad but sand should not be wet...I prefer to rinse mine before use. Live sand would be difficult also.

 

[IMPERATORFAN]

I don't know if it's coincidence, but it seems like I always get an alk spike (cal climbs a little also) when I vacuum out a portion of my sandbed and replace with new arag. You would think that everything in the arag bag is calcium carbonate and would need to be exposed to low ph or something to end up in the water column as cal or carbonate, so I'm not sure if this is really the cause. I'm no chemist, but that maybe something to keep an eye on.

 

[jay24k]

Well I read that your sand bed really consumes alot of alk. If this was the case, removing it would now allow more alk to not be consumed. Perhaps the new sand has a break in period before it causes alk to be consumed. Just speculating on the last part.

 

[panic]

I used a piece of 4" PVC with the hole resting on the bottom and poured sand down the tube. I slowly lift the pipe the sand oozes out of the bottom.

 

[jacob30]

Take a 5 gallon bucket fill with 1/3 of sand and rinse until it runs kinda clear (yes with tap) (caribsea reef grade sand about 10 min). Then drain water out the best you can and place sand in a gallon ziplock bag. Continue to drain until satisfied. Take the bag unzipped and place it in the tank let the air escape and lower it to the bottom and flip over. Then gently pull bag and release sand to the bottom. Repeat until your done with the sand you want. The next day spread it out and viola your done. This technique will NOT produce a cloudy tank at all.

Technique woeked with 100 lbs of sand on a 350g tank.


Jacob

 

[luckybaker4]

Next question, I have some sand that is a mix of aragonite and silica.

I read while back when I was first getting in that Silica sand was a no no, but it seems that its really alright to use? I think I remember RHF saying that.

 

[gman0526]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7773158#post7773158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jay24k
Well I read that your sand bed really consumes alot of alk. If this was the case, removing it would now allow more alk to not be consumed. Perhaps the new sand has a break in period before it causes alk to be consumed. Just speculating on the last part.

Here's Boomer's reply to a thread I started somewhere else about Alk and BB tanks, hope it helps some.

"Yes G, I would assume there would be or lets say maybe at certain times. A well run and sifted SB is going to contain allot of life forms pushing out organics/CO2 which may/will lower that Alk, with little Ca++ uptake. Second, BB tanks has much of nothing for the carbonates or even phosphates to react with==> no-Abiotic or little. Meaning, the formation of Mg++ or Ca++ carbonates and/or phosphates on the grain surfaces. Carbonate substrates will/can pull out carbonates/phospahtes along with other ions like Ca++ or Mg++. This is well known. However, once the system has been up for a long enough period that should stop, as the SB grains will be coated with bacteria/organics and Abiotic should stop. But you would still have that SB bioload. Also, don't forget about all of the other complex reactions that are taking place in the SB and not a BB, ie., nitrification, denitification, redox reactions, etc..

 

[Serioussnaps]

This is how i do it...same way he said...

Take a 5 gallon bucket fill with 1/3 of sand and rinse until it runs kinda clear (yes with tap) (caribsea reef grade sand about 10 min). Then drain water out the best you can and place sand in a gallon ziplock bag. Continue to drain until satisfied. Take the bag unzipped and place it in the tank let the air escape and lower it to the bottom and flip over. Then gently pull bag and release sand to the bottom. Repeat until your done with the sand you want. The next day spread it out and viola your done. This technique will NOT produce a cloudy tank at all.

Technique woeked with 100 lbs of sand on a 350g tank.


Jacob

except you will get cloudiness

 

[Serioussnaps]

OH AND NOT WITH TAP!!!!!!!!RO/DI......YOU CAN USE A CUP TO SCOOP IT OUT...ITS MESSY BUT AFTER ABOUT 24 HOURS THE WATER WILL CLEAR....RUN YOUR SKIMMER AND SOME CARBON

ALSO I REITERATE DONT USE TAP WATER....FOOLISH

 

[jacob30]

Yes that's why all my parameters are still right on. The amount of tapwater introduced into the system is miniscule and inconsequential IMO unless you have evidence to the contrary. Using 300 gallons of RO/DI water to wash sand is foolish IMO.

And it did not produce cloudiness of any significance. In fact here is a picture right after adding the last bag of sand.