How to replace old sand with new sand?

[gordon2726]

Hi guys,

I want to replace all of the sand (4" sand bed) in my mainly SPS tank with new sand. Reason is because my sand bad is turning into solid cement (maybe due to high calcium level?) and also very nasty looking. I like how the new sand bed look. What do you guys suggest the easiest & safest way to do that?

Here's what I am thinking... Make 50g of new mixed salt water, get 8 of the 10g rubber maid containers, drain 2/3 of the tank water into the rubbermaid containers, take out all the rocks, 30+ sps & 10+ fish, dispose the remaining 1/3 tank water and all the sand, clean the tank as much as I can, fill in cleaned new sand, refill with new mixed salt water, then put all the rocks back (may take out few), place all the sps back in the tank and fill the tank with the remaining old but clean tank water... and all the fish back into the clean tank.

Thank you.

 

[Amphiprion]

If you must replace it, a better way would be to siphon strip-shaped sections out with each water change and simply replace. Something can be used to mark your progress. This should have minimal impact, IME.

 

[Nanook]

[moved]

 

[Ohiomom]

Wondering do you have any kind of sand sifters, ie gobies or snails? Think it would do wonders in helping to prevent this from happening again or even "fixing" the current bed..

 

[darkdruid]

Several days before you get started, wash your new sand to get rid of as much dust as possible and then spread it in the sun to dry.Siphon out the old sand and take the large tube from an undergravel filter or a piece of pvc and a funnel with the largest opening you can find. Stick the funnel in the tube and pour the now dry new sand through it. With the tube you can control where the new sand goes and never even have to get wet.

You can hold it as close to the bottom as you want to keep from getting a sand storm stirred up. You won't be able to replace 100% of the sand this way, but the small amount that's left will seed the new stuff and you don't have to break down your tank.

 

[jahleon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15338486#post15338486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ohiomom
Wondering do you have any kind of sand sifters, ie gobies or snails? Think it would do wonders in helping to prevent this from happening again or even "fixing" the current bed..

Is it too late for this? Or would that fix the current problem? If so, then replacing small sections would be best.

 

[Volkman]

I did this a couple of months ago and had great results. Took a month or so but I didn't lose a thing. While doing your water changes, siphon out about a 1/4 of the sand on each change till you have a bare-bottom tank. Then I did the same thing putting it back in. About a 1/4 at a time so you do not shock your system. I did use a big 4" pvc pipe at first, but found out that it really didn't matter what you did, it was going to cloud. So I just ended up washing off the bags of sand and put them on the bottom of the tank and used a knife to cut them open on the bottom. That seemed to lessen the clouding. After a few months of letting the sand "seed," I put in two large sand sifting starfish and a cuc. They keep the sand sparkling white!! Just beautiful!
If you are using new "live sand," I am not sure I would let it dry out as you might kill all the good stuff that's in the sand.

Go slow!! Don't shock the system. Good luck!

 

[Fer21]

So the best method to replace the sand in a stablished tank would be taking out the old by siphon it out and then replace with the new sand?