Just purchased up & running 215

[sailsurfski]

I just bought an established 215 with 450lbs of live rock and 300lbs of sand. It has a few corals and the usual assortment of fish. I am told that 450 is too much rock (and aesthetically at least) I admit it was pretty full. Most everyone is in agrement not to reuse the sand and I bought 200lbs of new live sand. I brought all the existing sand home from the move and it seems like such a waste to get rid of it. It has all the critters (big bristle worms etc.), but all the muck as well. Should I use some percentage of it to reseed the new stuff? Should I try to rinse it or will that defeat the purpose of re-seeding? If used, should I put it underneath the new, or mix it up.

I had to re-silicone one of the overflow boxes, and need to re-plumb underneath, so it will be tomorrow before I put everything back in.

 

[KarlBob]

I think a handful of the old sand would do more good (by re-seeding) than harm (from decayed detritus). Rinsing the old sand, especially with tap water, would probably defeat the purpose. Whether you try to place the old sand underneath the new sand or mix it in, the two types will probably get mixed when you refill the tank with water.

If you like the fauna, maybe you could sift some of it out with a screen and put it in the new tank.

 

[raggie]

Congrats on a your set up, yes 450 is quite a bit of live rock you can lower the amount of live rock but do it little by little so your system doesn't crash, your live rock is a natural filter system for your tank so if to much is taking out at one time the system wont be able to keep up with amount of ammonia and other things. as far as the sand goes don't change to much of it if possible none of it, if you do change it you are taking a lot of the bio filter out of the tank witch will couse a major imbalance in the system. what you can do is start by taking out around a 2 to 3 lbs of rock per week you should be good at around 300lbs of rock you can go as low as 250 but the lower you go the more dangerous it will get you will have to keep check all your prams daily, after you have successfully dropped the weight of the rocks you can start with the sand you can take out anywhere around a few square inches of sand and then replacing it with the new one you got but you must wait longer to repeat this process due to the amount of bacteria it holds, this would be allot easier if you had no fish in the tank an were willing to re-cycle the hole thing, this is what i feel at least i think this is a safe route to take, and when you said put everything back in? where is it now?

 

[sailsurfski]

I should mention that 2/3 of the live rock is in a 100g temporary tub with the fish and the coral, and the rest is in a brute trash can. I am using the original water and I have heaters and circulation on both. The sand is in a trash can as well with an additional 10-15g of original water on top. The sand had to be removed before moving the tank (from Dallas to Alabama on sunday night/monday morning) and is all stirred up with the detritus. I have a 50g+ sump with integrated refugium and was able to leave the sand bed in it undisturbed.

 

[raggie]

well you will have some type of mini cycle try to get a hold of a mini tank like small 10 gallon depending on how many fish u have put some rock in sand in that and put the fish in that for a few days while the new tank is ready you go head and start to put all the stuff back in the tanks fill it with ready mixed RO water and wait a day or 2 and test the water to see if there are any spikes in the water then take it from there be sure not to put the fish in the same day as you put the sand and rocks in the water this will stress out the fish like crazy due to the new environment and the amount of debre floating around where is the rest of the rock?

 

[sailsurfski]

The poor fish rode in a trash can with some live rock and were then moved with the coral and most of the rock into the 100g tub. The rest of the rock completely fills a trash can. The sand is in yet another can. I have already purchased 200lbs of new sand. I brought back most all the water and will add 50g or more of new water. I'll start mixing it tonight. I have an ro/di unit.

I'm guessing a mini cycle is probably already underway.

 

[raggie]

yes the mini cycle is probably already under way but will be restarted when u add back to the tank, the first thing you want to do is put the rock water and every into the tank asap so it can rest and get use to the new home, and as far as the sand wait to replace the old sand if you replace the old sand with the new one you will LOSEE ALOT of bactira due to the move and the amount you have already lost. dont put any new sand in yet get everything into the tank wait a day let it all seatle out and then you can slowly start as far as the rock goes you really don't need all that just remember the more rock you have the more the fish will hide so you can reduce the number of rocks slowly

 

[leoslizards]

Just tagging along. Please post pics if possible. Thanks.