New tank substrate

[musicgirl1217]

Setting up a new tank today - have one bag argonite live sand, one bag regular live sand, and the sand from my existing tank. Do I mix these all together or is it better to layer it?

 

[yaitisme]

What did you end-up going with from your new tank?

 

[Limpit]

If the sand is of different sizes I like to mix it all up so that it does not looked layered.

 

[jmkarcz]

I'm with Limpit. I ilke mine mixed or stired as well. I did this with my kids play rake in about 2 minutes.


How deep of a sand bed are you going with?

J

 

[musicgirl1217]

I ended up mixing it all together. Sand bed is about 2". Transferred everything from the 20g into the new 60g (3/4 of existing sand, LR w/soft corals, 2 damsels). Tank looks very empty! Corals aren't really opening yet and the damsels are pretty stressed - hiding in the rock, striped one has turned dark gray. Tested and amonia, nitrites, nitrates are at zero. Ph is normal.

 

[yaitisme]

How about some pics?

 

[musicgirl1217]

I'll post pics tonight......

 

[MarineOne]

Just to set the record straight, lol

The two new bags of sand should be mixed, as it is advisable to have several different grain sizes for a sand bed in a reef, and the live sand from the established tank should be spread over the top of the new sand.

 

[scooters reef]

At only 2" of depth, I doubt it much matters. Even mixed, all is still close to the top either way. I'd have put the new down first though, then just stirred the old in a bit after adding it on top. But, again, at 2" I don't think it makes much of a difference, and eliminates the layered look.