no sand bed help

[rogergolf66]

I am setting up my new system I want to use my old setup to house all of my live stock and corals for a couple of months well the new system cycles. well here I my question I want to use the sand from my old system so I need to remove it and put it in my new setup. well I will put and the live stock and the rock that has corals on them back in the old setup with now no sand.

What do I have to do to maintain that old setup with no sand. do I do anything different then normal? It will be like that for about 3 months I will move the fish over after about 2 months the corals after about 3 month.

Roger

 

[mile sq. reefer]

It would b a PITA to move all the sand, and cause a nutrient bomb to go off, crashing the tank. Mix the water in the new tank add new sand seeded with the stuff from your old set up and place the rock. Let it cycle. When complete add livestock.

 

[rogergolf66]

well I am not going to have nutrient bomb. I have an empty tank right there I was going to use a pump and pump the water into the empty tank then move the rock on the top to the empty tank. then keep repeating the prosess till I got to the bottom row of rock. I would then move the live stock to the empty tank that now is filled with the water. then I would empty the rest of the water to the empty tank. Now with only about 1/2 inch of water left in the tank I would move the live rock from the tank rinse the bottom of the rock then put it into a bucket with water in it. then I would remove the sand put it into buckets then clean it. and put it into the new setup I have been working on. It that point I would put throw away the remaining water in the tank that I removed the sand in it should remove all the soot that was in the water. then I would put most of the rock into the new tank to start the cycle using live rock and live sand. Then I would start putting the water back into the tank I just removed the sand from now with a bare bottom. I would put the live stock back in that tank with some corals and and some live rock. My question is do I have to maintain a bare bottom tank different then a sand bottom tank?

And I am reusing the sand because of the high price of sand I have already spent $250 on sand and I still don't have the desired amount yet. Also I have mixed old water and new water in new setup and I still had lots of algee blooms.

 

[mile sq. reefer]

Sounds like you have a plan, good luck. How deep of a sand bed do you want? The sand, which I'm sure you know, helps in biological filtration. If you have an adequate amount of rock, good water quality, and husbandry practices I dont think there would be too much of a difference. Easier to have increased flow without the sandstorm, especially with SPS, and siphon out detritus that accumulates at the bottom of the tank. I personally like a SSB (3"), gives it a more natural look.

 

[rogergolf66]

I am going to have 4" SB