Refreshing the DSB

[Mike O'Brien]

Seem's strange. Etching the surface will give you a fresh aragonite surface. Adding that to the tank should cause a decline in both calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Along with phosphate all of those will quickly foul the fresh aragonite crystal. Initially anyway.

 

[meschaefer]

I am beginging to think that I will just replace a portion of the sand bed.

Using vinegar and or R/O water will kill most everthing in the sandbed, (or so i would think) when the only purpose of refreshing the bed was to overcome old tank sydrome.

From the reponses thus far, it seems that the only thing that can not be removed from the dsb with rinsing is phosphate as it will bond to the sand. If the only way to remove it is by rinsing it with something that will kill off the fauna, then it is not worth it and I will just replace with new sand. I am not overly concerned with the bacteria, but the various worms, stars and other creepy crawlies that make a home there.

 

[The_Nexis_One]

It is important to remeber that I am moving the entire system into a new tank. As such, the sand is going to get disturbed there is just no way around it. I understand all of the reasons one might want to stir their dsb and why that may not be a good idea... but it is going to happen in the case.

WOW !! that most definetly changes things - I must have missed this, I thought this was a operating tank with potential DSB issues...

I'd start fresh (new or 'cleaned' sand) if your DSB is more than 5" deep. If it's only 3 or 4, I'd drain the tank and scoop the sand, tryin to keep it intact..... *sigh*... ya know.... never mind - 5 year old DSB,..... I'd clean it and only reserve a few containers to seed from.

Sorry - changing tanks really changes things. Cleaning it in a large tub with tap water (don't use tank water & vinegar as the buffer will react with the vinegar making salt/H2O before it even gets to the sand) and vinegar would be best, but only in that you'll save the money of buying new sand.

Just moving the sand over directly is a realistic option, rinsing it in tank water is even better...

IF you want to start from scratch (no life in sand), then continue with the vinegar cleaning.

This is going to make a mess you know

If you took a rubbermade bin/tub (like a 45gal from HD) and put your sand in it, say 6" deep, then rinse with tap water (hose). Once the sand appears clean, poor in 1/4 gal of Vinegar into the last batch of rinse water and sand (visualizing the water to be 1" to 2" above the sand level) and stir.. once it's reacted a while, give it a couple good rinses. You'll have to experiment with how much vinegar to use and how long to let it sit, but that's were I would start.

<disclaimer> You are going to have to play this by ear when you actually get started.. too much vinegar/too little water/too long, will leave you with less sand than you started with.... Do this at your own risk as I've NOT cleaned sand this way, only LR and CC</disclaimer>

Best of luck,
John.

 

[The_Nexis_One]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945866#post6945866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by meschaefer
I am beginging to think that I will just replace a portion of the sand bed.

Using vinegar and or R/O water will kill most everthing in the sandbed, (or so i would think) when the only purpose of refreshing the bed was to overcome old tank sydrome.

From the reponses thus far, it seems that the only thing that can not be removed from the dsb with rinsing is phosphate as it will bond to the sand. If the only way to remove it is by rinsing it with something that will kill off the fauna, then it is not worth it and I will just replace with new sand. I am not overly concerned with the bacteria, but the various worms, stars and other creepy crawlies that make a home there.

Correct, if you want to keep the life (bacterial and/or fauna) don't rinse it. Your critters will either be washed away or crushed. Bacteria from the lower levels will be killed by oxigenated water anyway... so you aren't saving that much life by rinsing - even in tank water.

with this new info - I'd save the first 1.5 to 2 inches of sand for direct placement in the new tank and clean/toss the rest.

Best of luck,
John.

 

[JmLee]

how do you guys add sand to a established tank with out getting it in the water column?. Just curious.

 

[trippyl]

you can use the bag method, where you submerge a plastic bag with the sand in it, and then pour the sand out of the bag from like 1" above.

 

[JmLee]

ohhhhh cool stuff.

 

[The_Nexis_One]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6946037#post6946037 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JmLee
how do you guys add sand to a established tank with out getting it in the water column?. Just curious.

1.5" or 2" PVC my friend Just put the tube down to the bottom (all the way) and poor in the sand at the top. As you lift the tube off the bottom, the sand will slide out producing VERY little cloud....

Keep your PH's off and try not to disturb the sand too much until it is colonized by bacteria... else it'll cloud the tank badly (like if you have a powerhead fall while you are adding the sand)...

It's not hard, I add sand frequently as I'm "deepening" in my display over the last few months.

Best of luck,
John.

 

[JmLee]

omg makes so much sense!.. awsome.