Water change and new sand

[newbie-to-reef]

Today is a water change day and I am changing a lot, like 40%. I also lucked into live sand (out of established tank) for $0.85 lb to trade out my crushed coral. Now the question is how do I do this safely and effectively? i have two fish and two cleaner shrimp about 10 snails and 10 hermits and four frags? Should I then add water back first or add the sand first? I don't want to cloud up my water too much, when we fisrt set up the tank it took two days for all the cloudyness to go away.

 

[MAreefer]

I would take some plastic hosing and a funnel and pour the sand in through the tube to bottom of the tank VERY SLOWLY ... that will aviod all cloudiness. You could add the water first or after ... doesnt really matter unless you are drainig the whole tank.