Adding a deep sand bed questions

[CoralClasher]

I have a 120 gallon fat boy running for about 6 years now. Three years ago I pulled the shallow sand bed because of Dinos and not knowing how to control them. 8 months ago I added a deep sand bed refugium and is sill looking awesome!! I was just given three leopard wrasses and I guess they need sand so I want to add a deep sand bed to the DT.

Question 1 do I need to drain the tank and bleach the bottom before the sand goes in or just pull all the rocks and clean the best I can?

Question 2 how much Oolite sand is needed for a 4 inch sand bed?

Question 3 should I QT all the fish for awhile?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Evening,

Just wondering your thoughts on draining and bleaching the bottom, and the need for a deep sand bed. My thought is your need is more one of environment for the fish and not filter based. Around 2 inches with a good amount of caves should suffice. Rinse the sand thoroughly before you use. A funnel and hose to pour it on the bottom. Will work, but rinse, rinse, rinse.

Here is a sand bed calculator

Aquarium Sand Bed Calculator - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.marinedepot.com

As far as QT it is up to you and your methods.

Hope that helps

 

[CoralClasher]

I'm sure when I pull the rocks there will be lots of detritus just floating around and get mixed in with the sand. I did not like the maintenance of a shallow sand bed. 8 months in my refugium and never touched it. I was even thinking of making spacers under the rocks so they never touch.

 

[CoralClasher]

What's the best way to rinse 300 pounds of Oolite sand?

 

[Ebslinger]

I wouldn't add all 300 pounds at once... can you do a little at a time?

 

[CoralClasher]

Evening,

Just wondering your thoughts on draining and bleaching the bottom, and the need for a deep sand bed. My thought is your need is more one of environment for the fish and not filter based. Around 2 inches with a good amount of caves should suffice. Rinse the sand thoroughly before you use. A funnel and hose to pour it on the bottom. Will work, but rinse, rinse, rinse.

Here is a sand bed calculator

Aquarium Sand Bed Calculator - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.marinedepot.com

As far as QT it is up to you and your methods.

Hope that helps

For QT I have the refugium for the corals and another 55 gallon tank that I use to mix saltwater. If I use bleach it will be a few day job but then I know nothing is under the sand.

 

[lapin]

Rinsing Sand:
Take a 5 gallon bucket and rinse part of a bag at a time. Stir and rinse about 3 to 5 times. Soon your skin will get raw , but worth it. You will want to dump it down something like a 4" pvc pipe into your tank so it stays of the rocks.
If the parts of your bare bottom tank (where you can see it ) are clean I would just blow as much crud form under the rocks with a power head, siphon and leave it at that.
You dont need a deep sand bed . 2 inch are fine. It will mound up in spots and that where your wrases will dive into.
QT all the fish? Any reason to think your fish are sick ?
I would QT the new fish. They could be ich carriers. At least do the TTM method and maybe 2 rounds of prazi pro, 5 days apart. Get 2ea 10gal tanks from Petco. You could partition off the tanks so you would not have to use as much sand. Make a 2" high partition to hold the sand on 1/2 of the tank. Unless the new fish are really big this should work for 2 weeks.

 

[CoralClasher]

Rinsing Sand:
Take a 5 gallon bucket and rinse part of a bag at a time. Stir and rinse about 3 to 5 times. Soon your skin will get raw , but worth it. You will want to dump it down something like a 4" pvc pipe into your tank so it stays of the rocks.
If the parts of your bare bottom tank (where you can see it ) are clean I would just blow as much crud form under the rocks with a power head, siphon and leave it at that.
You dont need a deep sand bed . 2 inch are fine. It will mound up in spots and that where your wrases will dive into.
QT all the fish? Any reason to think your fish are sick ?
I would QT the new fish. They could be ich carriers. At least do the TTM method and maybe 2 rounds of prazi pro, 5 days apart. Get 2ea 10gal tanks from Petco. You could partition off the tanks so you would not have to use as much sand. Make a 2" high partition to hold the sand on 1/2 of the tank. Unless the new fish are really big this should work for 2 weeks.

Well I was watching my DT today and I seen fish poop with strings in it. I'm not sure witch fish but it was a big poop so probably a tang.

 

[lapin]

Could be parasites or just normal. My sand sifter always has stringy poo.
Questions to ask yourself are.
How new is that fish?
Have you added any fish recently?
Is that fish healthy?

 

[CoralClasher]

Tangs and fox face are over a year old. Everyone is healthy and fat. A few months ago I seen the same and used GC soaked food for two weeks maybe not enough GC? I could try that again or use this as another reason to drain the tank, add sand then fill again. If I didn't see the stringy poop I couldn't tell anyone was sick.

 

[Lasse]

Tangs and fox face are over a year old. Everyone is healthy and fat. A few months ago I seen the same and used GC soaked food for two weeks maybe not enough GC? I could try that again or use this as another reason to drain the tank, add sand then fill again. If I didn't see the stringy poop I couldn't tell anyone was sick.

Please read this. IMO - white stringy poops is not always signs of internal parasites, in fact rather seldom if you ask me.

The best way to rinse sand IMO is to use a bucket (10 l or 20 L) Fill it up halfway with sand. Take a hand hold shower nozzle and put into the sand - stir and use full pressure. Let the bucket stand in the bath tube - water and dirt just overflow. When water is clear - redo for the next batch. This method save your skin.

I would only suck out all detritus I could see. Leave the stones where they are and just fill sand around them.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[CoralClasher]

Please read this. IMO - white stringy poops is not always signs of internal parasites, in fact rather seldom if you ask me.

The best way to rinse sand IMO is to use a bucket (10 l or 20 L) Fill it up halfway with sand. Take a hand hold shower nozzle and put into the sand - stir and use full pressure. Let the bucket stand in the bath tube - water and dirt just overflow. When water is clear - redo for the next batch. This method save your skin.

I would only suck out all detritus I could see. Leave the stones where they are and just fill sand around them.

Sincerely Lasse

What's your opinion on the depth of the sand. I really don't want to touch the sand ever and that's why I don't want to bury the rocks. I do have Vermedit snails and I pull the rocks out every few months for removal.

 

[Lasse]

For the Vermedit snails - try bumble bee snails - there is reports that they eat Vermedis - Maybe your new wrasses will eat them too. For wrasses I usually let it be at least 2.5 " at some places - the reason you will see in the last seconds of this video

​

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

I forgot - do not place your stones upon the sand - you need them build from the bottom - otherwise you risk that the stones can fell down and damage the bottom window.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[CoralClasher]

For the Vermedit snails - try bumble bee snails - there is reports that they eat Vermedis - Maybe your new wrasses will eat them too. For wrasses I usually let it be at least 2.5 " at some places - the reason you will see in the last seconds of this video

​

Sincerely Lasse

Sweet video I'm excited to have the new wrasses. You just keep making this task of adding sand easer. I'll go with a two inch bed of something bigger than Oolite, rinse in the bathtub, leave the rocks alone and fish are fine. Thanks!!

 

[CoralClasher]

Is this sand ok to use? The guy at petco says it's heavy and doesn't blow around to bad. Any benefit of using live sand?

 

[Lasse]

Live sand in a working aquarium - probably overkill but does not do any harm IMO. But if you rinse it - the bacteria will probably go away

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Mastiffsrule]

You got @Lasse help, could not ask for better. You’re in great hands.

My only counter point is rinse that sand. Read thru some of @brandon429 threads. He advocates rinsing and I agree. Imo the only issue you will have is a diatom bloom and That would happen regardless if rinse or not. You’ll be happy down the road when starting from a clean bed,