Adding new dry sand

[KingAh123]

Hi
So my parents got me some new 5kg dry sand for my aquarium, this Christmas. Since I thought that my tank need more sand, because it is deep in some places like 5-6 cm deep and other places it is about 2-3 cm deep.
But my tank is currently cycled I haven't added fish yet. But I have heard that adding new dry sand to an already established sand bed will suffocate the bacteria.
And since I want a pistol shrimp and gobi pair to my tank, but I'm worried that the sand bed isn't deep enough. Should I add more or do I have plenty of sand in the tank already? Or should I add it and wait for the bacteria to build/grow on my sandbed or is that not an issue I would like to know?

 

[unchaotic]

This is a @brandon429 kind of question.

 

[brandon429]

It will not smother the sand at all to add it

the bacteria in a reef tank sandbed aren’t crucial to the system like we thought ten years ago, even if they did smother it wouldn’t matter but they won’t smother.

nowadays you see fully running coral frag tanks with fish and coral and no sand, and you also see full reefs stacked with rocks and corals and fish and no sand, plus we make threads where folks with sand for years in place can remove it all at once and instantly continue on without the sand— these bacteria are expendable it’s the ones on live rock we need and utilize in the daily chores within the reef

 

[KingAh123]

It will not smother the sand at all to add it

the bacteria in a reef tank sandbed aren’t crucial to the system like we thought ten years ago, even if they did smother it wouldn’t matter but they won’t smother.

nowadays you see fully running coral frag tanks with fish and coral and no sand, and you also see full reefs stacked with rocks and corals and fish and no sand, plus we make threads where folks with sand for years in place can remove it all at once and instantly continue on without the sand— these bacteria are expendable it’s the ones on live rock we need and utilize in the daily chores within the reef

Wow, thank you for the response.
It answers a lot of my questions. ^_^
I think I will then add more sand to even out my sandbed then.
I think some people need to hear this I have read, watched and asked my local pet shop the same thing.
All have as you say this 10-year-old thought process and still think, and have told me that the sandbed is crucial for bacteria in the aquarium. It's like when I also told my local pet store about Dr. Tims nitrifying bacteria bottle, and she told me that she has never heard about bottled bacteria in the saltwater hobby and told me it may not work... Even though I have seen tons of videos on it showing that it is possible.
Anyways sorry for that little story or my "shower thought"

Again Thank you for the response

 

[redfishbluefish]

The only thing that would concern me are super fine particles. It wouldn't hurt to first rinse the sand to get rid of super fine particles. I talk about adding sand HERE.

 

[Koh23]

I always added more sand, trough time, either i vacum some, either to increase depth, never had issues, only thing i did is to add smaller amount at the time, not whole bag at once....

And yes, wash it before putting in tank.....