Checkitout
Active Member
What is the best way to add sand to your tank without harming anything?
Adding sand
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Dry sand, rinse it extremely well, afterwards use cups to scoop the sand out of the bucket and lower the sand filled cup to the bottom. It will still be cloudy for hours, but it will be much less than if you simply dump a bag of sand in.
I just did this a few weeks ago, and it turned out fine, no losses.
I just did this a few weeks ago, and it turned out fine, no losses.
OP
OP
Checkitout
Active Member
So don't buy the wet sand. Like fiji pink.
No, stick to dry aragonite
You can also use a piece of PVC and a low gph powerhead. Extend the pvc pipe to the bottom of the tank, run water via tubing off the powerhead through the pipe and scoop the sand into the pipe. It slides down the pipe and you direct it where you want the sand. Don't cover your existing sand bed by more than about a 1/4" per addition and don't use a high gph powerhead - you'll have sand everywhere.
I tape a large plastic funnel to a piece of 2" PVC or ABS and pour it in with the end of the pipe close to the bottom of the tank. If its for a deep sand bed I do not rinse the sand since its the fines that support the most colonizing bacteria. If its a decorative sand bed then by all means rinse if you want to.
Another option is place the sand in large zip loc bags, lay them on the bottom and open them slowly letting the sand migrate out.
Another option is place the sand in large zip loc bags, lay them on the bottom and open them slowly letting the sand migrate out.
