I want to go Bare Bottom

[Daniel91]

I have around 10lbs black sand in my IM10.

Love the look but it’s starting to cause issues

What’s the safest way for me to go BB without crashing and minimizing spike?

Remove 10-20% weekly with water changes?
Remove it all at once?

I sand vacuum weekly with water changes normally

 

[oceanslide]

Just remove a small amount with your weekly water change!

 

[Jon Fishman]

Yep. I would use a cup to take a couple scoops out each water change, plus whatever you vacuum

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

If you're already doing weekly water changes and sand vacuum, then there will be no "spike" or issues. Just siphon it all out and have water ready to replace what's needed.

 

[brandon429]

agreed take it all at once, its actually safer than the incremental remove although many of those have been done.

pls take pics before and after we collect examples of what you are doing all in one thread for about 6 yrs now
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445

the detail is that removing all sand all at once never presents a lack of remaining surface area unless you use zero live rock. any amount of live rock we show to repeatedly be enough to handle the same bioload that lr + ls handled just a mere 30 mins ago lol

also, we show that where detritus goes is the cycle. Its never, ever about killing bac or lack of bac.

if you move a clean system it will never recycle. you can rip out all sand to none, or you can take out sand and tap rinse it in hot water for half a day if you want, same impacts either way.

the reason working in partials is risky is because in some tanks that's a detritus upwelling event, depending on conditions. To remove all at once means the tank has been taken apart, fish held elsewhere, then all the mud being kicked up doesn't hurt anything.

 

[KrisReef]

Once you get it clean, we'd love to see pictures of your bare bottom.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Been doing the small amounts taken out with each water change method . My sand bed is so thin I can’t plug a frag into it without it falling over thin. Might decide to take it out all at once someday but i have snails that live in the sand bed .... not sure if they will be ok once it’s gone?

 

[Daniel91]

Thanks for the suggestions all!