Problem with Sand

jack89 · Dec 21, 2015

Greetings of the Day,

was not sure where to post the thread soo post it here..

I have a 6 footer reef tank and it has large grade of sand in the substrate. The problem is this sand being of larger grade traps the detritus and make water chemistry bad plus i need to syphon it regularly to keep it clean.
I do syphon certain parts everyday but it traps detritus a lot.. so planning to change it
i dont like bare bottom tank but thought would give it a try.

here are my questions

1) shall i remove all the sand at one go ? OR shall i remove it over a period of time like a month or so ?

2) Can i add new live sand like caribsea after removing the old sand ? can i go in one go or need to do it with time ?

I have a block of MarinePure in my sump running since few months now and i am getting 3 more blocks soon.

My sump consists of few fiji live rocks and my display has artificial rocks.

What should i do ?

Thank You. Waiting for Quick response.

Wiz · Dec 21, 2015

I would think anything in salt water is better to do slowly. I would take the sand out in sections. Maybe a quarter to a third at a time.I think you can add live sand as long as you pour it in very carefully try not to cloud your tank any more than necessary.I would shut all the pumps off let the water sit very still and pour it in and one area and then spread it carefully. Good luck

redfishbluefish · Dec 21, 2015

Remove the sand in sections and monitor nitrates and phosphates and have water ready for water changes if needed. Disturbing the sandbed will most likely raise nitrate/phosphate numbers.

Also add new sand in sections because of potential ammonia spike. To minimize a sand storm, use a section of pipe that is longer than the depth of your tank. (I use 1 1/2 inch pipe, but user larger if you can.) Now with the pipe in your tank all the way to the bottom and a large mouth funnel in the top of the pipe, fill the pipe with sand. Slowly lift the pipe while moving it around to distribute the sand. Continue filling the pipe as needed.

Hope this helps.