Removing sand from an established tank???

[Juniorh2r]

Question my tank is about 2yrs old and I started with sand but now I want to go bare bottom what's the best way to go about doing this without shocking my reef tank???

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Question my tank is about 2yrs old and I started with sand but now I want to go bare bottom what's the best way to go about doing this without shocking my reef tank???

I’ve siphoned it out into a bucket, then return the water to the tank and siphon some more…..
Jay

 

[Juniorh2r]

I’ve siphoned it out into a bucket, then return the water to the tank and siphon some more…..
Jay

All the same day? Or over an extended period of time? Like weeks or days?

 

[GARRIGA]

I wouldn’t remove it all at once as that might be a major contributor to nitrification. All tanks obviously different but why change it.

 

[Juniorh2r]

To be honest its a pain! And I likel the bare bottom look

 

[wattson]

Little by little, siphon some sand and water out then replenish water with new that your going to refill your tank for your water change ,just plan on doing a water change with some sand removal atleast a week apart so the bacteria your removing in the sand can build back up . Little by little.
I wouldnt put all that dirty water back in tank from the sand removal.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

All the same day? Or over an extended period of time? Like weeks or days?

In a two year old tank, the rock will be firmly established and you can remove all of the sand without worry of ammonia build up. HOWEVER, mucking about too much in the tank can stress the corals and fish through siltation, etc. If it were my tank, I would do this over 5 days, and possibly do some water changes along the way,

Jay

 

[Juniorh2r]

In a two year old tank, the rock will be firmly established and you can remove all of the sand without worry of ammonia build up. HOWEVER, mucking about too much in the tank can stress the corals and fish through siltation, etc. If it were my tank, I would do this over 5 days, and possibly do some water changes along the way,

Jay

Thanks! That's what I had planned to do every time I do a water change I was going to remove some.