Sand-bed bacteria Question

RichtheReefer21 · Mar 20, 2019

Couldnt decide which forum to post this in, feel free to move it if needed.

In 4 days from now I'm draining my 125g that's currently on a canister filter, and upgrading to a 33g sump.

I plan to leave only an inch of water and the sand bed in hopes everything living in the sand will survive 24hrs-36hrs without circulation. I know oxygen deprivation can cause die-off in the sand.

My question is can I get away with leaving the sand underwater while I flip the tank on its side and drill it? Or will it cause mass death, leading to decays and end in a spike after I refill the tank?

Tia for any input. Might be a reefsquad question, but I'll give it a few days to see replies before I tag them.

lapin · Mar 20, 2019

To help clarify this; you want to leave some water and all the sand in the tank while flipping it on its side? How heavy are we taking here?
I doubt this is possible. You would be better off removing the sand. Rinse it and then put it back when done. Save a dirty cup for re-population

RichtheReefer21 · Mar 21, 2019

lapin said:
To help clarify this; you want to leave some water and all the sand in the tank while flipping it on its side? How heavy are we taking here?
I doubt this is possible. You would be better off removing the sand. Rinse it and then put it back when done. Save a dirty cup for re-population

Yea, I have a lipped tank, old school, large. I could manage the sand and water while it's on its side for 4 holes in the back, and I stand it straight back up...

That's why I'm here, to see what people think...

Rinse with fresh saltwater? What's the time limit in anaerobic bacteria? I know oxygen depravation can kill them, so what is the time frame? 6hrs? 12? 24? 48?