Opinions on old sand bed????

[peteyboyny]

Just upgraded from a 72g to a 140g. What to do with my old sand bed? I would like to use it in the new tank but, it's a 6" sand bed that's approx 10 mos old and I'm worried about starting a "mini cycle" and screwing things up. There is also a healthy and hungry little colony of about a dozen nassarius snails that I don't want to abandon. I do have the few things zoas, xenia, frogspawn, gsp's, a yellow tang, a starry blennie, turbos and a cleaner shrimp already in the 140 which is NOT full of rock. (I'm trying my hand at some diy rock so I'll be waiting a while). My sump is a megaflow4 w/2filter socks, full of LR and macros(caulerpa proliera + serrulata), my return pump is a no name and I don't know how many gph, but this thing pumps 6' hh with some kick. Some ideas on how best to get the old sand bed into the new tank without causing any significant spikes? Adding slowly to the new tank? Rinsing it and start a bacteria base from scratch? Or the ol allie oop into the new tank all at once? I'm kinda on a tight budget right now, so I'd rather not have to buy all new sand. Thanks.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

In all honesty if you just throw that sand in it's going to be the biggest mistake of your life lol. Mini cycle? More like you could wipe out the entire tank. I'd personally say 86 the old sand and get new maybe do a shallower sand bed so you don't have to buy so much. Rinsing it will take you 400 years and waste lots and lots of water. I say go through the sand bed and take out whatever critters you can like hermits,snails etc. Do it with gloves though because you don't want to get pricked by bristle worms.

Another option would be just go bare bottom it doesn't cost anything and it's very easy to clean just siphon the crap right out and it's easy to see.

 

[peteyboyny]

I do want a shallow sand bed for this tank. Just trying to see if anyone had any ideas on if this could work. Even if I ran 2 skimmers? I have a Coralife hob that's rated for 60 or 65g and a Turboflotor multi S rated for 250g. My idea was to run the both in the DT and add the sand bed SLOWLY, like maybe over a couple of days. Like I said it prob wouldn't be ALL the sand, prob an inch or so.

 

[ruha456]

this is gonna sound nuts but it worked for me when i downgraded from my 40 Gal reef ready tank to my 29Gallon biocube i used the same sand except i rinsed it out with regular water threw it in the new biocube and used my 40 Gallon water in the new tank. i have plenty of coral, clean up crew, sand sifting star and cleaner shrimp that all made it with no problem. oh yeah and i used many pieces of live rock from my 40 in my 29. this was more than two weeks ago and things are looking awesome did my first water change today because nitrates were a bit high. everything else is stable..most corals i have are hearty like frogspawn, hammer, nepthea, shrooms, pipeorgan, ricordea and rbta. along with a coco worm and feather duster.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Well like I said you CAN rinse it out but it will take a very long time and use a lot of water a 6" sandbed will have a lot of stuff trapped in it. If you only want an inch it definitely won't be as tedious to rinse. The decision is yours I'm just providing the info you asked for.

 

[peteyboyny]

Thanks for the info. I'm not really in a rush to get it done, so I have some time to think about or soak it.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Throw it out in in your yard, or clean it thoroughly and start from scratch.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

I agree, you can't use the sand right away without treating it. It's noxious and posionous. you're going to have a huge ammonium release afterwards.
Sand is pretty simple stuff, the simpliest way I've dealt with it was to put it back in the new tank, let it sit and cycle for a few days, then do a 100% water change. That flushess all ammonia and anaerobic compounds out. I think you want to leave the sand undisturbed during that time.

 

[peteyboyny]

I only have 1/4 of the tank filled w/LR and my corals. I have the time to wait (I'm waiting on some diy rock I made, could be months) so I'm prob gonna take out the sand I want, clean it really really REALLY well and basically start from new. Doesn't sound like I should have any probs then. Okay, Thanks.

 

[KathyC]

How old is the sandbed that you are looking to move?
Did you have any algea issues at all in the tank that you are taking down?

 

[peteyboyny]

Sand bed is prob 10 mos. Had a short lived hair algae bloom and cyano bloom a while back but no probs since. Prob just gonna soak it out w/water changes for a month or so.

 

[KathyC]

While 10 months is not old, and I understand you plan to rinse it well, you might want to consider replacing at least half of it as it has spent 10 months absorbing phosphates & nitrates in your previous tank. Rinsing it will not remove those, and it will only cost you half as much to do it this way

 

[peteyboyny]

I only plan on using an inch or so for a 4x2 footprint. Don't want the deep sand bed anymore. Like I said, kinda been on a budget so trying to recycle what I can. Just gonna go bare bottom for a while. Anyone think a bare bottom will be a problem for nassarius snails...no where to hide, no sand to sift through?

 

[KathyC]

Good plan

Do you plan to have a fuge in your sump..if so, you could put the snails in there.

 

[peteyboyny]

They're part of the clean up crew I had for the DT. Don't think they would get much food. I run socks in my filter.