Last minute advice?

[Anemone]

Personally, I'd vacuum out all the CC I could reach in 1/2 the tank, and put the new sand on that side. In about a month, I'd do the same to the other 1/2. That way, some critters residing in the CC get a chance to migrate to the new sand. Plus, I wouldn't be all that anal about getting all the CC out from beneath the rocks - get what you can, whatever is left will provide some variability to the substrate (IMO, a good thing).

Kevin

 

[danmhippo]

Hmm, I'd say scoop everything up, lightly rinse and put it in your GF's stocking, lay the stocking on top of your new sand bed. What ever is in the old sand will migrate onto the new sand fairly quickly. Bacteria should populate the new sand faster too doing it this way.

Leaving the CC in the tank is not a good idea. Anyway you do it, you may experience a mini cycle. So, watch out for it.

Jimmy

 

[bmlerner]

Thanks guys.

Any reason not to dump the CC into my sump (it has a 4-5" DSB)? Since I don't feed my sump, I'd think the detritus wouldn't be a problem there. Or would enough food/waste make it from the tank to still cause problems?

If the result is microalgae in the sump rather than the tank, I'll take it.

Brian

 

[danmhippo]

If you already are battling Micro algae when using CC, why repeat the same mistake twice? Just dump the CC when you are through with it, or leave them in the stocking, and throw it down in the sump forever. I have been told CC on top of the fine aragnite may encourage formation of sand clumping.

I think you have enough food leftovers from the main tank. Don't throw any more detritus into the sump.

 

[bmlerner]

I'm about to put a DSB into my 20gal reef - has been a CC/aragonite mixed bed until now. I'm going to do this because I'm fed up battling algae on the bed, which I suspect is due to trapped detritus. I'll be using fine silica sand (sugar sized) - best I can find around here, no Southdown.

Anyway, the plan is to pull out the live rock, remove as much CC as I can, move the remaining CC and aragonite to one side, then fill in with sand. I'm hoping that I can keep the life in my current bed viable, so that re-population is rapid. I've read that covering your old bed with several inches of sand will just wipe out the life. Also, the CC will just work its way to the surface.

For those who have done this, does this sound reasonable? I'd like to be able to remove as much cc as I can without removing much sand/life, so I don't want to scoop the whole thing out.

Thanks!