What would you recommend

[bradwent]

I have recently switched my wet/dry and taken all of the bio-balls out with the intention of having a DSB. I have aquired 300# of Southdown and want to swap? my crushed coral for the sand. The problem I have is what to do. The CC seems to have a fair amount of life growing in it, about 1 1/2 inches in a 72 us gal. Should I remove all the CC and replace with sand? Will this start a small cycle? It also seems as a lot of work to remove all the LR, corals and fish to get to all the CC and if it causes a cycle...I have tried researching for an answer but am still curious what other people would do in this situation. Any ideas would be appreciated and thanks for all the help during these trying times.
System specs are:
72 US gal
lots of internal water circulation via PH's
external circulation to a sump
Red Sea Classic skimmer (marginal performance)
60# LR
purple tang, 2 maroon clowns, lawnmower blenny, blue/green chromis
many different mushrooms and polyps that are thriving, growing and multiplying
open brain that is doing well
haven't tested water lately but a/n/n = 0/0/10
am prob forgetting something but...

 

[davelin315]

I'm thinking of adding a DSB to my tank as well, and have a similar set up as far as the crushed coral is concerned (large chunks of it, and aragonite). I think when I switch mine, I will leave the crushed coral in there and just mix some of it in to my new substrate, but I don't know what if any adverse affects this will have.

 

[Les1]

Brad, This is just one persons oppion but if your mushrooms and polyps are thriving, why mess with a good thing.
Les

 

[esmithiii]

I Added a DSB to my established 55 and can give you some advice. First, it is a pain in the butt! It took me about 5 hours total. Get a bunch (2-3) of rubbermaid containers (32 gal), and mix water like you were going to do a water change. Siphon off enough water to fill to 1/2 the vol of your rubbermaid containers.

Move the LR to the containers as you are siphoning, and place the corals carefully on top of the LR. I did not bother to use powerheads or heaters in my containers; I just worked fast.

When the water level is low in the tank (the lower the better), remove the existing substrate using a scoop. You may want to leave some to seed the new bed. You now may want to use some PVC on the bottom of the tank as a base for the LR so that burrowing fauna doesn't topple your LR.

Now add the sand using the scoop. This keeps the water from clouding too much. Make sure the bed is fairly even, 4-6" deep. Add the LR from one container at a time leaving the corals in the containers for now.

Then place a large tupperware dish in the bottom of your tank as well as a heater. The sand is probably colder than the water which will cause your water temp to drop. Since your sump is not in circulation, the heaters there will not help.

Using a powerhead/pump and a length of tubing, pump the salt water you mixed for the water change into the tank. Coil a small length of the tubing in the tupperware container so the water being pumped up is not being pumped into the sand bed. This will GREATLY reduce the clouding in your tank.

Now pump the water from the containers holding the corals. As the water level in the main tank rises, add the corals one by one.

Once the tank level has risen enough, continue to pump from the containers that held the LR and corals and simultaneously siphon off the foam produced by adding the sand and some of the cloudy water.

Run your skimmer and your powerheads. The storms will persist for less than a day, and in 48 hrs max your water will be crystal clear again.

I did it this way and only lost one cleaner shrimp that I accidentally burried.

 

[esmithiii]

BTW- leaving some of the crushed coral is OK, but it has a tendency to come to the surface. One of the benefits of the sand bed (unlike the CC) is that detritus and food particles don't collect in the crevices in the substrate. I think you will be happier and your tank will be happier with the DSB approach. I have observed a noticible improvement in the health of the tank since I went through the hassle of adding mine.

The guy that delivered my 180G owns an LFS (the one Tullock owned) and maintains many tanks in the Knoxville area commented on how well my tank was doing.

My tank experienced a small, short lived algae bloom a month and a half after adding the sand. The bloom was nothing compared to the initial bloom the tank went through.

E

 

[bradwent]

esmithiii,

Great ideas for the switch. I would like to remove all the CC but I don't want to get rid of the life that has established there. I still am undecided about complete removal of the CC. I will make a decision and then give it a go when I can dedicate the time to do so.

Les,

The reason why I would like to change to a DSB, is because I would like to eventually start to aquire SPS corals. I have done a lot of reading and have come to the conclusion that a DSB would be best for my set-up. I just hope that a DSB will not cause problems down the road if I ever have anymore long power outages. May be time to consider a generator???

 

[kjb]

Maybe you could use the CC in the sump? Either placed directly on the bottom or even in a small container, which would allow some of the life to survive and act as a refugium or even as a base for macro-algae growth if you have an illuminated sump and if you use a plastic tray or something then it could easily be removed once life has had a chance to migrate into the rest of the sandbed.

 

[SPC]

People who have made this change make CC balls out of old stockings. They add their CC in these stockings and then place them on top of the DSB which allows the critters to crawl out. I believe they poke some holes in the stockings also, which allows the larger worms to migrate out.
One thing to keep in mind, it is Dr Rons oppinion that CC actually kills many of the critters we wish to keep, the sharp edges actually injure them.
Steve

 

[esmithiii]

SPC:

Once again, great idea. I wish I had talked to you before I switched my substrate.

E