to sand or not to sand that is the ???

[4angel]

Hi all. I have recently started my reef. I have a forty breeder with LR and LS. The LS that I have in the tank now is from a 20lb. bag of the live stuff that's sold in the vacuumed bags a the local PS. The tank has been up now for five months and thank goodness no problems. However I continue to read about folks that set up there reefs with a deep sand bed. I read about the benefits of gas exchange with this type of set up. I would like some help with this theory. In any event I have 25lbs. of extra ESV sand ready to add. I would also like some feed back on how to add this extra sand into the tank i.e.: rinse 5 to7lbs. at a time and add or rinse half or more.

 

[rikacarl]

It is kinda tricky to add sand to a tank that has already been set up. I have used two meathods that work OK. The first time, I used a long 3" dia platic pvc pipe and added pre washed sand down the pipe. Then slowly, I lifted the pipe to the areas where I wanted the sand. This meathod still makes a bit of a sand storm in the tank, but much less than if you just poured the sand into the tank. The best way I think, but takes a long time, is to put the sand inside plastic bags and then slowly squeeze the sand out the bag where you want it. Whatever way you add it, it is probably a good idea to turn off the pumps in order to keep the sand from blowing around the tank. Good luck!

 

[4angel]

Thanks I think the sand bag idea sounds like it would work for me . I guess like everything in this hobby I would have to go slow about it.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

in my 37 gallon i transfered half my tank water to a rubbermaid tub moved all my rock corals and livestock there then added the sand as i rinsed it.

I ran floss in a hangon filter for about 4 hours then just move it all back.

nitrates went to 0 deep sand bed its a nobrainer
_________________
Mercedes Ponton

 

[Reefguide]

Huh? Rinse??

During water changes I sometime siphon out some sand in dead spots and eventually replace with new LS every couple of months. I have never rinsed LS... Should I be? If so, why?

 

[4angel]

Initially I had a thirty. I moved all to the forty after all was said and done I had lost most of my shrooms, and a couple of fish.(very traumatic) If I can get away without making a major transfer of rock and live stock I would gladly and dump the sand in a lil at a time.

 

[Brad]

Don't rinse the sand.