Adding sand to established tank

[snoozer]

I want to switch from a bare bottom to sand. I have a Biocube 14 with LEDs that has been established for almost 3 years with a couple clowns, a firefish goby, corals and a bunch of snails and crabs. I picked up a 20 pound bag of Caribsea black Tahitian Moon live sand. My question is should I add it all at once or a little over time, like a few cups every week? The sand grains are pretty fine and smooth, so I don't think it will work well as a live sand, which is ok for me. I have plenty of live rock. I'm hoping that because it isn't very porous sand that this won't cause much of a spike in conditions if I add it all at once.

 

[NanaReefer]

Shouldn't be a problem at all. Make sure all your flow is off while adding and do it slowly. Add a little every other day or so until your done.
Keep an eye on your ammonia & nitrates in case of die off within the live sand.
Good luck and keep us posted


Sent from my iPhone 4s via Tapatalk.

 

[BARRON]

I would go to a hardware store or auto parts store and get a long plastic funnel and pour the sand thru that, that way you can place it better and it won't cloud up the water as much.

 

[snoozer]

Shouldn't be a problem at all. Make sure all your flow is off while adding and do it slowly. Add a little every other day or so until your done.
Keep an eye on your ammonia & nitrates in case of die off within the live sand.
Good luck and keep us posted


Sent from my iPhone 4s via Tapatalk.

Bummer, I was kinda hoping that it would be ok to add it all at once.

 

[snoozer]

I would go to a hardware store or auto parts store and get a long plastic funnel and pour the sand thru that, that way you can place it better and it won't cloud up the water as much.

The funnel is a really good idea. I'll definitely do that.

 

[spieszak]

The funnel is a really good idea. I'll definitely do that.

Funnel didn't work for me, kept clogging.
I used zip lock bags. Filled them with sand and 'almost' sealed them... let them sit in the tank a day or two to let some bacteria build up on the sand, and then opened them the whole way and kind of shifted the sand out. Wasn't near the sand storm I thought it would be.

 

[BoxerbREEF]

Wont that cause calcium levels to spike and possible precipitate if Magnesium isn't elevated as well?

 

[Maxx]

Why would that cause calcium levels to spike?
The calcium is bound up in the sand itself.
The calcium will only be released if the sand begins to dissolve.
The sand will only begin to dissolve:

Once bacteria begin to colonize the sand. This will happen so slowly as to usually not even be noticeable.
If his pH dropped low enough to begin to dissolve the sand, (at which point his tank inhabitants are all toast anyway)

 

[spieszak]

agreed. the only reason here to really use caution is its live sand. (IMO) its likely to have die off, possibly cause an ammonia spikeif theres enoug of it

 

[spieszak]

oh, and happy 50th

 

[snoozer]

I'm using black Tahitian Moon sand which is mostly obsidian so I don't think there is any calcium in it.