Adding to sand bed

[mmkeeper]

I have a 46 gallon bowed front reef the is about 1 year old. I want to add some more sand to the sandbed. Should I use live sand or argonite sand. my bed is very live now, I just some more volume to it.

 

[dpaynter]

Either will work. Just don't add too thick a layer at one time over the existing bed.

 

[rudeanduncouth]

I wouldn't bother with the live sand since it is well established, just because it is a waste of money. You aren't going to get anything you don't already have in there.

 

[MarineTeng]

not true from waht i've read, adding more will give more room for anerobic or soemthing like that, bacteria, the ones that get rid of nitrate, so the deeper the better, though i wouldn't add to much at the same time due to the fact adding a lot could kill stuff in the sand

 

[rudeanduncouth]

I didn't mean he shouldn't add more sand, I just meant that he shouldn't bother with adding live sand. What you are talking about is a deep sand bed, and that is a whole other topic/debate.

 

[chazbier]

Add either type, but you may want to choose a different grade, eg. coarse or fine, to have a mix that will support more diversity. Just a suggestion, not everyone does this. But if you place it on top eventually the current and creatures in the tank will mix it up, which is a good thing.

 

[mojoreef]

The tendency of a sand substraight is to become anaerobic, so adding more will not so much enhance that but will increase the aerobic area which is a good thing. Remember all things must be processed thier in order to go down and be processed further.
For adding sand you want to do it no more then 1/2 an inch at a time. and then wait at least a few weeks inbetween layers. This will allow the new layer to populate with bacteria and also will not allow you to drown out the higher forms of critters.


Mike

 

[dnjan]

I have a funnel connected up to a piece of 1" ID plastic tubing that I use for adding sand. Put the tube in the water, with the open end down on the sandbed where you want the new sand to go. Then pour sand into the funnel. It will partially slide down the tube and get placed exactly where you want it. Gently moving the funnel/tube combination up and down will help "unstuck" it when it seems like the sand is clumping in the tube.

This method gets the sand added with minimal snow-storming of the tank.

 

[MikeS]

when I added my DSB to my reef, I added about a cup or two of dry oolitic aragonite sand every few days, spreading it as evenly across the existing surface as I could...the process took a few months to get the depth I wanted, but I didn't suffer any adverse water chemistry effects either by doing it that way...

MikeS

 

[mmkeeper]

Thanks guys. Next question. If I use an argonite sand should I rinse it first?

 

[dnjan]

I don't. I figure that I want that fine stuff as part of the sand.

That is why I use the funnel-tube method of placing.

 

[mmkeeper]

Thanks!!!!!!

 

[MikeS]

you don't necessarily need to rinse it, but it's not a bad idea to put it in a bucket with some water, stir it up real good and let is settle out and carefully pour the water off...this will seperate the deliterious material (twigs, leaves, and other assorted scum) and the super fine powder out of the sand...

MikeS

 

[My2heartboys]

you don't necessarily need to rinse it, but it's not a bad idea to put it in a bucket with some water, stir it up real good and let is settle out and carefully pour the water off...this will seperate the deliterious material (twigs, leaves, and other assorted scum) and the super fine powder out of the sand...

MikeS

I agree, Mike---otherwise he will have a cloudy tank for 2-3 weeks. Oy!!!!!! Not very good for the corals. I have heard it said that the cloudy stuff is the calcium that the tank needs---but my money is on rinsing. Dripping in some kalk is not that difficult.

I am getting ready to set up a 70 odd gallon tank that will go up in a week. I bought 150lbs of southdown sand to put in the bottom. The guy I bought the sand from was the one that said that the cloudy stuff was the calcium. Last time I put that stuff in my tank---I had a cloudy tank for 3 weeks and then whenever I went to blow the sand off of the rocks--it caused another week of cloudiness. What a pain!!!!! I figure the new sand will go on the bottom and then the current sand will go on the top.

Anne

 

[dnjan]

I don't get the cloudiness when I use the funnel method for adding southdown.

The really fine stuff should just be aragonite (calcium carbonate), just like the larger particles.

 

[My2heartboys]

I don't get the cloudiness when I use the funnel method for adding southdown.

The really fine stuff should just be aragonite (calcium carbonate), just like the larger particles.

May have to try that trick at some point to see if it works.

Anne