More Dumb questions......

[BCT182]

Ok, a while ago I asked for some advice on getting the crushed coral substrate out of my tank and putting in dry sand. I've got 50lbs of sand from a FISH ONLY tank. WILL THIS WORK?
:?: I break down my tank, putting aside all my live rock and corals for a few moments, drain all my water and put it in buckets so I can put it back in the tank. Take out all my substrate and put the sand in my tank from the other tank which is still up and running. Fill the tank back up with my old water and put my corals and live rock back in. I've got some pretty sensitive corals, will my tank have to re-cycle?
ALSO, While Im switching things over if I were to lightly scrub down my rocks (to remove algae) with a toothbrush using tank water in a bucket, would I look alot of bacteria that filters my tank?
:evil: Finally MY STUPID, STUPID carpet anemone I got last week was good for the first two day, (mouth tightly closed, eating, sticky, fully inflated) and then most of every day since then it mouth has been wide open and inside out looking, as well as fully deflated. I come home today to see that he has crawled deep inside a cave in the back of my tank, and is fully inflated looking very healthy. WHY? Will it die from lack of light and food?
Please, if anyone can answer all of my questions, it would be wonderful.
Thanks, Brett

 

[DonW]

He's probably looking for lower flow. I would not put in a used sand bed, maybe seed with some of it.

Don

 

[BCT182]

what do you mean seed with it? mix some of it with dry sand?

 

[wrightme43]

I think the reason Don said not to put in a used sand bed is two fold. One in a fish only tank it may of been dosed with copper. two sand over time binds phosphate, and becomes logged down with deterius. Useing some to seed a dry bed with is ok, using lots with corals may be added problems you dont want. If you can afford it I would get a bag of arag-alive, and a bag of dry aragonite. You can add sand slowly, I had to do it the first reef I setup to to $ restraints. A bag every two weeks is what I did, it may not of been the wisest course of action, but it worked for me. I am big fan of arag-alive figi pink, you will be amazed at how quickly it is filled with spaghetti worms, and small feather dusters, and small brittle stars. It supposed to have something like 20,000,000 bacteria per square inch of surface area. Who knows. I just know it has worked for me. I hope this helps you. STEVE

 

[wrightme43]

Oh yeah and most of the bacteria that filter your tank are inside the pores of the rock, I have used a toothbrush on mine with no ill effects as far as I could tell. These are just my opinion, and what has worked for me in the past. Hope it helps. STEVE

 

[BCT182]

Well would the sand out of the bag really work? My idea behind using the sand out of my frineds tank is I dont want to have my tank need to cycle.
I've got a clam, hammer, acro's and other delicate stuff. Oh and I kow hes never put any copper in his tank. Why is sand bad if you have alot of corals?
Could I use the black stuff like the link below?

 

[BCT182]

Now if I used only the sand (as I put a hyper link above) in my tank and put my water and my live rock back in........ Instant cycle? Also should I got with shallow or deep sand bed?
Brett

 

[BCT182]

anybody?? Please???

 

[wrassehole]

let yur sand soak in pails for a few days, make sure its clean. Why dont you just pour in a pail of sand on top of your crushed. Pour in a pail a day. That way your tank science doesnt get all wacky. Its what i did without reprocusions.

your carpet is finding places he likes, he wont shade himself and die of a lack of light, leavem be, hell probably move all over in the next month.

if anybody says my advice is ill, take their word over mine, because my suggestions worked for me, and not neccesarily expert advice.

Rodster

 

[BCT182]

I cleaned out my tank tonight and found that my carpet anemone has passed on to a better place.

 

[wrassehole]

I cleaned out my tank tonight and found that my carpet anemone has passed on to a better place.

thats a damn shame, im sure theres a few saddlebacks in heaven waiting for a shag

 

[Angelscrx]

Anytime you do a major distubance of a sand bed you release chemicals that are trapped underneath. I read on one of the threads on here that when someone wants to remove a sandbed they have to do it a little at a time or completely break the whole system down and start with a fresh batch of sand. I wouldn't add the sand from an established tank as this will start a whole new cycling process in your tank.

 

[wrightme43]

Go to the resource library, go to sand beds, read heavy feeding, vacuming, and cleaning sand beds by eric borneman, and ron shieml. It is very informative. Maybe your best bet would be to add live sand on top of your crushed coral. And I mean live aragonite sand, and use a poly filter, and a chemipure, and have water ready to change if you need to. I don't think you will. I have added bags of live sand to existing setups in the past with zero ill results. Just cloudy water, corals all put out feeding tentecles and have a feast. Next day all is back to normal. Either I am to dumb to know better, extra lucky, or it will work for you too. JMHO, I hope it helps you. Steve

 

[Ritsuko Nashida]

Yep, disturbing that sand bed more than likely did your anenome in. Irregardless your tank was going to have at least a mild cycle at best. Using sand from a FO system you will normally find that the sand is saturated with nutrients as well unless it was scruplously maintained. JMHO....

 

[Angelscrx]

Steve I beleive you are right on the money abot adding live sand out of a bag. It's the live sand from an existing tank that would concern me. I mean there are so many variables to determine if a DSB is saturated or how much more life you can get out of it. I would just start with a new sand bed and seed it with some from the established tank. Then toss the rest JMHO.