Removing Sand

[MINIATUS]

I have a major water change and cleanup arranged for the weekend. I was hoping to remove a good chuck of the sandbed while doing this. Is this a good idea or not. If I could I would like to remove at least 1/2 of the sand. What would be the pros and cons to this. Please help.

MINIATUS I know I was born confused

 

[rainetheiceman]

How much sand do you have and why are you wanting to remove it??? You also mentioned a major water change, what's the cause for that?

 

[MINIATUS]

Not really major in that sense, hoping to do abot 30 gallons over alll. Ive only got a 1-1 1/2 inch SD bed and tired of it flying all over. Also after many nites of reading and listening to the Pros and Cons of DSB or Sandbeds of any kind I find it is the route I want to take.

MINIATUS:exclaim:

 

[MINIATUS]

Iceman
where you located in Canada. Im in Ontario 1/2 way between Toronto and Detroit border.

MINIATUS:razz:

 

[fishermann]

I removed a 5" DSB out of mine one weekend and went BB with no consquences, Your LR well still be working, plus you well be getting all that bad stuff out. I do small weekly water changes, less stress on things.

 

[MINIATUS]

I have a 90 gal tank witha 30 gal sump, is that to much of a water change do you figure.

MINIATUS

 

[fishermann]

Steve if your tank is a 90, you have to figure in the room the LR and the substrate takes up and you probably have things in your sump also, so the true water volume well be different. I don't think 25% once a month is too much, I just think doing smaller ones once a week is a better way of doing them.

 

[MINIATUS]

I havent done a water change for about 3 weeks,and I was figuring on how much I will have to replace as I remove the sand bed which I figure will be about half. Hope to remove the rest in a couple of weeks. Thats why I figure about 30 gals but I could be wrong. If I dont use it all It will keep till the next change.

Alan aka MINIATUS

 

[fishermann]

sorry alan don't know where i got steve from, old age i guess, sounds like you are about rite. Why not remove it all and be done with it?

 

[MINIATUS]

Thats would be better in the long run. Ill just make up extra water to be on the safe side.

MINIATUS

 

[rainetheiceman]

Just north of Toronto and south of Barrie. Where do you go for supplies?

 

[MINIATUS]

Ice
I order a lot of stuff thru IJO at
www.aquariacanada.com or Aquarium depot. Also www.mops.ca

I spent 15 years at Base Borden so I know the area quite well.

Alan aka MINIATUS:lol:

 

[Witfull]

hey Alan, how ya doing buddy?...id pull it all out in one shot, half the labour than doing it twice. going BB you will want to increase your flow across the bottom to force debris out from under the rocks.

 

[mojoreef]

Alan I would also get it all out t once. Most of the nasties and organics will be trapped on the bottom, so leaving it thier is not the best idea. If your going BB you might as well just suck it all out.

MIke

 

[MINIATUS]

Thanks all for replying, some did bring up the issue of too much water replacement. At what point will it probably bother the corals and such.

MINIATUS

 

[fishermann]

Alan It won't bother your corals this onr time , I was just saying I wouldn't make it a habit, frequent small ones is better, Bur to get rid of the substrate this ime you are going to have to do a larger one, shouldn't be any problem.

 

[Dr B]

What I did on my 120g when I wanted to remove the sand is I bought one of the big rubbermaid stock tanks. I bought a 150g one. I drained the entire tank down into the stock tank, put my rock, corals, fish in there with heaters and my tunzes.

I then scooped out all the sand threw it out and put my water back in. I needed to make some new water to replace the water voume the sand took up.

I did the move in one day(very long day). None of my livestock had any problems, all my coral(sps) was fine and dandy. I was really glad I did that, and well of course now my 180g is barebottom from the getgo.