Set up question

[shawnhardy]

I am moving and starting my tank over. I plan on using RO/DI water so it will take me a few days to make 90 gallons plus the extra required to run through my filter system. Once I add the salt and get the salinity where it needs to be, I would like to add live rock and live sand. I have heard horror sotries about people trying to add sand to tanks that are full of water...but how else to you add live sand? What is the best way to proceed?

 

[chuckcac]

turn off all power heads, filters, pumps...
then use a plastic funnel attached to a long piece of PVC. Pour some LS into the funnel. Fill a plastic cup with your DT water and pour it into the sand in the funnel to help it go down easier. repeat...
keep the end of the PVC close to the bottom so the LS doesn't kick up too much...

i think AZreefgirl or AZfishgal wrote this tip on a thread somewhere... :thinking:

 

[patandlace]

You could put the whole bag in the tank and then cut it open at the bottom if you want to cut down on the clowdiness.

 

[weberian]

It just seems it would be cloudy for a couple of days. What's the big horror story of that?

 

[saltn00b]

interesting plan. i like it.
last time, i had a lot of sand, not from a new bag, so i improvised by filling up large zip lock bags with the sand, sinking them to the bottom, letting em fill the water and gently rolling it over.