F
f_150ryan
Guest
I've had my tank up for about 11 months. I want to add more live sand. Anything special that i need to do?
Thanks
Ryan
Thanks
Ryan
U
usirchchris
Guest
If I were adding sand I would probably use a pipe or something like that, so that it would go to the bottom without getting all over. Add it slowly, if not I fear you would have a big mess for a few days. If you have inhabitants in the tank I don't think this would make them very happy. Just my .02 I have never tried it before when living stuff is actually in the tank.
big
Active Member
PVC with a funnel works well. But Live sand sometimes will not flow well. If the tank is a year old there are plenty of critters that quickly will spread into whatever you use. I like Aragonite the best. Helps buffer and keep water a bit more stable too.
Rinse well several times till runoff is clear, let dry them funnel the needed amount in.
Rinse well several times till runoff is clear, let dry them funnel the needed amount in.
xdfireguy
Member
I used a 2" piece of PVC pipe which worked well for me. The sand that I added was moist, but it slid down fine. Rest the pipe in one location, dump, wait a few seconds and sloooooooowly lift. The sand in the pipe will deposit without a silt-out. Relocate the pipe and repeat. It helps to have a second set of hands to fill the pipe with, but it can be done alone.
sepulatian
Moderator
Keep a bucket of saltwater near by. Pour some down the PVC if the sand gets stuck.
aztec reef
Active Member
Originally Posted by big
http:///forum/post/2682587
Rinse well several times till runoff is clear, let dry them funnel the needed amount in.
Wroong!!
No need to rinse this type of sands, it will help in keeping organic matter to a minimum, but it is not required.
This sands come wet, with a little bit of water...thus keeping the little amount of ls bacteria active.. if you rinse this sand vigorusly and let dry, that will defeat the purpose of getting "live sand". wouldn't it???
tubing and funnel idea is great, however since the sand comes wet, its clumpy making it hard to go down the tubing..
I have added this type of sands to stablished tanks numerous times without any drawbacks.
And this is what i do: i get the bag of sand, open it and drain out most of the juice in bag, then add fresh saltwater to the bag of moist sand and swoosh it around softly for a few minutes, then drain again all of the water in bag. Now you have a bag of rinsed live sand, at this point, all i have to do is put the whole bag of sand at the bottom of tank, at this point water from tank will start to enter bag(inflating it). all u have to do is tip the bag over..releasing the new sand ontop of the existing sanbed.. cloudiness will be minimal since the sand has been kept wet the whole time.
Do not cover the whole existing sandbed, just dump new sand mostly in the corners leaving some of the old sandbed uncovered & undisturbed..this will give the micro-fauna /organisms a chance to migrate and colonize the new sandbed..at the end both sands will eventually even out and mix with each other..giving u a killer semi-stablished sand bed..you dig???
http:///forum/post/2682587
Rinse well several times till runoff is clear, let dry them funnel the needed amount in.
Wroong!!
No need to rinse this type of sands, it will help in keeping organic matter to a minimum, but it is not required.
This sands come wet, with a little bit of water...thus keeping the little amount of ls bacteria active.. if you rinse this sand vigorusly and let dry, that will defeat the purpose of getting "live sand". wouldn't it???
tubing and funnel idea is great, however since the sand comes wet, its clumpy making it hard to go down the tubing..
I have added this type of sands to stablished tanks numerous times without any drawbacks.
And this is what i do: i get the bag of sand, open it and drain out most of the juice in bag, then add fresh saltwater to the bag of moist sand and swoosh it around softly for a few minutes, then drain again all of the water in bag. Now you have a bag of rinsed live sand, at this point, all i have to do is put the whole bag of sand at the bottom of tank, at this point water from tank will start to enter bag(inflating it). all u have to do is tip the bag over..releasing the new sand ontop of the existing sanbed.. cloudiness will be minimal since the sand has been kept wet the whole time.
Do not cover the whole existing sandbed, just dump new sand mostly in the corners leaving some of the old sandbed uncovered & undisturbed..this will give the micro-fauna /organisms a chance to migrate and colonize the new sandbed..at the end both sands will eventually even out and mix with each other..giving u a killer semi-stablished sand bed..you dig???
big
Active Member
I was referring to dry Aragonite if you read the post I am not wrong. Sorry it that point was not clear ehough.
Of coarse one would not rinse live sand, but as stated in his post the tank has been running for a year. Why add live sand at this point and risk a spike?? The Aragonite will work without that risk and provide additional buffering etc. The tank already should have a sutable live base, it will quickly spead to the added Aragonite .
Of coarse one would not rinse live sand, but as stated in his post the tank has been running for a year. Why add live sand at this point and risk a spike?? The Aragonite will work without that risk and provide additional buffering etc. The tank already should have a sutable live base, it will quickly spead to the added Aragonite .
aztec reef
Active Member
Originally Posted by big
http:///forum/post/2683951
I was referring to dry Aragonite if you read the post I am not wrong. Sorry it that point was not clear ehough.
"I've had my tank up for about 11 months. I want to add more live sand. Anything special that i need to do"..
Now, when did "dry aragonite" become live sand????
cotigostar
Member
Originally Posted by big
http:///forum/post/2682587
PVC with a funnel works well. But Live sand sometimes will not flow well. If the tank is a year old there are plenty of critters that quickly will spread into whatever you use. I like Aragonite the best. Helps buffer and keep water a bit more stable too.
Rinse well several times till runoff is clear, let dry them funnel the needed amount in.
.