Adding new sand

[salisbury a d]

My new sand just came yesterday and I want to know how I should add it.
It is the aragalive Fiji pink sand. 0.5-1.0 mm. It is twenty pounds.
When I add it should I remove the fish corals and rock or can I safely put it in without hurting anything?
Also With it cause a cycle or ammonia or any other spike.
3 yr old tank
Ammonia0
Nitrate0
Nitrite0
pH8.2-8.3
SG 1.022
Adam

 

[tellico tornado]

IF there is room in your tank you can wash the BAG itself off really well and then insert the entire bag (unopened) into your tank. Slowly reach in and cut the bag open and spread the sand around with your hands and then lift the empty bag out. This is how i added my sand to my 120. I wouldnt think it would cause an amonia spike or anything... mine didnt and i added a lot more than you have there.

 

[salty rick]

I have heard of people taking a clean piece of 4" PVC pipe and lowered one end to the sand bed and then poured the sand down the pipe. I heard that there was cludyness but that it was not as bad as dumping the sand in. The suggestion from Tellico Tornado is good also. I can't do that because of all the LR and corals that I have.

 

[rblovell]

I added LS to my tank, the wrong way. I just dumped it in. Caused alot of clowdiness for two days. I didn't have any water quality problems.

 

[salisbury a d]

Well just finished. I started at 1:00 took a 45 minute break at five to eat dinner and practice piano and finished at seven.
It looks great. I used a plastic coffe cup to scoop it and put in in a corner where I then used my hand to spread it around.
I also rearranged the rockwork and my parents thought I added more rock. It looks so much better. And I like how the Fiji pink sand is white with some pink in it.
Thanks.