bradburycf
Member
I have finally replaced my cc w/ a dsb. I wasn't going to do it until I moved because I move quite regularly, but I had an attack of hair algae that was just KILLING me. I was doing weekly water chgs (vacuuming the cc every time), and using only RO water. I had reduced the lighting duration and reduced the already small amt of food I was feeding the fish. Still, I was busting out the toothbrush every other day just to keep up! I think my major problem was I just wasn't getting the cc coral clean enough. I finally went down to the local Home Depot and bought some play sand. 150 lbs = $7.50 
. I really tried to find the southdown, and even argued with the HD guys that it existed and I'd pay to have it shipped out, but it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe the stuff really doesn't exist. Anyway, I had it all planned out. I poured a bag 'o sand into a 5 gallon bucket and shoved a water hose into the bottom. I just let the water run until it turned clear. (By the 3rd bucket, every kid in the neighbor hood under the age of 5 was helping out ) This was in hopes of reducing the amt of time for the tank to clear. I placed all livestock into other temp tanks filled w/ my tank's water, but left the fish in the main tank. I placed all the lr in a garbage can with wet newspaper on top. Then I proceeded to scoop out the cc. THAT SUCKED. I had no clue. After the first scoop, visability went to zero and I was scooping blind. I had planned on everything except that. Anyway, once the cc was out, I poured (slopped, splashed, and cursed) the 150 lbs of sand in, and replaced all the livestock. (not enough current, aeriation, or filtration to leave them in the smaller tank over night and decided to risk them in the clouded muck instead of certain death in the temp tank.) I put 4 little pouches of my cc tied in pantyhose on the sand to help seed it.I also proceeded w/ a 25% water chg to help clear it up. The next morning, nothing had died and the water was crystal clear. I was worried the powerheads would cause endless clouding, but they haven't. The sand is very fine stuff, but I think I rinsed out all the dusty, floaty nasties, and all that's left sinks back to the bottom right away. I did this just under a month ago, and I no longer detect any nitrates with my test kit. The hair algae is under control (much easier when it doesn't grow on the substrate as well as everything else) and none of my livestock perished . I think I should mention that though my wife was threatening divorce during that little messy project, home life has returned to "normal" and all is well again... for now - The other day at the lfs I just saw the coolest...
. I really tried to find the southdown, and even argued with the HD guys that it existed and I'd pay to have it shipped out, but it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe the stuff really doesn't exist. Anyway, I had it all planned out. I poured a bag 'o sand into a 5 gallon bucket and shoved a water hose into the bottom. I just let the water run until it turned clear. (By the 3rd bucket, every kid in the neighbor hood under the age of 5 was helping out ) This was in hopes of reducing the amt of time for the tank to clear. I placed all livestock into other temp tanks filled w/ my tank's water, but left the fish in the main tank. I placed all the lr in a garbage can with wet newspaper on top. Then I proceeded to scoop out the cc. THAT SUCKED. I had no clue. After the first scoop, visability went to zero and I was scooping blind. I had planned on everything except that. Anyway, once the cc was out, I poured (slopped, splashed, and cursed) the 150 lbs of sand in, and replaced all the livestock. (not enough current, aeriation, or filtration to leave them in the smaller tank over night and decided to risk them in the clouded muck instead of certain death in the temp tank.) I put 4 little pouches of my cc tied in pantyhose on the sand to help seed it.I also proceeded w/ a 25% water chg to help clear it up. The next morning, nothing had died and the water was crystal clear. I was worried the powerheads would cause endless clouding, but they haven't. The sand is very fine stuff, but I think I rinsed out all the dusty, floaty nasties, and all that's left sinks back to the bottom right away. I did this just under a month ago, and I no longer detect any nitrates with my test kit. The hair algae is under control (much easier when it doesn't grow on the substrate as well as everything else) and none of my livestock perished . I think I should mention that though my wife was threatening divorce during that little messy project, home life has returned to "normal" and all is well again... for now - The other day at the lfs I just saw the coolest...
