just added some sand...
- Thread starter salt life
- Start date
fishstick4sale
Member
sorry to say but we been telling people not to add sand to existing tanks that r established hopefully yours does not begin a mini cycle. test your ammonia
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by fishstick4sale
http:///forum/post/2983081
sorry to say but we been telling people not to add sand to existing tanks that r established hopefully yours does not begin a mini cycle. test your ammonia
whattttt why? it's dead dried out sand? no bacteria in it so why would I cycle?
http:///forum/post/2983081
sorry to say but we been telling people not to add sand to existing tanks that r established hopefully yours does not begin a mini cycle. test your ammonia
whattttt why? it's dead dried out sand? no bacteria in it so why would I cycle?
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by sfoister
http:///forum/post/2983080
No matter how much you rinse the sand it's going to be cloudy when you add it. Your eels should be fine. What type btw?
what type of eels? I have a fimbraited moray, chain link moray, and a spotted moray...
http:///forum/post/2983080
No matter how much you rinse the sand it's going to be cloudy when you add it. Your eels should be fine. What type btw?
what type of eels? I have a fimbraited moray, chain link moray, and a spotted moray...
J
janestar
Guest
dry anything will sometimes start a cycle. It is usually best to add the live stuff (sand, precured rocks), from my understanding. Do you have a QT if needed? But I am still learning
lil.guppy
Active Member
(if i am correct)
There is no bacteria in the sand to break waste down.
Once you start feeding your eels you will have an increase in all your water properties that could and probably will kill your eels.
I would keep you eels in a safe place and put a little food in your "dried sand" tank to get the bacteria process started.
Or go to a pet store and get some from an established tank.
There is no bacteria in the sand to break waste down.
Once you start feeding your eels you will have an increase in all your water properties that could and probably will kill your eels.
I would keep you eels in a safe place and put a little food in your "dried sand" tank to get the bacteria process started.
Or go to a pet store and get some from an established tank.
J
janestar
Guest
How much did you add of the dry sand?
salt life
Active Member
I don't get it, alot of people told me I wouldn't cycle and now im getting told I might mess up my tank? my sump is connected to 2 75g's, one of the 75g's has been running for 2 years with sand in it, I added a 20# bag to my fuge and I was going to add another 20 pound bag to the new DT because I don't like the BB look.
And adding live sand is not a good idea because the crap they sell at the stores isn't really live. it is just as dead as the dry stuff.
And adding live sand is not a good idea because the crap they sell at the stores isn't really live. it is just as dead as the dry stuff.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by tnt0401
http:///forum/post/2983671
what kinda dead dry sand did you use? I want a sand bottom for my new tank and was thinking play ground sand or beach sand that I went to the beach to get.
a dry aragonite sand, more of a thicker coarse i think is the word they use...
http:///forum/post/2983671
what kinda dead dry sand did you use? I want a sand bottom for my new tank and was thinking play ground sand or beach sand that I went to the beach to get.
a dry aragonite sand, more of a thicker coarse i think is the word they use...
salt life
Active Member
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/351594/adding-dead-sand-to-a-bb-tank
and in this thread I was told it would be fine to add.
and in this thread I was told it would be fine to add.
spanko
Active Member
Originally Posted by Janestar
http:///forum/post/2983540
dry anything will sometimes start a cycle. It is usually best to add the live stuff (sand, precured rocks), from my understanding. Do you have a QT if needed? But I am still learning
This is not true. Dry anything will not start a cycle, by the way we are talking about ammonia spikes actually. Adding live sand to an existing tank IMO is flirting with disaster as the bags of live sand have a bunch of dead stuff and will probably cause an ammonia spike as your biofilter tries to catch up to the new level.
Originally Posted by lil.guppy
http:///forum/post/2983547
I added about 4-6 cups of new sand to my 46g tank and it screwed everything up
Your problem was not that you added more sand but that you stirred up the old sand releasing accumulated nastiness into the water.
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2983666
I don't get it, alot of people told me I wouldn't cycle and now im getting told I might mess up my tank? my sump is connected to 2 75g's, one of the 75g's has been running for 2 years with sand in it, I added a 20# bag to my fuge and I was going to add another 20 pound bag to the new DT because I don't like the BB look.
And adding live sand is not a good idea because the crap they sell at the stores isn't really live. it is just as dead as the dry stuff.
So have you added the sand to display tank(s) or to the sump or both?
http:///forum/post/2983540
dry anything will sometimes start a cycle. It is usually best to add the live stuff (sand, precured rocks), from my understanding. Do you have a QT if needed? But I am still learning
This is not true. Dry anything will not start a cycle, by the way we are talking about ammonia spikes actually. Adding live sand to an existing tank IMO is flirting with disaster as the bags of live sand have a bunch of dead stuff and will probably cause an ammonia spike as your biofilter tries to catch up to the new level.
Originally Posted by lil.guppy
http:///forum/post/2983547
I added about 4-6 cups of new sand to my 46g tank and it screwed everything up
Your problem was not that you added more sand but that you stirred up the old sand releasing accumulated nastiness into the water.
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2983666
I don't get it, alot of people told me I wouldn't cycle and now im getting told I might mess up my tank? my sump is connected to 2 75g's, one of the 75g's has been running for 2 years with sand in it, I added a 20# bag to my fuge and I was going to add another 20 pound bag to the new DT because I don't like the BB look.
And adding live sand is not a good idea because the crap they sell at the stores isn't really live. it is just as dead as the dry stuff.
So have you added the sand to display tank(s) or to the sump or both?
sepulatian
Moderator
I think that some folks may be confused as to what actually "cycles" the tank. You must have an ammonia source to begin a cycle. Dry sand will have no dead or decaying matter on it so it will not cause the tank to cycle. The tank will get cloudy, that is just the very small particles of sand in the water column. It will settle and the very small particles will be filtered out. The eels will be fine. You can test your water to be sure that it is fine. Make up a batch of water just in case, but it should be fine.
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2983687
This is not true. Dry anything will not start a cycle, by the way we are talking about ammonia spikes actually. Adding live sand to an existing tank IMO is flirting with disaster as the bags of live sand have a bunch of dead stuff and will probably cause an ammonia spike as your biofilter tries to catch up to the new level.
Your problem was not that you added more sand but that you stirred up the old sand releasing accumulated nastiness into the water.
So have you added the sand to display tank(s) or to the sump or both?
I only added one bag to the fuge, I have another 20#'s that I was going to add into the newer DT...Will I be able to add it?
http:///forum/post/2983687
This is not true. Dry anything will not start a cycle, by the way we are talking about ammonia spikes actually. Adding live sand to an existing tank IMO is flirting with disaster as the bags of live sand have a bunch of dead stuff and will probably cause an ammonia spike as your biofilter tries to catch up to the new level.
Your problem was not that you added more sand but that you stirred up the old sand releasing accumulated nastiness into the water.
So have you added the sand to display tank(s) or to the sump or both?
I only added one bag to the fuge, I have another 20#'s that I was going to add into the newer DT...Will I be able to add it?
salt life
Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2983688
I think that some folks may be confused as to what actually "cycles" the tank. You must have an ammonia source to begin a cycle. Dry sand will have no dead or decaying matter on it so it will not cause the tank to cycle. The tank will get cloudy, that is just the very small particles of sand in the water column. It will settle and the very small particles will be filtered out. The eels will be fine. You can test your water to be sure that it is fine. Make up a batch of water just in case, but it should be fine.
thank you for clarifying Sep and Spanko.
http:///forum/post/2983688
I think that some folks may be confused as to what actually "cycles" the tank. You must have an ammonia source to begin a cycle. Dry sand will have no dead or decaying matter on it so it will not cause the tank to cycle. The tank will get cloudy, that is just the very small particles of sand in the water column. It will settle and the very small particles will be filtered out. The eels will be fine. You can test your water to be sure that it is fine. Make up a batch of water just in case, but it should be fine.
thank you for clarifying Sep and Spanko.
spanko
Active Member
If the tank has sand in it already I would rinse the new sand like you have been and try to add only enough of it to cover about 1/4 of the existing sand. The reasoning behind this is a shallow sand bed really only has any biofiltering bacteria in about the top 1/8" of the sand. By doin 1/4 fo the tank then waiting for 3 days or so it will give the new sand some time to populate bacteria. Then do the next 1/4 of the tank. So on until done. This will take a little longer but the advantages are the bacteria given some time and less sand in means less sand storm. On that note whenn adding sand to a tank with water alread in it there are two real good methods to avoid a blinding sandstore. One is get the sand wet with some saltwater first then use a pc. of PVC pipe long enough to reach to the bottom of the tank and put the wet sand, a little at a time, into the pipe directing where you want it to go. The other is again using saltwater get the sand wet first then put it into a zip lock bag, submerge the bag then open and pour it out carefully into the tank.