Ls...

[yimmy]

Hey guys, I've been reading around online, and I'm convinved LS is better than cc. Here are the stats for my tank: 95gal FOWLR, 14x maybe more circultation, 1/2-1in bed of cc, UV sterilizer, and a canister filter. I have 80-90lbs of LR, and in the tank I have 60-70crabs,25snails (15 are burrowers) a LN buttefly, LMB, 2 clowns, a cleaner shrimp, and a royal gramma. I want to switch to LS and I'm curious on these things......
1) How do I get my cc out of the tank? I'm guessing when I do a water change I'll just syphon it out.
2)I plan on my bed being 3in and 4in in deep places, can I put in dead sand and the top of the sand be the Live sand to save money.
3) Can I take out all the cc and then put in all of the LS or will it cause my tank to recycle
4) My tank has been running for 1 1/2 months, should I wait to make the switch?
5) Will I have to take out any of the rock or critters. The only things in the tank I could get out would be the clowns, maybe the butterfly and the shrimp. It would be much easier if I could leave it all in.
6) I know it's hard to say but how much do you think it would cost. I plan on about 120lbs of sand. And I'll say about 20-30lbs would be live. Can someone give me a general estimate.
Thanks for all the help! You guys have saved me some serious money. Keep up all the good work!!!!
Jimmy

 

[8x8nhl]

whats a cc and wats ls remember me?

 

[misfit]

You could sigphon it out or scoup it out .You can mix ls with dead sand.I would remove fish and inverts, tank will more than likely recycle, although it will probably be quick. They would be better off not there.You can leave some cc if you cant get it all.Is cc under rocks?

 

[yimmy]

No..what I'm going to do is do it in small increments so it won't cause a new cycle.

 

[misfit]

do you really want to go through all that trouble??Doing alittle at a time? every time you go in a scoup or syphon, you are going to still things up IMO not to good for fish, espically more than once.

 

[robpsca]

our tank had 2 to 2.5 inches of cc we took it all out at once and put the live sand in done a 25 percent water change put the fish in a tub with heater and air stone for a couple hours to let the water clear some then put them back in the tank did go through a cycle but everything made it through ok 55g tank

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by misfit
do you really want to go through all that trouble??Doing alittle at a time? every time you go in a scoup or syphon, you are going to still things up IMO not to good for fish, espically more than once.
IF you siphon right, you won't stirr up anything!!! I have CC in my aggressive tank, but I am removing it little bits at a time during water change. I want to lower it to around 1" of CC, but not changing it to LS. I don't have a problem with CC, by lowering it to 1" would save me a lot of trouble with nitrates. But I still love my sandbed in my reef tank though! :happyfish