more sand
- Thread starter tsdid
- Start date
hefner413
Active Member
Originally Posted by tsdid
http:///forum/post/2542327
if you wait a week to add it all, how do you keep the sand fresh once the bag is open
alix would be talking about dry sand - which is really all you need. Adding dry "dead" sand will become "live" very quickly as the organisms spread to the new sand.
I added about 1.5 inches to my previous 2 inches using a long clear plastic tube that held the Christmas ornaments we bought this year. I just put the end of the plastic tube into the sandbed and poured in the dry. Once the sand had settled to the bottom of the tube, I slowly lifted the tube out and never made a bit of a mess at all. I did about 3 cups of sand every other day in various areas of the tank at a time.
I don't know if you would need to wait when adding live sand, technically. It also will be a little harder/more messy than dry sand when you're adding it. I would just get a bag of dry and add that.
http:///forum/post/2542327
if you wait a week to add it all, how do you keep the sand fresh once the bag is open
alix would be talking about dry sand - which is really all you need. Adding dry "dead" sand will become "live" very quickly as the organisms spread to the new sand.
I added about 1.5 inches to my previous 2 inches using a long clear plastic tube that held the Christmas ornaments we bought this year. I just put the end of the plastic tube into the sandbed and poured in the dry. Once the sand had settled to the bottom of the tube, I slowly lifted the tube out and never made a bit of a mess at all. I did about 3 cups of sand every other day in various areas of the tank at a time.
I don't know if you would need to wait when adding live sand, technically. It also will be a little harder/more messy than dry sand when you're adding it. I would just get a bag of dry and add that.
candycane
Active Member
I wouldn't. That can stir up any pockets that you may have building down in the sand. The tube method above is really good. Plus you are probably going to get minimal stirring when you have to spread the sand around. I used to use bags of sand from home improvement stores, but I have just been having too many issues with it lately. Usually it is the silica levels; sometimes it is just the fact that I can not wash it enough to get it clean. It may just be me though. You can find 50 pound bags of dead dry sand that is from established tanks or just from beaches for relatively cheap if you know the right places to look.
Do you have many sand sifters in this tank?
Do you have many sand sifters in this tank?
hefner413
Active Member
Yeah, like candycane said - no need to stir. But that's why you just add a couple cups at a time - to prevent killing the live sand below too much. You can verrry carefully spread out the new couple cups each time - but just don't stir up the existing bed of sand.
Dry sand is pretty inexpensive. I'm about to buy some for the 180 I'm setting up. I found 150 lbs of aragonite for less than $100 shipped.
Dry sand is pretty inexpensive. I'm about to buy some for the 180 I'm setting up. I found 150 lbs of aragonite for less than $100 shipped.