Problems with stirring a 6 month old DSB?

[neowind]

I was contemplating on turning my DSB over so the sand on the bottom will be the sand on the top this weekend. I know I heard its bad to do this on older DSB's but what about one that is just 6 months old? Will there be any horrible problems by doing this? I am planning on removing the top layer and putting it in anotehr tank anyway so I figured I would stir the bed up pretty

[hr]
. Any problems with doing this?

 

[saltcreep]

I Would be a little leary of doing this. It could release trapped trates and phosphates and such.

 

[neowind]

I guess I should have explained the situation a little more. I had 2 Powerheads fall into my tank in which has already emptied the back half of the sand to the front. I now have a Half DSB and Half Bare bottom tank. So I don't know what I am going to do. Any suggestions?

 

[saltcreep]

So you want to shift the sand back to where it was? Sounds to me like the damage is already done. I think you would have seen spikes by now if it was going to be a problem.

 

[thomas712]

Go ahead and smooth the sand bed back into place. If that is what you want to do. Watch for the spikes as was mentioned. Have a water change ready if you need it.
There is no reason to rotate sand from the bottom to the top. Just smooth it out.
Alot of what we talk about with regards to what can happen if you desturb a DSB is only possible, not necessarily what will happen. If your DSB was not mature, or didn't develop any of those anoxic regions, then so much the better. Just smooth it back into place.
Thomas

 

[spsaddict]

id rip out that nutrient trap and go bare bottom, but hey thats me

 

[windmill]

I'd never stir up more than 20% of a mature sand bed; even that would be avoided at ALL costs. You gotta figure there's a ton of critters in a mature sand bed - just look at side of a sand bed through the glass - you can usually see many, many little "tubes" or tracks that look kinda like an ant farm. There are massive amounts of copepods and anthropods (don't know if I spelled that right) all in the sand, and if you have snails chances are there a few hiding in it too. Stirring up too much would screw up the establishment and maturity of all those beneficial bugs in the sand.
Nothing wrong with taking a little off the top though.
-just my opinion

 

[acrylic51]

***)
Originally Posted by windmill
I'd never stir up more than 20% of a mature sand bed; even that would be avoided at ALL costs. You gotta figure there's a ton of critters in a mature sand bed - just look at side of a sand bed through the glass - you can usually see many, many little "tubes" or tracks that look kinda like an ant farm. There are massive amounts of copepods and anthropods (don't know if I spelled that right) all in the sand, and if you have snails chances are there a few hiding in it too. Stirring up too much would screw up the establishment and maturity of all those beneficial bugs in the sand.
Nothing wrong with taking a little off the top though.
-just my opinion