Sand...How to add?

[mebigloser]

Have any of you added sand to an established tank and how did you go about doing it? Also will this cause any chemical changes that could cause problems for my fish or liverocks? My tank has been setup approx 4 months with 2 inches of sand and a very small amount of crushed coral.

 

[thomas712]

Any time you do something like this you run a risk of small spikes or mini cycles. To keep this down to a minimum you should use live sand and add about 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time, once per week perhaps so that your infauna can populate the top layer. Keep a waterchange handy in case you do spike ammonia.
Thomas

 

[mebigloser]

I have a 40 gallon trash can I keep with new saltwater at all times for water changes and topping off. But when you add the new sand, is there a trick on how to add it and not causing a mess?

 

[drgriff]

I wanted to ask the same question. Wouldn't using live sand cause the spike more that using "sterile" or "clean" sand? Clean sand wouldn't add anything to cause a spike, would it?

 

[wamp]

I used a PVC pipe to get it to the bottom and pured it through a funnel VERY slowly. I did not get much of a cloud.
As far as the chemical changes. In theroy, if it is Live Sand, you should not notice a change. If it i not Live or Dry sand, you should also notice nothing. The only time you Should see anything is when sand is added that has decompsing material in it.

 

[mebigloser]

Thanks..Good idea.

 

[acez28]

i put my hole bag of sand into the tank and used a box cutter to cut the bag all the way thru. Then i just moved the sand with my hand. Didnt have a cloud at all.