Stocking Live Sand

[salvatore]

I added 100lbs playsand a few weeks ago and the dsb activity isnt as plentiful as it was before I added the extra sand. Is it possible the sand addition killed off some of the fauna?
If so, would a LS re-stocking help or hurt? I was thinking about the 9 for 99$ at <a href="http://www.ipsf.com/#anchor385852" target="_blank">IPSF</a>
Here are the tank facts:
STILL CYCLING - Cycle began on 04.09.2002
110g fowlr
50lbs lr
4"-6" sand bed
4 damsels
Appx 20 assorted snails
Appx 20 red/blue leg hermits
Ammonia 0.00
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 40
20g refugium w/4"dsb, caulerpa, 10lbs lr
Pictures and tank logs are on the web site below.

 

[beth]

100 is an a lot to add all at once to an established tank. What type of playsand did you use?
How did you add so much sand to an established tank?
Of course the additon of dry sand will kill some of the established sandbed infauna, however, the sandbed will re-establish itself. Innoculating your new bed with an infauna kit would be a good idea. Go for a kit that will give you as many worms, and diversity of worms as you can get.
How are your water readings?

 

[salvatore]

Its not an established tank per-se...its only two months old and still cycling. I added the sand all at once only because I didnt have too much livestock yet (less to stress out by the sand addition).
Its play sand and was added by using a pvc pipe and scooping bit by bit into the tank. The water readings are shown on the initial post, and were taken on 16 June 2002.

 

[fshhub]

adding that much sand at much can kill some of the life in the bed, i would not add more than 1/4 inch on top of an already live bed(IMO), this is in addition to the possible killing caused by a mini cycle too

 

[salvatore]

Thanks for both of your replies. Its obvious now that I did indeed kill off some of the sand bed life, but will adding and 'sand activator', like the 9 for 99$ from IPSF help or harm things?

 

[sdmarriott]

Couldn't hurt.