switching from cc to sand

[cj7eagle]

I have a 29 gallon tank that has been up in running for two months. I want to switch over to sand. I have 23lbs of live rock, will i be fine adding "dead" sand? and what exactly is dead sand? is that something i can get at an lfs? I only ever remember seeing bags of live sand with a bit of water in them. Though i wasnt looking to hard either. Would i be fine just taking out my live rock and putting it in a bucket without water while i do the switch? or should i fill the bucket with my tank water? I was hoping to get away with just getting rid of about half the water, getting the critters out, and then scooping the cc and replacing with live sand. Is there anything else i should be considering?

 

[katieb]

yes, the lfs has dry sand also, cheaper to stock, make sure you rinse really well first!!.

 

[sly]

Originally Posted by cj7eagle
Is there anything else i should be considering?
If you do the conversion then you should probably fill the buckets with live rock up with water. It would be convient and would help prevent any dieoff. My second question is why do you want to switch?
Also, how deep is your CC? If it is only an inch or so then you can just scoop it all out and throw it away... but if it's deeper than that you may want to do a complete water change because stirring it may release hydrogen sulfide from the bottom (and you don't want that in your tank).

 

[cj7eagle]

Originally Posted by Sly
My second question is why do you want to switch?
Mostly for cosmetic reasons. but other reasons include..
1. I put the cc in before the live rock, and i am worried about rocks shifting.
2. Some of my hermit crabs are a bit small. and are having a rough time navigating it.
3. The cleaner clams cant bury themselves.
4, from what i have gathered it seems sand is a bit easier to keep clean.
My cc ranges from depths of a thin layer up to about 2" (thanks to the powerhead)
Which is another question... my power head intake is about an 1" off the cc, would i need it higher with a sand substrate?

 

[scotts]

Well before I post this, Are you a Steeler or an Eagle fan. If you are a Steeler fan than go ahead and read on, if you are an Eagle fan, well never mind this and just ait for someone else to post.

I have not changed from CC to LS, but many others have. Do a search on this site and you can find some people who have posted step by step instructions. The search button is at the top right of this screen.
Now as far as sand. You can't just use ordinary play sand. You do need a certain type of sand. You might bea able to find a sand called Southdown in your area. Do a search for that and for vinegar. Sounds stupid I know but you will learn more about sand than you ever want to know.
If you can't find dead sand in your area, than you should only need one or two bags of live sand for a tank your size.
Finally to answer your question, yes you will need to raise your power head higher than that off the sand bed.
Sorry if I rambled.
Scott