Switching to Sand --- Steps

[bededog]

I am going to switch to a DSB (Southdown) and I am also setting up my refugium at the same time. Any "experts" out there want to comment on my plan?
-Set up refugium with pipes, pump, and Southdown
-Remove live rock and place into rubbermaid container
-Drain most of the water from display into rubbermaid container with LR
-Catch 2 fish, crabs, snails, and shrimp and put in plastic bags and float bags in rubbermaid
-Drain remaining water from tank
-CRemove crushed coral and save some in new and rinsed pantyhose
-Clean tank (I am only talking about wiping out excess crap from bottom of tank and back glass
-Arrange LR back into tank
-Add rinsed and cured southdown to display
-Slowly pump most of the water back into tank
-Put remaining water into refugium
-Place CC that is in pantyhose into refugium
-Fill tank and refugium with new salt water
-Return inhabitants to tank
-Run powerheads to mix water in each container for a while
-Turn pump on in display so refugium will overflow to display
-Buy macro algae from somewhere after a couple of days
-Sorry this is so long
-THE END

 

[wrassecal]

Your plan sounds fine to me. It's pretty much how I did it. You are going to get a cloudy mess for 1 -3 days though. How big is your refugium? Have you considered a shallow sand bed in the display?

 

[bededog]

My refugium will end up being about 15 gallons. Shallow sand bed in the display? I thought most people liked a DSB in the display. Could you elaborate about the benefits of a shallow sand bed. I guess I could make a DSB in the refugium.

 

[wrassecal]

Welcome to the ever changing debate on sandbeds v cc v dsb etc. Some believe that dsb's "crash" over time. Some of the new thinking is that if you have a refugium with a dsb then you can prevent or at least limit that sort of thing. Some people don't like the algae buildup in the layers of the dsb that show in the front of your tank. Some are even going bare bottom now. I have a dsb in my 135 but, would go with a shallow sand bed next time. You could do search her using "dsb" or "sand bed" or do a google search and you will find a lot of info on this issue. Your choice on which way you decide to go. I'm certainly not rushing out to get rid of my dsb, I like it fine.

 

[dburr]

Welcome to the ever changing debate on sandbeds v cc v dsb etc.
My head hurts just thinking about it.:nervous:

 

[terrance]

When putting the crushed coral in nylon stockings, does it matter what kind of nylon stockings? I would think that they would have some bad chemicals in them that would hurt the tank. Could someone please elaborate a little more, i was gonna do this but wasnt sure.

 

[wrassecal]

When I switched from cc to dsb I just used regular Leggs pantyhose. I left them in the tank about 2 weeks. No problems.