Just to add my $.02 - I also advise against reusing the existing sandbed immediately. An existing sandbed containes both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, once oyu stir up the sandbed (in the process of removing it from the tank, removing rocks, jostling down the road, the anaerobic bacteria gets oxygenated and dies, thus fouling the sandbed (and no one wants the house to immediately smell like sulfur).
I reccomend removing the old sand from the tank, and rinsing thoroughy with RODI water before reusing. The problem with this is that you’re going to lose a lot of the nitrifying bacteria from the sand bed. I’d combat by picking up new sand (doesn’t all have to be love) but including a bag of live sand as well as a starter colony of bacteria (I unfortunately am blanking on the name of the stuff at the moment though).
Bottom line is trying to remove and then immediately resuse the existing sand may result in an ammonia spiike that could kill off a very large portion of the livestock you’ve just purchased.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:21, topic:7496”]
Just to add my $.02 - I also advise against reusing the existing sandbed immediately. An existing sandbed containes both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, once oyu stir up the sandbed (in the process of removing it from the tank, removing rocks, jostling down the road, the anaerobic bacteria gets oxygenated and dies, thus fouling the sandbed (and no one wants the house to immediately smell like sulfur).
I reccomend removing the old sand from the tank, and rinsing thoroughy with RODI water before reusing. The problem with this is that you’re going to lose a lot of the nitrifying bacteria from the sand bed. I’d combat by picking up new sand (doesn’t all have to be love) but including a bag of live sand as well as a starter colony of bacteria (I unfortunately am blanking on the name of the stuff at the moment though).
Bottom line is trying to remove and then immediately resuse the existing sand may result in an ammonia spiike that could kill off a very large portion of the livestock you’ve just purchased.[/quote]
So rise the sand. Is there really a ton of good bacteria in the sand anyway its not that deep? I figure most of the bacteria is in the rock and filter.
Bacteria among other things. If it’s a really old sandbed there is going to be all kinds of detritus and stuff in it.
Don’t listen to craig! He gave up on us and doesn’t love is anymore! ::hitsthefan::
[quote=“beadlocked450r, post:24, topic:7496”]
Don’t listen to craig! He gave up on us and doesn’t love is anymore! ::hitsthefan::[/quote]
Hey I’m still posting once in a while. And no one in this club has more experience with what NOT to do than me.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:25, topic:7496”]
[quote=“beadlocked450r, post:24, topic:7496”]
Don’t listen to craig! He gave up on us and doesn’t love is anymore! ::hitsthefan::[/quote]
Hey I’m still posting once in a while. And no one in this club has more experience with what NOT to do than me.[/quote]
Now that’s somthing to be proud of! :-)###
If it were me - I’d ditch all the sand and start over. The rock should have plenty of bacteria and stuff in it and all the stuff in the rock will make it’s way into the sandbed relatively quickly.
The only reason I mention it is I’ve rinsed old sand in the past, it’s just a pain in the butt. Once you start rinsing and see all the brown crap that comes out of it, you’ll probably think to yourself it would have just been easier to start with new sand.
I have “Rinsed” my sand and gravel, periodically , in the tank. I take most of the corals and stuff out, obstructing access to the sand. do a good syphon cleaning of the sand, and then proceed to stir it up to to the bottom with my hands. it turns the tank into a mud bath. but i use fine filter cloth in the sump overflow and a hang on tank magnum filter to filter out all the crud until the water becomes crystal clear. it might take about 8 hours of stirring and constantly cleaning the HOT filter material every 5-10 minutes when it plugs up… but eventually i run out of dirt. and the tank and sand are clean. then do a BIG water change and add lots of starter bacteria. it never bothered the fish or corals. they are all fine the next morning after the cleaning party.
Just my method. Note that my tanks are all fitted with a plenum under the gravel.
Getting excited picking the tank up in 2 more days.
Hey, excited for you too.
[quote=“reefman66, post:30, topic:7496”]
Hey, excited for you too.[/quote]
By the way mounting the rocks to milk crates in your other thread was a cool Idea I might steal that.
Any negative in using granite rocks in the tank just as base filler rocks? I’ve got a bunch of granite I use in my other tanks. Thought I could hide it behind live rock as a filler to gain height
You’re welcome to it. I did it so that I can use less rocks and looks like it has a lot in it. I’m not doing it this go round. I’m looking for different aquascape this time.
I wouldn’t recommend using granite rock in a reef tank. Not that it couldn’t be done. but the purpose of using reef rocks is porosity of it. Granite rock are not porous and it will not house bacteria as much as a reef rock will. Plus I don’t think it would look right. But if you could hide it like you said, maybe it will work. That’s my opinion.
[quote=“reefman66, post:32, topic:7496”]
You’re welcome to it. I did it so that I can use less rocks and looks like it has a lot in it. I’m not doing it this go round. I’m looking for different aquascape this time.
I wouldn’t recommend using granite rock in a reef tank. Not that it couldn’t be done. but the purpose of using reef rocks is porosity of it. Granite rock are not porous and it will not house bacteria as much as a reef rock will. Plus I don’t think it would look right. But if you could hide it like you said, maybe it will work. That’s my opinion.[/quote]
Yeah my plan was to make a pile then cover and hide it with live rock. Kinda like the milk crate but not as large and square. I’ll figure it out tomorrow when I pick it all up. I’m not even sure how much live rock is there. I’ve seen it but don’t really know how much it was. The seller doesn’t know either.
Good luck and have fun tomorrow. Please keep us posted.
All loaded up in my trailer now heading home. Time to set it up.