how to add sand/rubble rock to tank safely?

[salty65gal]

I want to add about 2" of sand and mount some frags on rubble rock. Could I add a few hand-fulls of sand a day for a couple weeks without causing a spike, and I think I read somewhere about soaking the rubble rock in ro water for a couple days before or something like that?? Anyone want to fill me in......... thanks, Eric

[Skipponator]

Have fun with the sand! If it's really fine your gonna have a mess, otherwise if it's pretty course and clean, should be easy to do.

[salty65gal]

Thanks Skip, I don't think it'll be so bad if I add only a couple handfuls a day, should be able to find something that works good.....

[carman34l]

het a PVC pipe and pour the sand through the pipe to the bottom, that will eliminate a major sand storm. Make sure the pipe is fairly large, like 2" or so.

[salty65gal]

Thanks Carman, that's what I planned. Do you think wetting the sand first would help at all? or make it harder???

[eskimo44]

Yep, use a PVC with a funnel on top to add sand.

[carman34l]

I think dry sand would be easiest, wet sand you could get clogged up in the tube easier. I would rinse it out, let it dry then add it.

[David Grigor]

Adding sand after the fact, I highly recommend using the Arago-live stuff. It already has bacteria but more importantly it's totally clean ready to use not super fine so it doesn't go everywhere and will not cloud up the water when adding.

In my 125g, to just cover to bottom it only took 1 20lb bag and a couple of cups of sand from the other one. I did it all at once, just scooping it with a 32oz Fountain Drink cup to put it in. Very little mess, took only a few minutes to do all in one shot......

If I do recall, you moved into the 120g quickly and had visions of plumbing it later. Personally, I would get all that done and put the sand in before re-adding the water. While your at it, paint the back of the tank so all those wires and hangon filters don't show....