Adding Sand question ?

[Prismaco]

Well I recently moved and decided to give my mom my 37g tank but start up a 20g...I kept my LR from my old 37g...my question is now, I wante dto add some sand to it...how much should I add so that my tank wont start a huge cycle over ?? a cup a day ?? Also I haven't done a search yet but, at HD here on the West Coast, what play sand should I get ? ...thanks in advance....


-Paul

[Ray1214]

That is an interesting question. I am doing the same thing. Every three days or so with an 9 ounce cup of sand.

Ray

[Cookie_Monster]

Umm, southdown? sand is supposed to be great stuff. But if that HD is like the one I work at, then they wont have it in stock at this point. Getting late in the season. They'll probably only have quickrete type sand which I wouldnt recommend.

[Prismaco]

Well I do have 2 10lbs bags of some LS....I will try just adding a little at a time...



-Paul

[Prismaco]

Oh yea, how do you go about adding it with out make a milk shake ? I have heard that you can just add it through a PVC pipe and have the end towards the bottom ???



-Paul

[EdgeKrusher]

A pvc pipe works great, just make sure you remove it slowly otherwise, poof, it will turn your tank into a snow storm.

[Cookie_Monster]

yeah get ya a fat piece of pvc add some, let it settle slowly move it, rinse and repeat....

[Ray1214]

Hmm, havent thought about that. I am worried about recycling my tank so I am adding the little dixie cups. getting it in the water, then flipping it on a barespot on the bottom and slowly removing the cup. I have a slight snowstorm but my filters clear it up rather quickly. I am gonna try the pvc method I think.

Ray

[Sprayin70]

i want to use sand in my 55 gallon that i am starting today. how much sand do i need \?

[Cookie_Monster]

Aim for a depth of between 1 to 4 inches depending on what kind of critters you'll be getting. Sandsifting stars need about 4 inches to be happy. Also to keep it somewhat cheaper you might investigate seeding. I'd get a couple bags of southdown sand from home depot, if they still have any in stock, dont get the quickrete sand. Then I'd get a couple bags of arag dry? And then seed it with one or two bags of araglive. Really up to you though, just do your homework now, cause its harder to add it later.

[Ray1214]

If you read Anthony Calfo's Propagating corals book, he mentioned that you will lose a few inches every few years or so. (I cant remember the exact half life he mentions) but the aragonite sands will dissolve eventually and you will loose about an inch or so a year. He recommends going a bit above 4 inches, perhaps 6 inches. Mainly because 1-3 inch range, not deep enough to be aneorobic and too deep to not collect detrius. Basically if you are going with a bed, go 4-6 inches, if you are going just to have sand on the bottom I think 1 inch.

Ray

[Ray1214]

Quote:

"A few notes on tank setup:
Anthony feels the combination of a deep sand bed at least 4" deep and a refugium as a food source are both essential to long term coral health. The sand bed provides micronutrients for absortion out of the water column by corals. If a minumum depth of 4" is maintained you also get the benefit of anerobic nitrate conversion. He also mentioned that after 18-24 months, half of all the original aragonite will have dissolved. This also needs to be a consistant sugar fine sand."

I quoted the ARC Notes on this, I hope you aren't mad William.

Ray

[Prismaco]

Adding sand is my new oproject for next week. Wont be home this week to mess around with it...


-Paul