Live sand adding ?? (caribsea)

kraziekris · 03/01/2010, 08:55 AM

Hi

I have a bag of live sand here, obviosly there is water in the bag but there is no direction!!

How do you add this to a tank do you drain it first?

I have a long tube to poor it down and around the rock but i dont know if the sand needs prepping?

mouse51180 · 03/01/2010, 09:44 AM

I am not sure of the proper way of putting that sand in, but I usually just dump it all in water and all. I trust caribsea to no put anything in their water that would burt my tank. If it is in the water...more then likey it will be in the sand as well.

IslandCrow · 03/01/2010, 09:49 AM

It sounds like you already have the tank set up. Do you have sand in there already and you're just adding more? Is there anything else in the tank?

The ideal way to add sand is to add the water first, then just dump in the sand, and then add the rock once the water clears. If the rock is already there, but there is no livestock, I'd still just dump the sand in and use a turkey baster to blow the excess off the rocks once everything settles down (usually takes a full day or two). Using the tube would probably help cut down on the silt, and if you have any livestock, that's a good way to go. Another method I've heard is to put the sand in some sort of container you can submerge. You gently lower it to the bottom of the tank and empty it out slowly from there. Rinse and repeat.

kraziekris · 03/01/2010, 10:49 AM

Hi
Thanks for replying!

Yes its a new setup no livestock yet.

Just water and rock at the moe!!

Thanks for the advice!

kotu100 · 03/01/2010, 10:52 AM

i would suggest rinsing the sand, i know that defeats the purpose of buying that wet sand but when i set up my 1st tank and put the bag directly in it took 2 weeks just for the water to clear up.

Chiefsurfer · 03/01/2010, 11:30 AM

^This will help it be clean, but defeat the purpose of buying the wet sand. I would just add it as is from the bag. If it's real nasty, cut down your water-motion by turning off about half of your circulation, that will help it settle down faster.

Also, if you have a FW power-filter, you can use that to suck the "stuff" out of the water. I would not use any kind of filtration for 8-12 hours, because you don't want to remove any of the free-floating bacteria before it gets to settle somewhere.

03/01/2010, 08:55 AM	#1
kraziekris Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 27	Live sand adding ?? (caribsea) Hi I have a bag of live sand here, obviosly there is water in the bag but there is no direction!! How do you add this to a tank do you drain it first? I have a long tube to poor it down and around the rock but i dont know if the sand needs prepping?

03/01/2010, 09:49 AM	#3
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	It sounds like you already have the tank set up. Do you have sand in there already and you're just adding more? Is there anything else in the tank? The ideal way to add sand is to add the water first, then just dump in the sand, and then add the rock once the water clears. If the rock is already there, but there is no livestock, I'd still just dump the sand in and use a turkey baster to blow the excess off the rocks once everything settles down (usually takes a full day or two). Using the tube would probably help cut down on the silt, and if you have any livestock, that's a good way to go. Another method I've heard is to put the sand in some sort of container you can submerge. You gently lower it to the bottom of the tank and empty it out slowly from there. Rinse and repeat. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

03/01/2010, 11:30 AM	#6
Chiefsurfer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seaside Park, NJ Posts: 2,138	^This will help it be clean, but defeat the purpose of buying the wet sand. I would just add it as is from the bag. If it's real nasty, cut down your water-motion by turning off about half of your circulation, that will help it settle down faster. Also, if you have a FW power-filter, you can use that to suck the "stuff" out of the water. I would not use any kind of filtration for 8-12 hours, because you don't want to remove any of the free-floating bacteria before it gets to settle somewhere. __________________ Chief Current Tank: 20 Gallon tall, 4-bulb t5 HO, Eshopps psk75H, ac-70 fuge. So far, green clown goby, striped goby, more gorillas than I wish I had, 5 SPS frags, 3 LPS Frags, 1 Softee, Turkey Wing Clam. Plan for the future: 120 gallon 4ft glass tank. Current Tank Info: 20 gallon tall Reef Tank

03/01/2010, 09:44 AM	#2
mouse51180 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Charlotte - NC Posts: 79	I am not sure of the proper way of putting that sand in, but I usually just dump it all in water and all. I trust caribsea to no put anything in their water that would burt my tank. If it is in the water...more then likey it will be in the sand as well.

03/01/2010, 10:49 AM	#4
kraziekris Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 27	Hi Thanks for replying! Yes its a new setup no livestock yet. Just water and rock at the moe!! Thanks for the advice!

03/01/2010, 10:52 AM	#5
kotu100 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: easton, ma Posts: 75	i would suggest rinsing the sand, i know that defeats the purpose of buying that wet sand but when i set up my 1st tank and put the bag directly in it took 2 weeks just for the water to clear up.