replacing live sand in reef tank

Fish_King_25 · 04/21/2013, 04:41 PM

I've been having some issues with phosphates and cyano and multiple opinions have told me my 10+ year old live sand should be changed. 9+ as a FOWLR and 1 year as a reef...my question is...is it just that simple..I siphon out the sand, and dump new sand into the tank with my skimmer and fuge off...wait until it settles and then resume normal filtration? Or is there going to be any issues with this?

S2minute · 04/21/2013, 04:58 PM

That's what i'm doing with my cryptic 150 atm. I have a 6" dsb that's 5+ years old and took a lot of abuse at times. One thing I made sure to do, which u may be able to do now is compartmentalize the new DSB. I did that to mine using one-component black spray foam. Twelve compartments evenly spaced. When you do change you can then switch out one compartment per month via one large water change. This May will be compartment #5 for me. It's much easier on you, the system and gives the benthic organisms a much better chance to repopulate the new sand. You may also want to recycle that old DSB sand after to reuse it,(esp if it's the SD sand for HD). Stir in a bucket of fresh water and rinse. Then repeat. You may want to use some bleach and let sit before rinsing. There may be other ways as well i just have not gotten to that point yet. GL

Fish_King_25 · 04/21/2013, 05:42 PM

Thanks! See I was told you really don't need to break it up..just siphon as much as you can during a water change, and then just add the new bag of LS..and then let settle. .fish will live ..corals will be fine..that's the instructions I was given anyway..you think one big swap out is a bad idea?

Sk8r · 04/21/2013, 05:50 PM

I did my removal section at a time, about 1/3 of tank, WHILE having a fully functional 20 g fuge sandbed connected. I withdrew it all, letting the fuge bed carry it, then began, using a 3" piece of PVC and an auto oil change funnel, poured dried washed new sand in, just letting it pile. WHen fish and current had redistributed it, I added another pile. TOok a while, but I didn't even get any green algae growth out of the process, nor a single hiccup of nitrate.

S2minute · 04/21/2013, 06:04 PM

Like i said, it makes it easier on you to do sections at a time and easier for your system to adapt to the change. Remember, if you change out all of it with new sand, the amount of new bac that's going to repopulate all that surface area is going to be immense and the resulting O2 demand of all that new Bac is going to put stress on everything else as the Bac pop grows. Just be patient and do things in small steps. Nothing ever turns out well in this hobby when you rush. That's why i'm changing out mine 1 compartment per month over 1 year. It's that simple.

Squidmotron · 04/21/2013, 06:38 PM

I do this. Because I'm lazy and my husbandry is so so. And sand is cheap.

Just replace small sections at a time.

S2minute · 04/22/2013, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squidmotron

I do this. Because I'm lazy and my husbandry is so so. And sand is cheap.

Just replace small sections at a time.

You don't do it because your lazy and your husbandry is so so.
You do it because that's how it SHOULD be done.
Just so you know, some hobbyists have had healthy DSBs for 15+ years
So if your lacking in Husbandry, it's in a different area of your system.

Fish_King_25 · 04/22/2013, 09:20 AM

Sectioning does sound safer but I just don't know how effective I could keep the new and old sperated with all my rock work and stuff...funneling the new down into the bottom is probably a much better way as opposed to dumping it in lol ill definitely do that!

Crabb · 01/31/2015, 11:46 AM

I know this is an old thread, but I felt I should just weigh in. All I know is that I fed according to the basic rules: Vary the food to give a balanced diet, no more than what can be finished in a two minute period, turn off as much flow to allow for the food to stay in DT so it can get eaten. And had a relatively large CUC for my tank size. So imagine my surprise when I did a tear down and found the sand bed to be absolutely full of crap! It was amazing how bad it was. I had new sand on standby, and used that. The old sand sat in 5 gallon buckets, awaiting dumping or possible cleaning.

I've learned that no matter how diligent you may be, sand should be replaced at some point. I've now put into place a RDSB, and the sand in the DT is for aesthetics only. If the RDSB must be replaced it will be done on a schedule opposite the tank, to limit cycling and nutrient explosion.

From my experience I personally feel that all of our systems are closed. Nothing leaves, really, other than water from changes or what we remove. That being said, I have seen where it all goes, generally working its way under the sand.

It's a shame no one has invented an under sand plenum that vibrates the sand bed and suctions it in short bursts (to prevent excessive oxygenation of anaerobic areas) on occasion (like every other day for a couple seconds). I wonder if it would prevent build-up of junk? Earthquake simulation lol. Just make sure to use lots of reef glue.

04/21/2013, 04:41 PM	#1
Fish_King_25 Reef Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 826	replacing live sand in reef tank I've been having some issues with phosphates and cyano and multiple opinions have told me my 10+ year old live sand should be changed. 9+ as a FOWLR and 1 year as a reef...my question is...is it just that simple..I siphon out the sand, and dump new sand into the tank with my skimmer and fuge off...wait until it settles and then resume normal filtration? Or is there going to be any issues with this? __________________ ~Kenny~ 29g mixed reef lps, sps, and softies, 10g sump/fuge, cadlights pls-100 skimmer, LifeReef overflow with Mag 7 return pump, Tunze ATO, 2 Koralias, 4x24w T5HO ATIs w/ moonlight LEDs Current Tank Info: Green Chromis, Yellow Clown Goby, Green Mandarin, Diamond Goby, Percula Clown, and CUC

04/21/2013, 05:42 PM	#3
Fish_King_25 Reef Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 826	Thanks! See I was told you really don't need to break it up..just siphon as much as you can during a water change, and then just add the new bag of LS..and then let settle. .fish will live ..corals will be fine..that's the instructions I was given anyway..you think one big swap out is a bad idea? __________________ ~Kenny~ 29g mixed reef lps, sps, and softies, 10g sump/fuge, cadlights pls-100 skimmer, LifeReef overflow with Mag 7 return pump, Tunze ATO, 2 Koralias, 4x24w T5HO ATIs w/ moonlight LEDs Current Tank Info: Green Chromis, Yellow Clown Goby, Green Mandarin, Diamond Goby, Percula Clown, and CUC

04/21/2013, 05:50 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I did my removal section at a time, about 1/3 of tank, WHILE having a fully functional 20 g fuge sandbed connected. I withdrew it all, letting the fuge bed carry it, then began, using a 3" piece of PVC and an auto oil change funnel, poured dried washed new sand in, just letting it pile. WHen fish and current had redistributed it, I added another pile. TOok a while, but I didn't even get any green algae growth out of the process, nor a single hiccup of nitrate. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/21/2013, 06:38 PM	#6
Squidmotron Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 675	I do this. Because I'm lazy and my husbandry is so so. And sand is cheap. Just replace small sections at a time. __________________ .................................................. Current Tank Info: 210 Gallon "Mixed Reef" Tank (84 inches wide)

04/22/2013, 09:20 AM	#8
Fish_King_25 Reef Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 826	Sectioning does sound safer but I just don't know how effective I could keep the new and old sperated with all my rock work and stuff...funneling the new down into the bottom is probably a much better way as opposed to dumping it in lol ill definitely do that! __________________ ~Kenny~ 29g mixed reef lps, sps, and softies, 10g sump/fuge, cadlights pls-100 skimmer, LifeReef overflow with Mag 7 return pump, Tunze ATO, 2 Koralias, 4x24w T5HO ATIs w/ moonlight LEDs Current Tank Info: Green Chromis, Yellow Clown Goby, Green Mandarin, Diamond Goby, Percula Clown, and CUC

04/21/2013, 04:58 PM	#2
S2minute Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 589	That's what i'm doing with my cryptic 150 atm. I have a 6" dsb that's 5+ years old and took a lot of abuse at times. One thing I made sure to do, which u may be able to do now is compartmentalize the new DSB. I did that to mine using one-component black spray foam. Twelve compartments evenly spaced. When you do change you can then switch out one compartment per month via one large water change. This May will be compartment #5 for me. It's much easier on you, the system and gives the benthic organisms a much better chance to repopulate the new sand. You may also want to recycle that old DSB sand after to reuse it,(esp if it's the SD sand for HD). Stir in a bucket of fresh water and rinse. Then repeat. You may want to use some bleach and let sit before rinsing. There may be other ways as well i just have not gotten to that point yet. GL

04/21/2013, 06:04 PM	#5
S2minute Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 589	Like i said, it makes it easier on you to do sections at a time and easier for your system to adapt to the change. Remember, if you change out all of it with new sand, the amount of new bac that's going to repopulate all that surface area is going to be immense and the resulting O2 demand of all that new Bac is going to put stress on everything else as the Bac pop grows. Just be patient and do things in small steps. Nothing ever turns out well in this hobby when you rush. That's why i'm changing out mine 1 compartment per month over 1 year. It's that simple.

01/31/2015, 11:46 AM	#9
Crabb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 34	I know this is an old thread, but I felt I should just weigh in. All I know is that I fed according to the basic rules: Vary the food to give a balanced diet, no more than what can be finished in a two minute period, turn off as much flow to allow for the food to stay in DT so it can get eaten. And had a relatively large CUC for my tank size. So imagine my surprise when I did a tear down and found the sand bed to be absolutely full of crap! It was amazing how bad it was. I had new sand on standby, and used that. The old sand sat in 5 gallon buckets, awaiting dumping or possible cleaning. I've learned that no matter how diligent you may be, sand should be replaced at some point. I've now put into place a RDSB, and the sand in the DT is for aesthetics only. If the RDSB must be replaced it will be done on a schedule opposite the tank, to limit cycling and nutrient explosion. From my experience I personally feel that all of our systems are closed. Nothing leaves, really, other than water from changes or what we remove. That being said, I have seen where it all goes, generally working its way under the sand. It's a shame no one has invented an under sand plenum that vibrates the sand bed and suctions it in short bursts (to prevent excessive oxygenation of anaerobic areas) on occasion (like every other day for a couple seconds). I wonder if it would prevent build-up of junk? Earthquake simulation lol. Just make sure to use lots of reef glue.