Adding sand to system?

sidneybrooksjr · 04/19/2006, 08:39 AM

What's the best way to add sand to a system that's already running?

Gooli · 04/19/2006, 09:53 AM

is it bare bottom now?

coker98 · 04/19/2006, 09:56 AM

rinse the sand and try to transfer it in there. if it is prerinsed then while the bag is in the water cut a corner and release it under water as close to the bottom of the tank as you cant get and shut off the power heads for about 10 minutes.

WaterKeeper · 04/19/2006, 10:11 AM

Sidney,

If you are talking about LS you can add it to the main tank. It usually only causes a minor cycle which won't hurt anything. Many people mix it with SW and use a funnel with a hose attached to add it to the bed. This will work with LS or plain sand. When adding plain sand to a DSB only add about a Ã‚Â¼ inch at a time. This allow the "bugs" on the LS to migrate without crushing of suffocating them.

Recife · 04/19/2006, 11:23 AM

Funny you mention this suffocating part, Waterkeeper.
I said that to friends a couple of weeks ago and they laughed at me as if I were saying the most stupid thing.
I added the sand gradually anyway. Glad I did it now.

Recife · 04/19/2006, 11:26 AM

oops... forgot to say that i used a PVC pipe to add it. But since the sand had been rinsed, it was clogging up the funnel and not going down the pipe. So I used a cup to throw tank water into the funnel to "dissolve" the sand and it worked perfectly.
The water will get a bit cloudy but will be back to normal in an hour or 2.

04/19/2006, 08:39 AM	#1
sidneybrooksjr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 140	Adding sand to system? What's the best way to add sand to a system that's already running? __________________ eazz Current Tank Info: w/ 75 gallon, LTA, BTA and maroon clown, lemon peel,fiji damsel

04/19/2006, 09:53 AM	#2
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	is it bare bottom now? __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS

04/19/2006, 10:11 AM	#4
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Sidney, If you are talking about LS you can add it to the main tank. It usually only causes a minor cycle which won't hurt anything. Many people mix it with SW and use a funnel with a hose attached to add it to the bed. This will work with LS or plain sand. When adding plain sand to a DSB only add about a Ã‚Â¼ inch at a time. This allow the "bugs" on the LS to migrate without crushing of suffocating them. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

04/19/2006, 09:56 AM	#3
coker98 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 594	rinse the sand and try to transfer it in there. if it is prerinsed then while the bag is in the water cut a corner and release it under water as close to the bottom of the tank as you cant get and shut off the power heads for about 10 minutes.

04/19/2006, 11:23 AM	#5
Recife Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bellevue - WA Posts: 282	Funny you mention this suffocating part, Waterkeeper. I said that to friends a couple of weeks ago and they laughed at me as if I were saying the most stupid thing. I added the sand gradually anyway. Glad I did it now.

04/19/2006, 11:26 AM	#6
Recife Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bellevue - WA Posts: 282	oops... forgot to say that i used a PVC pipe to add it. But since the sand had been rinsed, it was clogging up the funnel and not going down the pipe. So I used a cup to throw tank water into the funnel to "dissolve" the sand and it worked perfectly. The water will get a bit cloudy but will be back to normal in an hour or 2.