Sand Bed Stumper

rooster426 · 07/22/2017, 08:55 AM

So I have a failing stand under my 110 gallon reef tank in my house. Yes, it's leaning, and I'll bet if I measured it I'd find that it's leaning more every week. I need to dismantle the tank and replace the stand ASAP. I do have the luxury of having a small coral prop system out in my shed. It's 5 tanks plumbed together in a loop (about 350 gallons total), 4 of which are devoid of anything but live rock and water.

Here's my question: I'd like to keep the fish/coral/rock that are in the tank in my house "intact" while fixing the stand problem. No big deal - I'll just transfer them into an empty tank out in my coral room. But the sand bed? It's a 8"- 10" deep bed that's been working away for 10 years. I'm worried about what's lurking underneath. If I disturb it by scooping it out and moving it, what should I be worried about? Any suggestions on how to keep it viable, but not introduce disaster to my coral propagation system? Or should I not even worry? Thanks in advance for any advice

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/22/2017, 09:15 AM

I don't think you have many options, other than keeping the sand totally undisturbed and leaving enough water in the tank that it remains covered - plus, keeping the interim transfer period really short, like a few hours at most. The tank is going to weigh probably at least a few hundred pounds with that much sand and water in it so you'll need several friends and a really good plan.

You won't be able to scoop it out or otherwise move it without making it useless AND releasing a lot of dangerous buildup.

This is one of the main reasons why in-tank DSBs are not optimal, IMHO. If you want to maintain a DSB in the new setup, maybe you should move it to the sump and build it in a fashion where it would be easier to move or maintain - for instance, put a bunch of small tupperware containers in the sump filled with sand. Then if you want to move or replace a portion (or all) of it, you can just move/replace the tupperwares individually.

Ron Reefman · 07/22/2017, 12:57 PM

Any sand you move, I'd clean by flushing it in a bucket and a garden hose till it runs clear. I had an 8'+ DSB in my sump. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be when I had to tear that system out (broken 180g tank). I washed all the sand. I used what I needed in my 2 new tanks and sold the rest. No DSB in the new system... yet.

07/22/2017, 08:55 AM	#1
rooster426 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 69	Sand Bed Stumper So I have a failing stand under my 110 gallon reef tank in my house. Yes, it's leaning, and I'll bet if I measured it I'd find that it's leaning more every week. I need to dismantle the tank and replace the stand ASAP. I do have the luxury of having a small coral prop system out in my shed. It's 5 tanks plumbed together in a loop (about 350 gallons total), 4 of which are devoid of anything but live rock and water. Here's my question: I'd like to keep the fish/coral/rock that are in the tank in my house "intact" while fixing the stand problem. No big deal - I'll just transfer them into an empty tank out in my coral room. But the sand bed? It's a 8"- 10" deep bed that's been working away for 10 years. I'm worried about what's lurking underneath. If I disturb it by scooping it out and moving it, what should I be worried about? Any suggestions on how to keep it viable, but not introduce disaster to my coral propagation system? Or should I not even worry? Thanks in advance for any advice

07/22/2017, 09:15 AM	#2
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	I don't think you have many options, other than keeping the sand totally undisturbed and leaving enough water in the tank that it remains covered - plus, keeping the interim transfer period really short, like a few hours at most. The tank is going to weigh probably at least a few hundred pounds with that much sand and water in it so you'll need several friends and a really good plan. You won't be able to scoop it out or otherwise move it without making it useless AND releasing a lot of dangerous buildup. This is one of the main reasons why in-tank DSBs are not optimal, IMHO. If you want to maintain a DSB in the new setup, maybe you should move it to the sump and build it in a fashion where it would be easier to move or maintain - for instance, put a bunch of small tupperware containers in the sump filled with sand. Then if you want to move or replace a portion (or all) of it, you can just move/replace the tupperwares individually. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/22/2017, 12:57 PM	#3
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	Any sand you move, I'd clean by flushing it in a bucket and a garden hose till it runs clear. I had an 8'+ DSB in my sump. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be when I had to tear that system out (broken 180g tank). I washed all the sand. I used what I needed in my 2 new tanks and sold the rest. No DSB in the new system... yet. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017