replacing crushed coral wiht sand, pics intense

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 06:45 PM

this is my tank before i decided to start taking otu the crushed coral:

this is it 15 minutes after, i am monitoring all levels, becasue i haev 4 fish, and 3 kinds of corals, xenia, yellow plyps, and shrooms

this is it:

i am happy thoguh, becasue right after i took the picture, my xenia opened up, now i know they will be ok.

tomorrow i will suck all my water and rocks out into a 40 gallon rubbermaid bucket, and take soem of the water, mix it vigorously with sand for a few hours, then pour sand in tank, im using southdown, so it is very fine. THis is to help reduve the cloud, i will then mix 15 gallons of salt waer, pour that in, the slowly add the other 15 gallons, trying to make as little dust as possible. i will then try to re aquascape it to what it was before if ican see enough, otherwise i will find some way to make it work.

stick with me i will post what goes on tomorrow, i will start at 1, est, and take lots of pics.

i plan for a 3 inch bed, and i will try not to lose tankmates in the process, i have thought it through, and if sometihing goes wrong, i have a QT tank for fish (10 gallons, only for 1 day maybe) and i can go to my frineds house to keep my corals safe in his 20 gallon reef.

~mike

Dave 32 · 02/21/2006, 06:51 PM

you are very brave

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 06:53 PM

yea ive se nthis happen before, i had a friend who dumped 200 lbs of sandinot a 135 gallon tank, and all his corals and 2 fish came out alive,

i jus tdid an ammonia check and nitrate/trite its allgood, abotu 1/2 hour afetr, and i can see the back fairly clearly, its clearing up very fast

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 06:54 PM

plus, its lie ka hurricane or storm on a reef, stuff gets kicked up im not worried really, ive seen this before

Dave 32 · 02/21/2006, 07:01 PM

I don't think it's that crazy you just need some balls to start it. How deep was your sand bed and how low was it running

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 07:11 PM

it was crushed coral, it was originally when it was a FOWLR 3 inches deep, when i was dumb, the i turned it to reef, and it was abotu 1 inch or less, almost an hour after, adn i can make out the design on my background, but im gonan get an all black one to compliment my corals once i get more money, i turned on my 2 filters, each one with an aded sponge, all my fish are alive and well, ill keep postin till i go to sleep.

im goning to use 50 lbs of southdown, for a 3 inch bed, then wiht the CTARS i will try to seed it, but i am leaving some detrius, adn crushed coral in, (very little) to help get he bilogical part started faster for the sand, even though it wil lget to know some water very well haha

rdmpe · 02/21/2006, 07:13 PM

I set up a 180 and had about 100 lbs of LR in it. Got the LR from another reefer so it was very full of life, tons of hitchikers, coraline, xenia, kenya tree, live clams, etc.

I dumped 450 lbs of southdown in there and it took a solid week or more to clear up. Everything seemed to make it through the mess just fine.

Let's see some more pictures... Here's mine after 12 hours or so

XxDutchxX · 02/21/2006, 07:17 PM

I did that with mine abour 2 years ago and I am glad that I did. IMO the sand looks better then crushed coral and all my levels are perfect.

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 07:24 PM

ywea little over an hour after, i can see my whole back wall, ill post a pic in a sec

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 07:35 PM

about an hour and a half after, all pumps now running, xenia, and yellow plyps all opened up

this real problem might be tomorrow wiht the sand

i will suck otu all the water put it in 40 gallon bucket, lie ki said befoere, put in sand, oput ni 15 galons fake water, put in abotu 14-15 gallons old water, adn let settle, wiht my corals, and possibly fish in the 40 rubbermaid wiht 15 gallons, probably a pump, heater deifnetly, let it clear for a few ours, put them in.. then enjoy

haha

BigReefing · 02/21/2006, 07:40 PM

do you rinse the sand before you put it in, or do you not do that. I am thinking of going to sand. I have a bare bottom and hate it.

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 07:48 PM

what iwas told to do was, do a watwer change, siphon the water into a bucket with the sand. mix the sand up vigorously with the water, put some rubble in there too, do this for a few hours, then whe nthe dust cloud dissapears, put the sand in the tank, but because im puling al lthe water out, im only gonan stir it up, let is sit, then dump the sand in, hoping it wont flow like crazy, ubt because it is very fine it probably will anyways. im going to put a bowl down, to pour the water inot, hoefully diffusing the spray of the water, making the sand get kicked up less, then hopefully in a few hours it will be really clear, but even if its not, they will still be ok, ill post lots of pics tomorrow so you can see BigReefing

mr pink floyd · 02/21/2006, 08:17 PM

coral bedtime, the tank is xclear to the back, you cvan almost see all the way through fro mthe side, you can make out the shape ofthe powerhead

paulpp187 · 02/21/2006, 08:36 PM

just taggin

rdmpe · 02/22/2006, 07:38 AM

So today you are putting the southdown in? I predict you'll have a milkshake for a few days

But no big deal, mine came through that just fine.
Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.
Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.
Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.
Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.
Then your tank will probably be pretty clear.

Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.

Trigeek · 02/22/2006, 08:01 AM

You could cut down on the sand storm if you find a piece of large diameter PVC and funnel it through the PVC to the bottom of the tank. It may be more time consuming initially but should allow the tank to clear rather quickly and you won't have to deal with blowing sand off your corals and rock later on.

Dubbin1 · 02/22/2006, 08:34 AM

Heres the trick to keep from getting a sandstorm. Lay a trash bag on top of the sand before adding the water.

This picture was taken while the water was going in.

This picture was taken later that same day

mr pink floyd · 02/22/2006, 09:40 AM

yea i am going to go with dubbins idea, also what i posted earlier about what AGU aaid, so its double safe, thing thing abotu my corals is, i only have a like corals, xenia, and tyellow polyps, i fdont have much light, so i only do softies shrooms and zoos soon, my shrroms, wee you cant kill those things anyway

this post is mainly a bump, becasue its 10 am and thwe sand doesnt go in until about 130

if this starts to go down, someone please bump, after 1 it qwill be all good, i pick up sand at one, and 40 gallon bucket, siphon 90 percent ater out, put LR in tub, catch my fish, hopefulyl not stressign them otu too bad!, while doign this im mixing sand with soem WC water, pour all the sand in, pour in 15 gallons fresh saltwater, let is it, pour in more water from bucket (i dont have a CL yet so i cant pump it in) put fish and lr in, finish getting water in, mix up another 5 2-3 gall if needed!

mr pink floyd · 02/22/2006, 10:08 AM

bump

mr pink floyd · 02/22/2006, 01:44 PM

my tank looks liek operation desert storm, now my dads a mart guy, but not to listening. i told him id put water in gallon by gallon over the garbagse bag, i walked away for 2 seconds, he was a 5 gallon full dumping intot he tank, now im behind a little on my plans

i also blew up my heater, i unplugged it, but i left it resting pn the strip, it fell back in a little, must have made conact, then it started to smoke so i knew i had to blow it up in the water, so i filled up the sink dipped it in, ducked and covered, but this give me an excuse to go get a heater where ican choose the exact temp!

ill try to post pics later

Dubbin1 · 02/22/2006, 01:51 PM

Dads can be a pain sometimes. Just ask my daughter and she will tell ya

mr pink floyd · 02/22/2006, 02:15 PM

here are those pictures, a little late, but oh well,

mr pink floyd · 02/22/2006, 03:59 PM

i have 4 fish in a tub wiht maybe 15 gallons of water, and 2 of my good fish in a dirty 10 gallon, but i must think the coniditon must be better, the temp is about 72 in the tub, im putting in hot water to raise it up, the sand storm is still very cloudy, ive heard the fish will survive in this, ut im a little weary abot umy corals, or the fish suckin this sand up, i hope it clear within a day or two, otherwise ill haev to find new temp. homes

any suggestions on what to do, should i turn off my filters? my powerhead is off, but my 2 filters are runnin weiht spoinges to help suck stufff up

ANY IDEAS!?!?!?!

please help

paulpp187 · 02/22/2006, 04:02 PM

trigeek good idea i'm gonna try that

Valab · 02/22/2006, 04:04 PM

Didn't catch why you are doing this (?)..........

02/21/2006, 06:45 PM	#1
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	replacing crushed coral wiht sand, pics intense this is my tank before i decided to start taking otu the crushed coral: this is it 15 minutes after, i am monitoring all levels, becasue i haev 4 fish, and 3 kinds of corals, xenia, yellow plyps, and shrooms this is it: i am happy thoguh, becasue right after i took the picture, my xenia opened up, now i know they will be ok. tomorrow i will suck all my water and rocks out into a 40 gallon rubbermaid bucket, and take soem of the water, mix it vigorously with sand for a few hours, then pour sand in tank, im using southdown, so it is very fine. THis is to help reduve the cloud, i will then mix 15 gallons of salt waer, pour that in, the slowly add the other 15 gallons, trying to make as little dust as possible. i will then try to re aquascape it to what it was before if ican see enough, otherwise i will find some way to make it work. stick with me i will post what goes on tomorrow, i will start at 1, est, and take lots of pics. i plan for a 3 inch bed, and i will try not to lose tankmates in the process, i have thought it through, and if sometihing goes wrong, i have a QT tank for fish (10 gallons, only for 1 day maybe) and i can go to my frineds house to keep my corals safe in his 20 gallon reef. ~mike

02/21/2006, 07:17 PM	#8
XxDutchxX Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: CT Posts: 1,240	I did that with mine abour 2 years ago and I am glad that I did. IMO the sand looks better then crushed coral and all my levels are perfect. __________________ Dad what's a blow hole for? I'll tell you what it's not for, son. And when I do, you'll understand why I can never go back to Sea World.-PG Current Tank Info: none atm, moving in the fall

02/21/2006, 06:51 PM	#2
Dave 32 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New York, L.I. Posts: 51	you are very brave

02/21/2006, 06:53 PM	#3
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	yea ive se nthis happen before, i had a friend who dumped 200 lbs of sandinot a 135 gallon tank, and all his corals and 2 fish came out alive, i jus tdid an ammonia check and nitrate/trite its allgood, abotu 1/2 hour afetr, and i can see the back fairly clearly, its clearing up very fast

02/21/2006, 06:54 PM	#4
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	plus, its lie ka hurricane or storm on a reef, stuff gets kicked up im not worried really, ive seen this before

02/21/2006, 07:01 PM	#5
Dave 32 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New York, L.I. Posts: 51	I don't think it's that crazy you just need some balls to start it. How deep was your sand bed and how low was it running

02/21/2006, 07:11 PM	#6
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	it was crushed coral, it was originally when it was a FOWLR 3 inches deep, when i was dumb, the i turned it to reef, and it was abotu 1 inch or less, almost an hour after, adn i can make out the design on my background, but im gonan get an all black one to compliment my corals once i get more money, i turned on my 2 filters, each one with an aded sponge, all my fish are alive and well, ill keep postin till i go to sleep. im goning to use 50 lbs of southdown, for a 3 inch bed, then wiht the CTARS i will try to seed it, but i am leaving some detrius, adn crushed coral in, (very little) to help get he bilogical part started faster for the sand, even though it wil lget to know some water very well haha

02/21/2006, 07:13 PM	#7
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	I set up a 180 and had about 100 lbs of LR in it. Got the LR from another reefer so it was very full of life, tons of hitchikers, coraline, xenia, kenya tree, live clams, etc. I dumped 450 lbs of southdown in there and it took a solid week or more to clear up. Everything seemed to make it through the mess just fine. Let's see some more pictures... Here's mine after 12 hours or so

02/21/2006, 07:24 PM	#9
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	ywea little over an hour after, i can see my whole back wall, ill post a pic in a sec

02/21/2006, 07:35 PM	#10
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	about an hour and a half after, all pumps now running, xenia, and yellow plyps all opened up this real problem might be tomorrow wiht the sand i will suck otu all the water put it in 40 gallon bucket, lie ki said befoere, put in sand, oput ni 15 galons fake water, put in abotu 14-15 gallons old water, adn let settle, wiht my corals, and possibly fish in the 40 rubbermaid wiht 15 gallons, probably a pump, heater deifnetly, let it clear for a few ours, put them in.. then enjoy haha

02/21/2006, 07:40 PM	#11
BigReefing Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 454	do you rinse the sand before you put it in, or do you not do that. I am thinking of going to sand. I have a bare bottom and hate it.

02/21/2006, 07:48 PM	#12
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	what iwas told to do was, do a watwer change, siphon the water into a bucket with the sand. mix the sand up vigorously with the water, put some rubble in there too, do this for a few hours, then whe nthe dust cloud dissapears, put the sand in the tank, but because im puling al lthe water out, im only gonan stir it up, let is sit, then dump the sand in, hoping it wont flow like crazy, ubt because it is very fine it probably will anyways. im going to put a bowl down, to pour the water inot, hoefully diffusing the spray of the water, making the sand get kicked up less, then hopefully in a few hours it will be really clear, but even if its not, they will still be ok, ill post lots of pics tomorrow so you can see BigReefing

02/21/2006, 08:17 PM	#13
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	coral bedtime, the tank is xclear to the back, you cvan almost see all the way through fro mthe side, you can make out the shape ofthe powerhead

02/21/2006, 08:36 PM	#14
paulpp187 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Putnam,CT Posts: 1,800	just taggin

02/22/2006, 07:38 AM	#15
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	So today you are putting the southdown in? I predict you'll have a milkshake for a few days But no big deal, mine came through that just fine. Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness. Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness. Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness. Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness. Then your tank will probably be pretty clear. Then you'll have to blow off your LR, more cloudiness.

02/22/2006, 08:01 AM	#16
Trigeek Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Broward County, FL Posts: 638	You could cut down on the sand storm if you find a piece of large diameter PVC and funnel it through the PVC to the bottom of the tank. It may be more time consuming initially but should allow the tank to clear rather quickly and you won't have to deal with blowing sand off your corals and rock later on.

02/22/2006, 08:34 AM	#17
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	Heres the trick to keep from getting a sandstorm. Lay a trash bag on top of the sand before adding the water. This picture was taken while the water was going in. This picture was taken later that same day

02/22/2006, 09:40 AM	#18
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	yea i am going to go with dubbins idea, also what i posted earlier about what AGU aaid, so its double safe, thing thing abotu my corals is, i only have a like corals, xenia, and tyellow polyps, i fdont have much light, so i only do softies shrooms and zoos soon, my shrroms, wee you cant kill those things anyway this post is mainly a bump, becasue its 10 am and thwe sand doesnt go in until about 130 if this starts to go down, someone please bump, after 1 it qwill be all good, i pick up sand at one, and 40 gallon bucket, siphon 90 percent ater out, put LR in tub, catch my fish, hopefulyl not stressign them otu too bad!, while doign this im mixing sand with soem WC water, pour all the sand in, pour in 15 gallons fresh saltwater, let is it, pour in more water from bucket (i dont have a CL yet so i cant pump it in) put fish and lr in, finish getting water in, mix up another 5 2-3 gall if needed!

02/22/2006, 10:08 AM	#19
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	bump

02/22/2006, 01:44 PM	#20
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	my tank looks liek operation desert storm, now my dads a mart guy, but not to listening. i told him id put water in gallon by gallon over the garbagse bag, i walked away for 2 seconds, he was a 5 gallon full dumping intot he tank, now im behind a little on my plans i also blew up my heater, i unplugged it, but i left it resting pn the strip, it fell back in a little, must have made conact, then it started to smoke so i knew i had to blow it up in the water, so i filled up the sink dipped it in, ducked and covered, but this give me an excuse to go get a heater where ican choose the exact temp! ill try to post pics later

02/22/2006, 01:51 PM	#21
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	Dads can be a pain sometimes. Just ask my daughter and she will tell ya

02/22/2006, 02:15 PM	#22
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	here are those pictures, a little late, but oh well,

02/22/2006, 03:59 PM	#23
mr pink floyd Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: west hartford, CT Posts: 3,480	i have 4 fish in a tub wiht maybe 15 gallons of water, and 2 of my good fish in a dirty 10 gallon, but i must think the coniditon must be better, the temp is about 72 in the tub, im putting in hot water to raise it up, the sand storm is still very cloudy, ive heard the fish will survive in this, ut im a little weary abot umy corals, or the fish suckin this sand up, i hope it clear within a day or two, otherwise ill haev to find new temp. homes any suggestions on what to do, should i turn off my filters? my powerhead is off, but my 2 filters are runnin weiht spoinges to help suck stufff up ANY IDEAS!?!?!?! please help

02/22/2006, 04:02 PM	#24
paulpp187 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Putnam,CT Posts: 1,800	trigeek good idea i'm gonna try that

02/22/2006, 04:04 PM	#25
Valab Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Wash DC Posts: 242	Didn't catch why you are doing this (?)..........