Can you transfer "old" DSB when upgrading to new tank

mistybellis · 09/25/2006, 10:34 AM

I don't think I am going to take the risk, but I was just wondering if you could use your old DSB when upgrading to a new tank. What would this do to the cycling process? What other considerations would there be? Just curious...........

reefbuzz · 09/25/2006, 10:38 AM

DSB sand is certainly transferable but microorganisms in the lower layers are anoxic, thus they will die upon exposure to oxygen. However, live sand is better than new sand, so do it; it will become re-established quicker than a brand new DSB for sure. I'd wait a while for livestock until you're sure of a cycle.

mistybellis · 09/25/2006, 10:40 AM

Should I mix up the old sand with the new sand?

papagimp · 09/25/2006, 10:56 AM

When I moved 3inches of LS from my 29g to my 55g I mixed the new with old a little bit, but for the most part left the old stuff on the bottom. I agree with reefbuzz, wait for the cycle, Mine spiked nitrite and ammonia pretty good after setting up the 55g with only the sand.

mistybellis · 09/25/2006, 10:59 AM

Okay, here is what I have for my new 75g tank:

Sand:

120 lbs of Southdown Sand
20 lb of CaribSea Life Aragonite Sand
20 lbs of Natures Ocean Samoa Pink Sand
=160 pounds currently storming up the new 75g tank

I'm not sure how much Southdown I have in my 29g tank, but I will add all of this Live Sand to the new tank tonight.

Rock:

30 lbs LR (currently in my 29g tank)
54 lb of rock (in new tank)
=84 lbs of "LR" I think for the new tank

I plan to put my clownfish in a 10g holding tank with nothing but a powerhead, some PVC, a heater, Seaclone PS, and a light for a while with 10g water from his current tank. Will he be okay in that while my new tank cycles for the next 2 months?

mistybellis · 09/25/2006, 11:04 AM

Okay, I already have my "new" sand in place in the 75g tank. Is it okay to just put the old tank live sand on top of that and mix it up a bit?

I do not plan to put a single living creature in this tank until probably between Halloween & Thanksgiving, provided the water parameters allow for this. At that time I plan to introduce a clean up crew only. Is this a good idea?

mg426 · 09/25/2006, 11:17 AM

I just moved my DSB from my refugium 29 gallon to a new 30 gallon. I also used sand from my sons 75 that he took down. Nothing bad happened to my tank. No nitrate or ammonia spikes ant all.I never let the sand dry out and It was only in a bucket for a couple of hours.

imtheonlylp · 09/25/2006, 01:23 PM

160lbs? that sounds like a LOT of sand...according to www.saltwaterfish.com's calculator, a 48"x18" tank with a 1.5" sandbed only uses 70lb of sand....one with 4.5" uses 157lb...how deep are you planning on going with yours?

mistybellis · 09/25/2006, 01:35 PM

My plan was to go with a 4" to 6" DSB. That seems to be what I have heard to do, but I'm open to suggestions. Maybe I'm getting carried away with it

imtheonlylp · 09/25/2006, 01:41 PM

according to the "substrate choice" sticky thread, a shallow sand bed with a sump will work...of course it doesnt necessarily hurt to have a DSB...but if you want to be cost-conscious, then a shallow sand bed would be the way to go...but since you already have all that then youre good to go! i'm about to replace my crushed coral this weekend with aragonite pink fiji...not a task i'm looking forward to...planning on getting 60lbs of sand to do the job..

bertoni · 09/25/2006, 08:46 PM

I'd use the top 2" of sand from the old sandbed. That contains most of the animals. The rest can be used as filler, if you want. Place the original top 2" of sand on top and don't mix, stir, etc, any more than needed.

Lpabsolute · 09/25/2006, 08:54 PM

You can use old sand when setting up a new tank, but then again why would u? I would go with new sand if it was me. I was also don't like that much sand in my tank. I think it just takes away from the overall look of the tank. In some cases you need a deep sand bed, but i just think it's a waste of money and looks....

Trigeek · 09/25/2006, 09:26 PM

I am just setting up a new 90g and put in a whole new DSB (about 5-6 inches). I had one in the old tank for about 6 years. What I did was atke a few cupfuls from the top of the old bed to seed the new bed. Also, got some sand from two LFS stores (about a cup each from established display tanks). Everything's been in for 8 days now, critters are covering the glass and I'm beginning to see some good worm holes in the bed next to the glass, so things are taking off well. No ammonia or nitrites and nitrates are > 5.

09/25/2006, 10:34 AM	#1
mistybellis Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hazard, Kentucky Posts: 385	Can you transfer "old" DSB when upgrading to new tank I don't think I am going to take the risk, but I was just wondering if you could use your old DSB when upgrading to a new tank. What would this do to the cycling process? What other considerations would there be? Just curious........... __________________ I hate the work.....but love the results :) Current Tank Info: 75g, 6" SD DSB, Lifereef Prefilter, CLF1 Sump, Lifereef Skimmer, 175W 10000K MH, 70+lb LR, 4 Maxijet PH

09/25/2006, 10:38 AM	#2
reefbuzz Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Seneca, NY Posts: 219	DSB sand is certainly transferable but microorganisms in the lower layers are anoxic, thus they will die upon exposure to oxygen. However, live sand is better than new sand, so do it; it will become re-established quicker than a brand new DSB for sure. I'd wait a while for livestock until you're sure of a cycle. __________________ ><((((º> Current Tank Info: Elos System 80 & 300g in wall

09/25/2006, 10:40 AM	#3
mistybellis Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hazard, Kentucky Posts: 385	Should I mix up the old sand with the new sand? __________________ I hate the work.....but love the results :) Current Tank Info: 75g, 6" SD DSB, Lifereef Prefilter, CLF1 Sump, Lifereef Skimmer, 175W 10000K MH, 70+lb LR, 4 Maxijet PH

09/25/2006, 10:56 AM	#4
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	When I moved 3inches of LS from my 29g to my 55g I mixed the new with old a little bit, but for the most part left the old stuff on the bottom. I agree with reefbuzz, wait for the cycle, Mine spiked nitrite and ammonia pretty good after setting up the 55g with only the sand. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/25/2006, 10:59 AM	#5
mistybellis Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hazard, Kentucky Posts: 385	Okay, here is what I have for my new 75g tank: Sand: 120 lbs of Southdown Sand 20 lb of CaribSea Life Aragonite Sand 20 lbs of Natures Ocean Samoa Pink Sand =160 pounds currently storming up the new 75g tank I'm not sure how much Southdown I have in my 29g tank, but I will add all of this Live Sand to the new tank tonight. Rock: 30 lbs LR (currently in my 29g tank) 54 lb of rock (in new tank) =84 lbs of "LR" I think for the new tank I plan to put my clownfish in a 10g holding tank with nothing but a powerhead, some PVC, a heater, Seaclone PS, and a light for a while with 10g water from his current tank. Will he be okay in that while my new tank cycles for the next 2 months? __________________ I hate the work.....but love the results :) Current Tank Info: 75g, 6" SD DSB, Lifereef Prefilter, CLF1 Sump, Lifereef Skimmer, 175W 10000K MH, 70+lb LR, 4 Maxijet PH

09/25/2006, 11:04 AM	#6
mistybellis Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hazard, Kentucky Posts: 385	Okay, I already have my "new" sand in place in the 75g tank. Is it okay to just put the old tank live sand on top of that and mix it up a bit? I do not plan to put a single living creature in this tank until probably between Halloween & Thanksgiving, provided the water parameters allow for this. At that time I plan to introduce a clean up crew only. Is this a good idea? __________________ I hate the work.....but love the results :) Current Tank Info: 75g, 6" SD DSB, Lifereef Prefilter, CLF1 Sump, Lifereef Skimmer, 175W 10000K MH, 70+lb LR, 4 Maxijet PH

09/25/2006, 11:17 AM	#7
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I just moved my DSB from my refugium 29 gallon to a new 30 gallon. I also used sand from my sons 75 that he took down. Nothing bad happened to my tank. No nitrate or ammonia spikes ant all.I never let the sand dry out and It was only in a bucket for a couple of hours. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/25/2006, 01:23 PM	#8
imtheonlylp Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Columbus, Ga Posts: 465	160lbs? that sounds like a LOT of sand...according to www.saltwaterfish.com's calculator, a 48"x18" tank with a 1.5" sandbed only uses 70lb of sand....one with 4.5" uses 157lb...how deep are you planning on going with yours? __________________ "Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man" - Jimmy Lyons Current Tank Info: 75g glass, 20g sump/refugium, QueenTS200, CA2300 return pump, (2) AquaClear4000 powerheads

09/25/2006, 01:35 PM	#9
mistybellis Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hazard, Kentucky Posts: 385	My plan was to go with a 4" to 6" DSB. That seems to be what I have heard to do, but I'm open to suggestions. Maybe I'm getting carried away with it __________________ I hate the work.....but love the results :) Current Tank Info: 75g, 6" SD DSB, Lifereef Prefilter, CLF1 Sump, Lifereef Skimmer, 175W 10000K MH, 70+lb LR, 4 Maxijet PH

09/25/2006, 01:41 PM	#10
imtheonlylp Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Columbus, Ga Posts: 465	according to the "substrate choice" sticky thread, a shallow sand bed with a sump will work...of course it doesnt necessarily hurt to have a DSB...but if you want to be cost-conscious, then a shallow sand bed would be the way to go...but since you already have all that then youre good to go! i'm about to replace my crushed coral this weekend with aragonite pink fiji...not a task i'm looking forward to...planning on getting 60lbs of sand to do the job.. __________________ "Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man" - Jimmy Lyons Current Tank Info: 75g glass, 20g sump/refugium, QueenTS200, CA2300 return pump, (2) AquaClear4000 powerheads

09/25/2006, 08:46 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd use the top 2" of sand from the old sandbed. That contains most of the animals. The rest can be used as filler, if you want. Place the original top 2" of sand on top and don't mix, stir, etc, any more than needed. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/25/2006, 08:54 PM	#12
Lpabsolute Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Johns Island, SC Posts: 2,021	You can use old sand when setting up a new tank, but then again why would u? I would go with new sand if it was me. I was also don't like that much sand in my tank. I think it just takes away from the overall look of the tank. In some cases you need a deep sand bed, but i just think it's a waste of money and looks.... __________________ "Do not float above me when I'm drowning in the abyss......float away from me.........float away" Current Tank Info: 54g Corner Reef Tank......and......5.5g Nano Reef Tank......and......20g Long Reef Tank.......and......27g Cube

09/25/2006, 09:26 PM	#13
Trigeek Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Broward County, FL Posts: 638	I am just setting up a new 90g and put in a whole new DSB (about 5-6 inches). I had one in the old tank for about 6 years. What I did was atke a few cupfuls from the top of the old bed to seed the new bed. Also, got some sand from two LFS stores (about a cup each from established display tanks). Everything's been in for 8 days now, critters are covering the glass and I'm beginning to see some good worm holes in the bed next to the glass, so things are taking off well. No ammonia or nitrites and nitrates are > 5.