remember the tank overhaul.....well, its time

[dieselndixie]

So I just want to run this by everyone and see what the deal is. I am going to be removing the CC in my 55g, and replacing it with sand. I will also be adding about 40 lbs of homeade LR.

My setup is 55g with a 15gall sump and a 15gall refugium. The fuge has a 5" sand bed that has been in there for about 6 weeks. Tank has been running for about 8 months.

So, my plan is to use about 5-6 rubbermaids and place rock in one, some fish in one, some fish in another, corals in one, snails crabs in one, shrimp and more corals in another. meanwhile.....siphon water from the tank to fill these rubbermaids, with some fresh saltwater.

add a heater to the rubbermaids (may have to just cut the AC off to keep them all the same temp. add a powerhead to each rubbermaid.

meanwhile.....scoop all the CC out of the main tank...give the glass a good scrub down, and add the rock, and pour the sand in...I am going to have abour 1.5 " of sand in there. then, add about 50% fresh saltwater, and the other 50% from the rubbermaids.....slowly start adding things back to the tank...

does this sound right, can you see any flaws in my methods? any tips?

thanks all...this is going to be a big change!

[caferacermike]

Personally I'd get enough dry aragonite to make up your tank to a 3" sandbed. A 3" bed with some sand shifters will help stabilize the tank and help process wastes. I've heard you can either mix it or put it down first with your live sand on top. It will quickly seed over.

[thedude]

I like your 1.5" sand bed personally as it is thin enough that no anoxic zones will ever happen. It also gives you the ability to replace the sand fairly easily should you ever want to.

You never said though... what kind of sand are you using?

John

[aquarius]

if at all possible, have a canister filter on hand, and run it with some fresh carbon for a few days. that way you can get the water relatively clear before having to start adding livestock again.

[caferacermike]

John may I inquire why you recommend a 1.5" sandbed? When I started DSb were all the rage. I haven't heard of them falling out yet. I thought I remembered seeing a 4" bed in your large display tank at the shop? I realize you need to keep them slightly stirred which is why I recommended a few sifters. I would appreciate reading your opinions so I can weigh tem with what I had previously heard.

[thedude]

I agree that DSB were all the rage approximately two years ago. Before that, it was the 1-2inch sand bed, and before that it was Berlin (bare bottom). Now we went back to bare-bottom and right now, I think everyone agrees a little sand is very attractive. Anyway, I'll lay out my opinions (for what they're worth).

No sand (aka Berlin method, bare-bottom):

Great way to see the exact waste a tank actually makes. Detritus is easily removed through a simple suction and water change. Glass is more prone to breaking during a rock slide (explaining many people's use of starboard material). I've run a tank this way, and I won't ever do it again (unless in a QT fashion). My nutrients were actually too LOW, and the tank in general wasn't as pretty. A tank in this fashion also lacks the biodiversity associated with a sand bed.

DSB (deep sand bed as in greater than 4"):

Originally developed as a more "natural" method of dealing with nutrients. This method is in fact not natural at all as this is a closed system with a limiting amount of sand. In the ocean, sand beds continue to FEET not inches and the waste created by fish is able to be completely broken down or transported away. This being said, a DSB is a great method but requires you to view your DSB as any other animal in the tank. This animal needs to be fed (fish waste), its waste must be dealt with (stirring with detrivores, sand-sifting organisms, etc.), and it must not be neglected. One other thing to mention is that once established the deepest part of the bed is toxic, and can not be exposed to animals. I personally would only keep a tank like this for a specific sand species, such as a jawfish.

Jaubert (aka plenum system):

This is essentially a system designed to export a DSB's wastes. Never tried one, never read of one that actually worked long term.

SSB (aka shallow sand bed of less than 3")

This is really a mixture looking for the diversity associated with a sand bed, with no anoxic areas. I like these beds because they can easily be changed, they can be gravel vacuumed, and they offer the beauty of sand. These two need to be treated as the animal they are and cared for accordingly. I love the look of sand, but like the nutrient export of a BB tank. Therefore, I use a SSB that I replace yearly to bi yearly and vacuum every half year or so.

On another note, I've never seen sand act as much of a PH stabilizer until you move animals from a sand bed tank to a bare-bottomed tank (such as a QT). In those situations it is crucial to monitor PH.

[Enigma13]

I have read in several different sources that the worst situation is a sand bed between 2" and 4". It isn't deep enough to get the benefits of a DSB and it is too deep to properly vacuum and keep stirred.

I think that John's post has this sort of implied, but I wanted to make sure it was stated clearly. That said I agree that 1.5" inches sounds great. That is about what I have in my display. Seems to be plenty for aesthetics and to keep my nassarius and sand sifting star happy and it is easy to vacuum when I do water changes.

[dieselndixie]

also....I have a 5" sand bed in my fuge...thats why i figured the 1.5" was the way to go

so, does the rest of the procedures sound right?

I am leaning toawrds the regular aragonite...but that tahitian moon sand still has some appeal to me...just that most say it looks bad after time...i just dont know for sure...gonna make my mind up very soon