Adding Sand...after the fact

jb61264 · 02-23-2009, 12:07 PM

I have had my BioCube 29 running for a good 6 months...I consolidated it down from my 40 breeder tank (don't ask why) which had been established for a good 6 months before that. I have probably around 50lbs of live rock. I have an CPR Aquatics SR3 that is running wonderfully since i installed it a week ago. All of my corals are thriving..I only have some easier corals currently (Anthelia, Zooanthid, Mushrooms, Open Brain, Tongue, ) but want to upgrade my light so I can do clams and acropora and other SPS.

I am considering adding sand (BioCube is currently barebottom) but want to know if there are any precautions I should take or if I should dump the idea altogether. My primary reason for want to add sand is visual and I would like to add a clam or two in the future (after I upgrade my lighting) and thought they would do best in a sandbed.

Is it okay to add sand even though I have live rock on a barebottom tank currently?

Any suggestions, thoughts, ideas would be appreciated.

lcstorc · 02-23-2009, 12:17 PM

I don't see any problem except the inevitable sand storm when you add it. I would turn off the pumps so things don't get all clogged up with sand.
Try adding the sand slowly. If you have room, put a small bowl upside down and pour the sand over it.

BigAl07 · 02-23-2009, 12:35 PM

Ditto to Lynn

It makes a mes but it cleans itself up in a few days

jb61264 · 02-23-2009, 12:50 PM

"Tanks" for the replies

ZAPCOnj · 02-23-2009, 01:55 PM

when adding the sand you may want to do it "by the cup" and slowly pour the sand out in to the tank as close as possible to the bottom. that worked for me in the GF's old tank. I still had a dust storm but not nearly as much as when i dumped the bag in another tank i set up.

BigAl07 · 02-23-2009, 01:56 PM

I did it on a SMALL tank using a PVC tube to contain it down through the water column. Took a while but didn't cause too much of an issue.

redsea reefer · 02-23-2009, 01:59 PM

good idea with the pvc BIGAL07...

jb61264 · 02-23-2009, 05:14 PM

PVC tube...that is a great idea!...I will be giving that one a try...I'd rather take a long time and not have the dust cloud.

Could I also "rinse" the sand in some RO/DI refill water that I use for the tank?..would that also help (no doubt it wouldn't go down a PVC tube very well then...lol)

arizonagrace · 02-23-2009, 05:46 PM

When I added sand, I didn't have pvc tube. I used a tube from an old undergravel filter. It was long enough to get it where I wanted, and small enough that I could control where the sand went.

ReefLady · 02-23-2009, 06:00 PM

Here's what we did - I hope I can explain this well...

We used pvc, but attached the top half of a soda bottle to the end. Cut the top off a 2 ltr soda bottle, so you have the cap end, and a couple inches below that. Cut the cap hole so it's almost as large as the pvc tube. Attach pvc to that (I forget exactly how we attached it, I'm thinking some sort of tape).

You can then rest the flat, cut side of the bottle on the bottom of the tank, and pour the sand through the tube.

You're going to have a sand storm inevitably, but this does help some.

funkpolice · 02-23-2009, 08:28 PM

If you can find an oil change funnel, the really long ones, I bet that would work great.
bill

02-23-2009, 12:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
jb61264 Tubeworm Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nebraska Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Adding Sand...after the fact I have had my BioCube 29 running for a good 6 months...I consolidated it down from my 40 breeder tank (don't ask why) which had been established for a good 6 months before that. I have probably around 50lbs of live rock. I have an CPR Aquatics SR3 that is running wonderfully since i installed it a week ago. All of my corals are thriving..I only have some easier corals currently (Anthelia, Zooanthid, Mushrooms, Open Brain, Tongue, ) but want to upgrade my light so I can do clams and acropora and other SPS. I am considering adding sand (BioCube is currently barebottom) but want to know if there are any precautions I should take or if I should dump the idea altogether. My primary reason for want to add sand is visual and I would like to add a clam or two in the future (after I upgrade my lighting) and thought they would do best in a sandbed. Is it okay to add sand even though I have live rock on a barebottom tank currently? Any suggestions, thoughts, ideas would be appreciated.

02-23-2009, 12:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,437 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact I don't see any problem except the inevitable sand storm when you add it. I would turn off the pumps so things don't get all clogged up with sand. Try adding the sand slowly. If you have room, put a small bowl upside down and pour the sand over it. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

02-23-2009, 12:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact Ditto to Lynn It makes a mes but it cleans itself up in a few days __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

02-23-2009, 12:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
jb61264 Tubeworm Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nebraska Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact "Tanks" for the replies

02-23-2009, 01:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
ZAPCOnj Yes that's me. Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: East of reality Posts: 1,590 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact when adding the sand you may want to do it "by the cup" and slowly pour the sand out in to the tank as close as possible to the bottom. that worked for me in the GF's old tank. I still had a dust storm but not nearly as much as when i dumped the bag in another tank i set up. __________________ My 40 gal Reef...

02-23-2009, 01:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact I did it on a SMALL tank using a PVC tube to contain it down through the water column. Took a while but didn't cause too much of an issue. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

02-23-2009, 01:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
redsea reefer Golden Moray Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: L.A, California Posts: 2,150 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact good idea with the pvc BIGAL07... __________________ Eddie 34g RSM 130 with 45#'s live rock and 30#'s aragonite reef sand. Tunze 9002 skimmer with inTank media rack - Koralia 2 My Tank Thread

02-23-2009, 05:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
jb61264 Tubeworm Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nebraska Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact PVC tube...that is a great idea!...I will be giving that one a try...I'd rather take a long time and not have the dust cloud. Could I also "rinse" the sand in some RO/DI refill water that I use for the tank?..would that also help (no doubt it wouldn't go down a PVC tube very well then...lol)

02-23-2009, 05:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
arizonagrace Cabbage Leather Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 364 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact When I added sand, I didn't have pvc tube. I used a tube from an old undergravel filter. It was long enough to get it where I wanted, and small enough that I could control where the sand went.

02-23-2009, 06:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
ReefLady Tridacna maxima Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 4,590 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact Here's what we did - I hope I can explain this well... We used pvc, but attached the top half of a soda bottle to the end. Cut the top off a 2 ltr soda bottle, so you have the cap end, and a couple inches below that. Cut the cap hole so it's almost as large as the pvc tube. Attach pvc to that (I forget exactly how we attached it, I'm thinking some sort of tape). You can then rest the flat, cut side of the bottle on the bottom of the tank, and pour the sand through the tube. You're going to have a sand storm inevitably, but this does help some. __________________ ~ Teri -------- "You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice." ~(currently tankless)~ Our 180g sps tank / DIY adventure (taken down in late 2006): Our 180g DIY Reef Project ---What's next????

02-23-2009, 08:28 PM	#11 (permalink)
funkpolice Reef Lobster Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Orland Park IL Posts: 1,401 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Adding Sand...after the fact If you can find an oil change funnel, the really long ones, I bet that would work great. bill

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