Process for adding live sand to an established tank

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

stan450z

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
225
Id like to add about 10 of live sand pounds which I do every few months as some get removed during my PWCs. Last time i did that I added all 10 at once, and had a tank crash a week later, and immediate diatom problems which still exist for 4 months now. I have added 10 pounds all at once before, just cloudy for a few hours then winds up ok. I have a 75g.

Within a week after I added sand I added some fish (not sure it was related) - I had a big die off.

Before the addition I had 1 hippo, 1 b+w damsel, 2 blue and yellow damsels. These were troopers who I have had for 7 years now.

I added a potters angel, 5 blue green chromis, fire angel, and psudochromis.

Everything died and all that remained was 1 blue green chromis, one blue and yellow damsel and the fire angel.

Buying a wavemaker to help with flow to end any algae/diatom issues and think I will just add 1-2 cups of sand once a day slowly. I did this once before too and limited the cloudyness.

Any advice here? Was my sand addition too much, or the addition of fish too much? My sand bed is 1 inch all throughout and I think I want to add 20 pounds to get it up to 3 inches or so.
 
When you say live sand,do you mean the sand that is sold in bags that is wet and seeded?
Or is the sand coming from another tank etc.
Or is it just dry sand?

Also,how are you losing sand from doing pwc's?

Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
I've never lost sand during a water change I never suck the sand, I always put my siphon
hose about 3/4 the way in , as for adding sand I always add it like a cup every other day when its needed
 
When you say live sand,do you mean the sand that is sold in bags that is wet and seeded?
Or is the sand coming from another tank etc.
Or is it just dry sand?

Also,how are you losing sand from doing pwc's?

Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice


Yes, It is wet sand in bags. I have never taken sand from another tank. Should I just start using dry sand/gravel m in bags from now on?

I siphon thru the sand in the corners with my Python hose to get rid of some debris and if I have stuff growing on my sand. Like I said I obviously have a flow issue so i am getting a wave maker and also have cut my lighting in half.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
I'm speaking of sand like the Carib sea sand that is sold.Using that and just adding a couple cups every few days should be fine.The other sands need to be rinsed and rinsed in RO water before adding to the tank.I would stagger adding it over a period of time to avoid Dino outbreaks.
You are on the right track in adding flow and cutting back feeding ,you should not have to vacuum the sand at all in a reef tank.Your flow and filtration should keep your sand bed clean with the help of a few hermits and maybe a fighting conch.
Hippo tang needs bigger than 75 gallon tank.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
I'm speaking of sand like the Carib sea sand that is sold.Using that and just adding a couple cups every few days should be fine.The other sands need to be rinsed and rinsed in RO water before adding to the tank.I would stagger adding it over a period of time to avoid Dino outbreaks.
You are on the right track in adding flow and cutting back feeding ,you should not have to vacuum the sand at all in a reef tank.Your flow and filtration should keep your sand bed clean with the help of a few hermits and maybe a fighting conch.
Hippo tang needs bigger than 75 gallon tank.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice[/

Yup I use Carib sea. Will add gradually. Thx.

btw did you think my new fish addition was too big? Still mysterious to me how so many died off including existing fish I had in there for years. Must have been an ammonia spike?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Adding all those fish is a huge shock to the established system and easily could have overwhelmed the beneficial bacteria, effectively giving your tank another cycle.
 
Adding all those fish is a huge shock to the established system and easily could have overwhelmed the beneficial bacteria, effectively giving your tank another cycle.


Thought so. I think my next move will be to add some blue green chromis. I only have 1 survivor and want to get a nice school. They are small guys. Is adding 4/5 going to be too much? Going forward I'm only going to add 1 fish at a time.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
I agree with Hank. I never add more than one fish a week to my 180g or 90g reefs that have been established for some time. Also, as a frame of reference, I have 8 fish in my 90g and feel that is pretty heavily stocked. The amount you had before the crash seems really heavy for a 75g.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
Back
Top Bottom