Adding Live Sand?

[Kelso]

How do I go about adding live sand to an already existing reef tank?

I dont have much in there and my sand bed always looks dirty. My buddy has nothing but live sand in his tank, bout 2" thick. Hes got nothing on the ground its pure clean white. He says it stays that way so he never really siphons it. Also hes got the same bacteria as in my tank, except mine grows on the sand his dosent.

 

[kdogg85]

What do you mean by "don't have much in there?" What is the "same bacteria?"

 

[cmor1701d]

You can add sand on top of what you already have, just don't add more than about a ½" at a time.
That will not cure your problem. The new sand will just get dirty. Compare your feeding schedules, foods and amount, cleanup crew, lighting and pwc schedules.

Bacteria coat the sand particles as they do every surface in a tank. You cannot see them with the naked eye. What you are seeing is probably diatoms or algea on the sand bed.

 

[David S]

is it a rusty/brown colour,if so as cmor has said-diatoms.

 

[Kelso]

Yes it is a rusty brown.

Sorry by same bacteria I meant to say that we both have a brown algae growing in our tanks. I don't know why I didn't write that, thought I did just realized I didn't.

When you said 1/2 cup at a time, how long should I wait in-between adding it? And you are talking live sand right? Where do these diatoms come from? Sorry and what do you mean by compare all those things?

 

[cmor1701d]

I said ½", not cup. Adding new sand on top on exisiting sand will bury and kill the beneficial bacteria if you add too much. About a ½" coating spaced 2- 4 weeks apart doesn't kill the bacteria in the top sand layers and allows the new sand to become fully inegrated into your tank.

Where is this brown algae growing in both tanks?

 

[Kelso]

In my tank it's growing in little bunches on the rock and sand. In his tank it's on the walls and rock, not the sand.

Ok, again don't know how I didn't realize the " after the 1/2. My only worry is I read something about someone adding live sand and it shot there ammonia and nitrates way up and killed a bunch of livestock. Dont want that to happen.

 

[thincat]

So my suggestion is to do as Cmor said and you won't have the die off.
No die off no ammonia. problem solved!