OK, DSB it is then

[ashearier]

I would like to add a DSB to my 55g tank. I wish I would have done this in the first place. I really don't know what to do. I have an inch of crushed coral that I got from an established tank along with fifty or more pounds of LR in the tank. I also have snails, crabs, anenomes, and fish, including a Blue Mandarin Goby.

What would be the best way to go about adding sand?
Playsand? Will it spike the toxins?
How can I keep the pod population up? Can the pods just be covered in the new sand and be ok?

I could ask a ton of Q's but I'll leave it at this for now. I hope there is an easy solution to my problem here. I only want what is best.

 

[Barney]

get the crushed corals out and replace it with sand. the sand will settle down to the bottom of the crushed corals eventually and you will end up with crushed corals on the top. also sand sifter will not do well in crushed corals.

since you have live rock, try taking out half of the tanks cc and replcing with sand. try to get "southdown" from home depot. after about 2 weeks take the remaining other half of cc and finish with sand.

hope this helps.

 

[BillyZ]

We've actualy just added a new article to our articles section for changing your substrate. Give it a look, I think it will help you out quite a bit.

 

[ashearier]

I hope I can do this as easily as the article says. That is the plan then. Move all the rock to one side, add the new sand, put the rock back. Wait for a few weeks and do the same on the other side.

Would you recommend rinsing the sand first?
Will the Goby have enough to eat still?

 

[BillyZ]

if all you have in there now is 1" of CC, there's probalby not a lot in there for it to begin with. Also note, if you are currently planning on simply adding the sand on top of the CC, the sand will eventually settle through the CC and the CC will rise to the top. You'll want to remove the CC completely and replace it with the sand (about 4" minimum)

this will make a heck of a mess of your tank for a while... lost of dust etc floating around. just be forewarned.

because your tank is already set up and you have fish in it.. many folks will sugest rinsing in an effort to minimize the silt. the only drawback is that the silt you're rinsing out can be beneficial to your DSB. It's basically a matter of opinion, and how much patience you have to wait for everything to settle back down.

 

[ashearier]

I will probably rinse the sand. I don't need any more risk than there already is. I will use the two-liter bottle method or possible set in some sort of divider for the replacement and settling period. Then remove it and replace the rock and wait, then repeat. How does that sound? I even found some Southdown in my area for seven bucks for fifty pounds.

I get mixed opinions on the DSB. In the forum here everyone is all about it. The LFS guy says that it will trap nitrates. He has varied depths of CC. I know it is opinions, but I really believe that the DSB is the best. I am having a hard time talking my wife into the DSB thing.

I have been having a bad green hair algae problem on the CC. Would adding the DSB have a big affect on algae growth in my tank?

Sorry for the long and interrogating threads. I just have a need to soak in the knowledge in here. Thanks for the help.

 

[BillyZ]

no need to apologize. asking questions is the whole point of this web site.

your LFS may be under the impression your going to have a DSB with CC (a DCCB if you will) that would ineed seem like it would trap nitrates. Never heard of anyone doing this though. The theory behind the DSB is that the point of having it deep creates an area near the bottom where oxygen starved bacteria take oxygen from the nitrates which breaks them down.

Folks with FO tanks aren't as concerned with nitrates as reef keepers are, which may be why you are hearing different opinions. Are you going for FO or reef?

 

[BillyZ]

btw... the DSB won't do alot for the algae, but will help some. Algae problems are usualy from either poor water being used for top-offs and changes (you should be using RO water) or from overstocking/over feeding. Algae is also just common in younger tanks as there is still enough nutrients floating through the water to keep the algae fed while the tank is still establishing the natural filtration that will eventually remove those nutrients for you.