New sand base question

[stryder]

My 130g reef tank is about 8 months old. I am moving soon and would like to start fresh with the sand bed. I have about 3 inches high of all mixed base. I mean mixed: about 6 different colors and grain sizes of aragonite, mixed broken corals, tons of shells and lots of bits of broken live rock. I was considering trying to get it all to the same looking floor. Should I sift through it and try to keep part of it? Should I just dump a new 2 inches of the same aragonite on top of it? It's very live I'm sure and I don't want to lose those nutriants but it could look better.

I appreciate any thoughts!!
Thanks

 

[BillyZ]

if you're going to be moving then you'll be tearing down the system entirely already. depending on what critters you have in the tank, you might want to consider doing a complete substrate swap as part of the move. You should be able to do this hopefully without starting another cycle.

Basically, when you move, Keep all of your current substrate seperate (in a few buckets or tubs). Set up the new tank with all sand (good old southdown/yardright is your friend!) Include a few good pounds of fresh LS from your LFS or friendly fellow reefers. When your tank has the LR and water returned to it from the old set up (you should keep as much of the water from your tank as you possibly can during the move) Go to the dollar store and buy a box of cheap plain pantyhose. Fill these pantyhose with your old substrate to a managable size. Lay these panty hose directly on the new sand bed. I would use as many pantyhose as you can fit on the new sand bed. Leave them in the new setup for a couple weeks. With the bacteria on your already established LR and in the substrate in the pantyhose you should be able to avoid a cycle (but check your parameters frequently anyway!)

the bacteria and pods/worms etc will spread to the new sand bed over time. After a week or so you can start removing the pantyhose one or two at a time every few days until they're all gone.

 

[jamal-188]

Wow, that's a great idea with the panty hose! I often wonder how I"m going to move everything in a year or two.

 

[stryder]

Wow, that's a great idea!! will all my little worms and pods etc get through the pantyhose?

I was hopefully going to move all the water. I need to pick up about 20 pails with sealable lids. hmmm. THis is going to be a big job. I guess that's what movers and insurance is for

 

[stryder]

What the heck is

(good old southdown/yardright is your friend!)

and where might I find it in Vancouver BC Canada?