i got some live sand to replace my ugly looking crushed coral/pebbles. the man at the lfs told me that i should go slowly with it, suggesting to replace the old bottom with the new sand 1/3 of the tank at a time. i was just going to push all of my rocks to one side of the tank, and take out crushed coral, and put the sand in, then repeat with the other side about 3 weeks later. will i harm anything by doing this? also was thinking about maybe scrubbing some algae off of the rocks at the same time. would this be safe? would just take a rock, put it in a 5 gal. bucket with old saltwater, and take a scrub brush to it. bad idea? thanks a lot.
will it re-cycle?
- Thread starter boots1302
- Start date
daugherty
part time reefer
yes do it slow take someting like a little sheet of acryllic and section off the sandbed take out some and add the new that way you can prevent it from all mixing together
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
+1 daugherty....slow and careful. Try to stir up the old substrate as little as possible. Have saltwater handy to do emergency water changes, and to suck out floating detritus.
dcantucson
Reef pro
You can scrub your rock that way.
As for the substrate, What I did was siphon all the sand out of the tank at once with a large diameter hose. Then I put the new substrate in and did a water change. I had no cycle because ALL of the gunk and sand wasn't disturbed but sucked out.
As for the substrate, What I did was siphon all the sand out of the tank at once with a large diameter hose. Then I put the new substrate in and did a water change. I had no cycle because ALL of the gunk and sand wasn't disturbed but sucked out.
Jmck
Reef enthusiast
+1 guys but, dont go pushing your rocks anywhere try to take them out slowly without stirring them up toooo much. If you stir up some parts that have a lot of detrius and other bubble traps in it that can cause a cycle.
So just do it with the acryllic as said and be as careful as you can.
So just do it with the acryllic as said and be as careful as you can.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
He may have problems getting the large crushed shells up the tube ;)
Jmck
Reef enthusiast
David, he is taking rocks out ;) you cant really siphon out rocks hehe. you could clean it with a siphon first though. make it easier
dcantucson
Reef pro
I thought he was replacing the substrate, Josh???? Siphoning Live Rock would be a hard undertaking. :lol:
yote
In Memoriam
Depends on just how BIG a siphon hose you use.:mrgreen:
i am replacing the substrate, and attempting to clean the live rock. hope that cleared it up. as far as removing old substrate...i was just going to go with the three year old technique, a small plastic shovel. i do have a gravel vac, but i dont think the old substrate will go all the way through the hose. i like the cleaning then removing idea.
a couple of questions... what is detrius? likewise for bubble traps?
and when i do this, what is my goal? do i want to take the old stuff out, and disturb as little as possible? thats my understanding as of now. be very careful and dont rush it. correct?
a couple of questions... what is detrius? likewise for bubble traps?
and when i do this, what is my goal? do i want to take the old stuff out, and disturb as little as possible? thats my understanding as of now. be very careful and dont rush it. correct?
oh...and to make this even more difficult...i have an under-gravel filter. im taking it out, and its not staying as it wont work with sand. how should i go about getting it out?
final question for now...keep my fish in during this process or take them out and put them in separate containers?
final question for now...keep my fish in during this process or take them out and put them in separate containers?
dcantucson
Reef pro
Underground filter? :shock: A very BIG no no with saltwater aquariums. You've probably go lots of waste (detritus) down under there. I would remove all the rock and put it in 5 gallon buckets and cover it with saltwater. Then I would siphon all the sand and gravel out down to the filter and then carefully remove the undergravel filter (should just be laying in top now) then I would finish vacuuming out the rest of the sand and gravel. You're going to need a bigger hose 1 1/2 inside diameter that you can get at Ace or Home Depot. And you're going to need quite a bit of saltwater mixed up. Go slowly but siphon (vacuum) out all the substrate before putting in the new substrate.
The bubbles under the sand come from decomposing waste and then are released when you disturb the substrate. When you remove the substrate the method above those bubbles or gases will be sucked out as well.
The bubbles under the sand come from decomposing waste and then are released when you disturb the substrate. When you remove the substrate the method above those bubbles or gases will be sucked out as well.
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wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Man...but you'd end up siphoning out all the old water.....essentiall doing a 100% water change. What do you have in your tank? You're better off draining off the water into another tank or a rubbermaid tank, w/ heaters and a powerhead...drain off as much as possible, and just dumping everything out of the tank....then put down your new sand, fill up the lost water w/ new water, then moving everything back.
But then again, I don't know if you'll have a cycle. If you have live rocks, you should be ok (try to expose them to air as LITTLE as possible when moving them, so it lessens your likelihood of die off, thereby causing a cycle anyway). Your sand will become live once you put your rocks in.
Thoughts of this idea anyone?
But then again, I don't know if you'll have a cycle. If you have live rocks, you should be ok (try to expose them to air as LITTLE as possible when moving them, so it lessens your likelihood of die off, thereby causing a cycle anyway). Your sand will become live once you put your rocks in.
Thoughts of this idea anyone?
wow...this is going to be way more difficult that i thought. i had a local saltwater guy set up my tank, back when i knew absolutely nothing...guess he didnt either or he wouldnt have used the under-gravel filter.
dcantuscon- should i brew up a ton of salt water before, and make sure my tank never fully drains?
i do only have a small siphon. it isnt powered by a motor or anything, just similar to siphoning gas out of a car...(not that i would know how to do that...) when i get a bigger hose, will i be able to siphon everything out without using any kind of power? i dont know if it will suck hard enough to get the current substrate out. thats my only worry, everything else seems very doable.
wontonflip
i currently have 2 ocilarris (spelling) clowns, one clown goby, and one bicolor dottyback. i have some crabs, but not many, and im not worried too much about those as i am the actual fish. What is a rubbermaid tank? and how long would my fish last in a makeshift tank with a powerhead and heater? the whole day? i dont think this would take me longer than an entire day if i really worked hard.
i do have live rocks, and i purchased live sand thinking i could use all of the bacteria i could get.
would it be easier to just start a whole new tank? haha.
dcantuscon- should i brew up a ton of salt water before, and make sure my tank never fully drains?
i do only have a small siphon. it isnt powered by a motor or anything, just similar to siphoning gas out of a car...(not that i would know how to do that...) when i get a bigger hose, will i be able to siphon everything out without using any kind of power? i dont know if it will suck hard enough to get the current substrate out. thats my only worry, everything else seems very doable.
wontonflip
i currently have 2 ocilarris (spelling) clowns, one clown goby, and one bicolor dottyback. i have some crabs, but not many, and im not worried too much about those as i am the actual fish. What is a rubbermaid tank? and how long would my fish last in a makeshift tank with a powerhead and heater? the whole day? i dont think this would take me longer than an entire day if i really worked hard.
i do have live rocks, and i purchased live sand thinking i could use all of the bacteria i could get.
would it be easier to just start a whole new tank? haha.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Geesh I just looked at your tank size. My way will not work on a tank that small, Wonton is right. I would do it as Wonton suggested.
It just sound difficult, but it really won't be.
It just sound difficult, but it really won't be.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Yeah....fish can live in a rubbermaid tub a long time, as long as you have water movement and a heater. I won't say they will not be stressed out, because they will be stressed.
The key here is trying to keep the nitrates down as much as possible. So definitely, drain as much water as possible without stirring the substrate...get the fishies and inverts in the new container, add more of the water in until you're right at substrate level, then take out the substrate and UG filter. Rinse out the tank, drain, and put down your sand. Start filling it up w/ the water you siphoned out, of course add the fish in once it's deep enough, add back your rocks, and maybe while you're at it, do a 10% water change.
Like I said, your fish will be stressed regardless, so just keep an eye on them. Toughen them up with some garlic soaked food so at least it will boost their immunity. Test your water daily to make sure there's no ammonia spike, and have a bucket of saltwater ready to go for emergency water changes.
The key here is trying to keep the nitrates down as much as possible. So definitely, drain as much water as possible without stirring the substrate...get the fishies and inverts in the new container, add more of the water in until you're right at substrate level, then take out the substrate and UG filter. Rinse out the tank, drain, and put down your sand. Start filling it up w/ the water you siphoned out, of course add the fish in once it's deep enough, add back your rocks, and maybe while you're at it, do a 10% water change.
Like I said, your fish will be stressed regardless, so just keep an eye on them. Toughen them up with some garlic soaked food so at least it will boost their immunity. Test your water daily to make sure there's no ammonia spike, and have a bucket of saltwater ready to go for emergency water changes.
ok, i think i am now capable of doing this whole thing...but, there is a possibility that i will get a new tank. one of my friends has an old 50 gal tank in his basement that he dosnt use anymore, he used to have a lionfish but it died :(. i might be able to pick that up from him, but he has no clue on the price. it has a wood stand, but nothing fancy. some shitty lights that i wouldnt use, and a hang on back filter that i dont want either. what would be a good price for me to offer on buying it?
yote
In Memoriam
Detritus is just :pooh: from the fish and other animals in the tank.
Bubble traps are just that.They are supposed to trap and hold bubbles to keep them out of your display.
The way I changed substraits when I did my 30 gal.Was I used seperated the sand bed into 1/4s with some plexi-glass.Then the 1/4 I was taking out,I used a piece of airline tubing to siphon any crud out as it got stired up.
Bubble traps are just that.They are supposed to trap and hold bubbles to keep them out of your display.
The way I changed substraits when I did my 30 gal.Was I used seperated the sand bed into 1/4s with some plexi-glass.Then the 1/4 I was taking out,I used a piece of airline tubing to siphon any crud out as it got stired up.
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PRC
Stop Quoting Me!
Yes, if you start another cycle you'll definitely see a jump in your parameters. Ammonia being the most harmful.
Ammonia -> Nitrites-> Nitrates= Cycle.
Ammonia -> Nitrites-> Nitrates= Cycle.
