Live Sand Question

[NewReefGuy]

I have set my other son up with a reef tank recently. Actually, it was a FO tank that was functioning fine and we are converting it.

I bought some live sand from a dealer on ebay. Why? Good live sand is expensive. Anyway, I am very plaesed with it, but have one question. I set up my other reef for a DSB (5 inches of sand over 1 inch of gravel) since I my first reef tank (a 50 gal) has a under-the-bed mesh tray for under-bed water flow. I wanted to do it a bit differently on the new tank because I want to learn what works and what doesn't.

The complexity and variety to reefing is a challenge, but I have resolved myself to the fact that I will make mistakes in the beginning and even later on (hopefully, not the same mistakes).

Back to my question: The DSB live sand was loaded with all the good bacteria a reefer could want. 2 days in transit and then into the tank. It has been in the tank for 2 weeks and if there was an amonia/nitrite spike I didn't notice one. I put the sand over the existing gravel figuring that there was already good stuff going on in there from being used for 3 months. Why throw it away when the job is already being done. OK, question, the sand I bought, though great, seems loaded with alot of fine muddy-like stuff. I know it is just a smaller version of the sand I bought. But the slightest movement of the sand or any thing distrurbing the sand will kick up a cloud. It disperses fairly quickly depending on the cloud size, but is this a problem? Should I attempt to thin out the smaller particulate through vaccuuming?

Should I just let it go and consider myself fortunate?

 

[animalwhisperer]

I put sand over my existing bed, and had the same "dust" problem. Though not hazardous to the fish, it will take a toll on filters and powerheads. I myself added only about 2lbs to my 55g a day. If you put the sand directly on the existing bed and cover it all you will kill anything that was in the sand already, including any good bacteria. So adding it slowly will reduces any water quality issues. I removed as much as possible will the gravel vac. Being how you cant wash it, you kinda just have to deal with it. Hope somthing here helps. Im sure someone else will reply here.



Tony

 

[NewReefGuy]

Thanks for the comeback. Last night we added live rock. I thoroughly washed it for quite some time in water that I extracted from my tank. I knew it would cause some kind of amonia/nitrite spike no matter how much washing I did.

I took measurements this morning. Yes, levels were up. I have know idea how long it will take the bacteria to process the infusion. I hope fast because we left our starter Damsels in there. I know (I'm stupid). I took a chance on them being able to survive as long as the higher levels passed quickly. They seemed very active this morning as if nothing was wrong. For now, I am watching.

If they start acting weird, my option is to remove enough rock to catch them and put them in the other tank. That will work, but then to catch them to put them back, I will have to remove rock temporarily from the other tank. There isn't any devious way of catching the fish, is there?

 

[animalwhisperer]

Damsels are a hardy bunch so they should survive. In case though, I always catch them when I feed. I leave the net in the water for about 15 or 20 minutes prior. Letting them get used to it. Then feed them and box them in a top corner. Fish traps might work but they have always been less than effective for me. What are the levels at? Just curious. Hope this helps.



Tony

 

[NewReefGuy]

Amonia spiked to a 1.5 - it has since dropped to zero. While the amonia was spiking the nitrite started to spike as well - first to a solid 0.5; the nitrite continued to spike as the amonia dropped. Nitrite actually got up to a 2.5 and now has gone down quickly over the weekend. Last night we monitored a 0.25 Nitrite. Nitrates are now up and this is normal, too.

All the fish (Damsels) survived and didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. I really think the established DSB helped alot. It processed the spike very quickly.

 

[NewReefGuy]

Oh, BTW, the dust problem has passed. I do want to do some maintenance on the canister filter, though. The LFS said we would not have to clean it for 6 months (this does not seem logical). I would say it has been 3 months, about and I think it should be cleaned this coming weekend.

 

[kimoy]

you shoul clean your filter since all the dust that you created when adding the sand is in there...

 

[Bifferwine]

I have to clean my canister filter about once a week. I use a nitrate sponge in it, and I change that out every couple months, but I find that the intake and the sleeve inside the filter get gunk building up on them very quickly, and that decreases the flow.

 

[animalwhisperer]

Cleaning the canister filter is a must. They are well known nitrate producers and require weekly cleaning. I clean my pads weekly, I also run Denitrate, but replace it monthly. 6 months on a canister filter sounds a little odd. Sounds as if the DSB helped. My damsels went through stuff that would easily kill most marine life. What kind of canister filter is it?



Tony