sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
If I take all rock, water and live stock out of tank then rinse the sand in tank water then put it all back will it cause a cycle. Anyone done this?
Rinse sand causes cycle?
- Thread starter sen5241b
- Start date
Cathic
Fish Wrangler
Yes it will same as just replacing the sand with new live sand, you will lose enough bacteria to spark one. The only way I see that happening is to allow the tank a few days to sit with the rock and slowly re introduce, hence what I am doing now with my 75. I screwed up the first time i tried to clean my sand on my 26 and lost everything.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Did you rinse with cycled tank water?
Cathic
Fish Wrangler
I did a rinse with my water change and tried to add some more sand. Disturbing the sand bed is the big problem.
fastrd400
It wasn't me!
Yeah Sen, you will definitely see a spike in your perams, and start at least a mini cycle.
phastroh
Do Not Listen To Me!!!
Wow that sucks.
I took all the rock out of my 80Gal(160 pounds) and rinsed all the rock trying to find a Mantis. Not kidding you could not even see into the tank more than 3 inches.
I took about 3/4 of the rock out and RO/DI washed it but only kept it in buckets with RO/DI water and when i could I rotated pieces in and out.
Now I had large dents into my sand and the water was terrible and I was worried big time but never saw a spike in anything.
I would have to agree though rinsing your sand would be dangerous.
I purchased a Sleeper Banded Goby and he turns the sand over all day long. If you give him a week he will get every area with ease. I can see where he has been by the dents in the ground and along the glass.
That is your best option other than starting over basically.
You could always put in new with the old but there is always a risk when you do stuff with your sand.
Get the Goby, it will be well fed with your old sand.
I took all the rock out of my 80Gal(160 pounds) and rinsed all the rock trying to find a Mantis. Not kidding you could not even see into the tank more than 3 inches.
I took about 3/4 of the rock out and RO/DI washed it but only kept it in buckets with RO/DI water and when i could I rotated pieces in and out.
Now I had large dents into my sand and the water was terrible and I was worried big time but never saw a spike in anything.
I would have to agree though rinsing your sand would be dangerous.
I purchased a Sleeper Banded Goby and he turns the sand over all day long. If you give him a week he will get every area with ease. I can see where he has been by the dents in the ground and along the glass.
That is your best option other than starting over basically.
You could always put in new with the old but there is always a risk when you do stuff with your sand.
Get the Goby, it will be well fed with your old sand.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Not to sound argumentative but if you rinse the hell out of the sand with cycled tank water, I can't see why it should cause a spike.
If upgrading to a bigger tank (or smaller) it would be less expensive to just move what you have but to avoid a spike it sounds like you really need to setup a whole new tank (with all new equipment) and wait for it to cycle.
If upgrading to a bigger tank (or smaller) it would be less expensive to just move what you have but to avoid a spike it sounds like you really need to setup a whole new tank (with all new equipment) and wait for it to cycle.
phastroh
Do Not Listen To Me!!!
I moved from an 80 Gal to my 220 Gal.
The only new thing of all was the sand.
I had 160 pounds of rock. 80 was dried out for 2 months prior. I pressure washed it and let it dry out. At first this was done to make my 80Gal more open but I ended up getting the 220Gal.
I put FIji Pink and the 80 pounds in the new tank and put in Dr. Tims One and Only and it works very quick to get the new tank ready.
You could go that route and dump the One and Only into the tank right away when you are done as the bacteria provided will or should keep any spikes from happening.
I think the point is that rinsing the sand washes away the bacteria that deal with the Ammonia. I am not too sure whether cycled water or not matters.
You may get lucky and not see a spike but I don't know if I would try it.
Why is it that you want to rinse it? I am telling you that getting the Sleeper Banded Goby will do the same thing with no risk. It takes bites out of the sand almost 24/7.
The only new thing of all was the sand.
I had 160 pounds of rock. 80 was dried out for 2 months prior. I pressure washed it and let it dry out. At first this was done to make my 80Gal more open but I ended up getting the 220Gal.
I put FIji Pink and the 80 pounds in the new tank and put in Dr. Tims One and Only and it works very quick to get the new tank ready.
You could go that route and dump the One and Only into the tank right away when you are done as the bacteria provided will or should keep any spikes from happening.
I think the point is that rinsing the sand washes away the bacteria that deal with the Ammonia. I am not too sure whether cycled water or not matters.
You may get lucky and not see a spike but I don't know if I would try it.
Why is it that you want to rinse it? I am telling you that getting the Sleeper Banded Goby will do the same thing with no risk. It takes bites out of the sand almost 24/7.
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
You would be killing all the bacteria that lives in your sand... Plus you would be releasing all the crap when you scooped it out.
