High Tide Aquatics

Reusing an established sandbed

finalphaze987

finalphaze987

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So im getting ready to break down my 180 and set up a 50 Gal cube. Disrupting the sandbed (about 2'' of medium to fine grains) is last on my list right after pulling out all livestock. My question is, how do i reuse the old established sandbed from the old tank? Should i rinse it out in some newly made SW or clean it all out in FW and start all over? If i clean it out in FW wouldnt it kill most of what makes it "live sand"? The last thing i would want is another huge ammonia spike upon setting the tank up. Any input would be appreciated. TIA
 
I figure that sand is too cheap for the risk at hand. i would get new sand. Save your old sand and clean it really well and you can use it later if you ever need "new" sand.
 
I've moved dozens of sand beds. The way I do it is skim off the top inch (in your case) while the tank is partially full (minus LR, livestock) then I use the remaining tank water to clan the sand as I take out the rest.
 
I just cleaned about an inch in a ten gallon tank by dumping several gallons old salt water in to stir it up and let the water clear. Then siphon the film off the sand surface and did this about eight times or so until the film did not develop. Used the same water several times once it settled and poured off the top. No cycle. Took a couple days but not that much of my time or water to clean it.
 
Thank for all the input. I think ill go with half old sand and half new. Utilizing the lower half of the established sand bed as Gresham suggested.
I like the idea of pouring mounds of the old sand on to the new in your write up Tumbleweed. beautiful web page BTW. Thanks for posting.

Now in search of the new sand, what grain do you guys recommend? I believe i currently have a larger grain from caribsea, the flamingo reef sand IIRC

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/dry_aragonite.html

I think i want to go with a finer grade, but have a feeling if i use the sugar sized the vortechs would just pile it all up in one side. What do you guys think of the Argamax select?
 
I currently have the sugar sized grains of sand in my tank and the Vortechs defently moved them into there own monds, however with the power behind the vortechs I think it would do that with most types of sand.
 
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