Conversion of cc to dsb

[phoenix1]

I know this topic has been posted before but I have been unable to find in the search mode. I have a 11o with a 2-3 in cc substrate. I would like to convert to a 5-6 in deep sand bed. What is the best way to convert? The tank has been established for approx 2 yrs. I have sps and lps as well as a fairly heavy fish population. Thanks in adcanve
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Loratab Rehab Forum

 

[914]

oh no...


that's much too disruptive and drastic...

not that it won't work (it will) but it'll be stressful (for everyone involved) and a big mess.


here's what i suggest (i've done this, on a 29 and a 75)

1) get some southdown or caribsea or whatever you are going to use. it certainly need not be all live sand, as you've already got a good level of bacterial activity in your CC.

2) rinse it in a rubbermaid, if you're the type to rinse your sand.

3) get a brand new long/big funnel. the ones that have the flexible tube and are really long are best. or, you could make one using some tubing and a shorter funnel. the key is *wide*.... at least an inch all the way down, more is better.

4) stick the funnel (which is long enough to poke into the CC from the surface of the water) into the CC bed.

5) pour a sand/tankwater slurry down the funnel. pour quickly, but leave the funnel in place (maybe move it about under the surface of the CC a little) until the sand is all 'injected' into the CC

6) do this in five or six places per day, and just keep it up until you're happy with the sand/CC ratio.


the CC in the sand won't hurt anything at all, and you will get the benefit of not disrupting things by taking down the tank.

bio-activity will continue without interuption, and the new sand wil be colonized very quickly.

you might want to add a 'critter pack' to the sand once there's enough of it there, to jumpstart the worm/pod population

 

[Anonymous]

Here's an article on one way of doing it:
sand swap post

haven't tried it myself, but I thought it was pretty good.

ty

 

[Sea Serpent]

Hi Phoenix,
I DID do this swap a few months ago. It is quite involved and took a lot of planning. It is not as easy as it might seem. The advice in the article that tyoberg linked you to is the one I followed. I feel that if you are going to do it, then do it. Swap all of the cc out and replace it with the live sand -either with the southdown sand if you can or with another live sand. I have heard from others who only did "a little at a time" or "left some cc in" that they were sorry afterwards. I have had no problems since the swap, but I did have milky water for about 4 days - even with the extra culturing I did for 3 weeks before. I was nervous that it seemed to take about 4-5 weeks for any noticeable lowering of nitrates and slightly taken aback at how much volume was consumed by the 5 inch sandbed. Anyway - I am very happy now that it is all done and settled. My tank has never been happier or healthier.
HTH - read that article - It really helped me.

Sea Serpent

 

[monkeyboy]

Simple, get everything out of the tank, siphon/scoop/toss the crushed coral out, add all the LS and put everything back in. The ls is loaded w/ bacteria so there is little chance of an ammonia spike (or even detectable amount). You can do it slowly too if you don't want to risk horsing around with your biological filter but your rock should take care of that. HTH