complete teardown

[vanreefer]

I am planning to teardown my tank and change my stand and add a sump... plus I have a wicked cyano problem... and figure cleaning all the rock and thoroughly cleaning the sand bed should help.

I am planning to move everything (rock, inverts and coral) into a 54 gal (which will eventually become my sump) while I clean the sandbed, plumb the return, and change the stand... so time isnt really an issue.

I am just worried about a nitrate or ammonia spike.

do you think cleaning the sand bed then letting it sit for a day would be better or worse for the ammonia/ nitrate issue?... or should I try to do it in one day?... would it be better to clean the sandbed more than once, ie just keep doing it till the water was clear? should I put a piece of LR into the tank with some tank water and some fresh water to prevent a cycle?

Any help would be appriciated
Thanks

[Jack]

Personally I would start over with new sand and seed it with a bit of the old stuff.

[Rikko]

I agree with Jack.. Too much potential for problems when you're mucking about with anaerobic pockets.. If you really want to reuse the sand (the stuff's expensive unless you club Jack over the head with a trout and run away with the skid he was unloading), clean it in VERY small portions to be sure you can get everything off of it. Even then some life will cling to it and you'll have an echo cycle. When we changed our coral tanks to BB at the store I washed the CC like crazy in case I ever had a use for it.. Three days later that bucket was stinking up the whole back of the store! A second rinse after everything smelled and it was good to go again (well, at least the small amounts that I used didn't spread death and chaos throughout the universe).

If your time is worth more than the money involved, ditch the sand (or give away/sell it and let someone else deal with it) and hang on to a few cups from the existing one to seed it.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Have to concur. Too many Canreefers have posted how they reused their old sand only to have it come back & bite them in the @ss because of Nitrates & Ammonia spikes. I always like to add a few cupfuls of old live sand to each new tank but a whole load would be too risky, even if it's washed. I know, I know. Not what you wanted to hear (or read).

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Anthony

[StirCrazy]

another option, forget the sand and go BB, saves money and gets rid of problems.

Steve

[Bob I]

I have changed tanks a number of times. I always re use the sand, and have never had one moment's trouble.

One interesting thing I have noticed about going BB. I have been running a 15 BB, and have noted that Zoanthids just won't grow in a tank like that.

[Beverly]

I also suggest going BB

However, if you are intent on re-using your sandbed, here is what I have done when moving tanks and sandbeds:

- make sure you have lots of NSW made up to replace water you will lose during the move. Scrubbing off hair algae and a good swishing in lower salinity water (say, 1.016 to 1.020) will remove detritus that has gathered in the crevices of your rock without harming your bacteria. Don't know how much LR you have, but be prepared for the scrubbing and swishing process to dirty your water quickly. When the water gets too dirty, dump it and start with more clean water.

- once you get the livestock out of the display tank and put in your temporary tank, there should be 2"-3" of water left with the sandbed. Get a large rigid plastic spoon and stir up the sandbed. This will off-gas the anaerobic gases as well as loosen the detritus, leaving you with stinky filthy water. Move the sandbed to one side so you can siphon out the dirty water. To clean the further the sandbed, add more SW and stir it up again. And, again, your water will be pretty dirty. Push the sand to the side and siphon again. Once you see how dirty your sandbed is, even after several cleanings, you may wish to go BB. IME, adding a new sandbed will only give you another dirty sandbed in a few months or years.

- the walls of your tank may be covered in algae and coralline. During the time you've had most of the water out of the tank, this once live stuff will have died. You will need to remove the sandbed, then scrape off the dead algae and coralline. Rinse with tapwater, siphon as much dead stuff out, then towel out the last of the dead stuff.

- replace the sandbed, if you are so inclined, put in enough water so you can keep it heated and aerated while you are deciding when to put back your rock and livestock. I have done this whole process in a day when moving to another house, so I don't see a problem with putting your livestock back into the tank once you've cleaned the tank and sandbed.

[props]

I would too take the sand out. If you still want the look buy a whack load of silicon and some sand.. Lay a base silicon at the bottom of the tank. Before the silicon cures sprinkle some sand .. =o) or just paint the bottom of your tank white

[danny zubot]

Any minimal amount of disturbance will pretty much kill of a sand bed in the area of distubance. When a sand bed is moved it will pretty much all die. Better off to rinse it with fresh water and re-seed it after then deal with possible NH4 spikes.

[rickjames]

I would go BB, leave the sand in the old tank and then get rid of it once everything is moved. Oh wait, I did do that just over a month ago! No problems yet, livestock looks better then ever!