Replace sand

[Shu]

I have a tank that has been running pretty good. I want to replace my blue live sand (don't know why my wife wanted this) with plane live sand. What is the best method on doing this.


Tank is 20g tall with 4 ****sels snails and crabs and 2 shrooms.

Should I drain the water, Put in buckets and do it that way or drain it half way get the sand out and put new sand in? Will this mess my levels up?

[hobogato]

how long has i been running with this sand?

[barderer]

I would "train" the new sand in a 10gal breeder with change water and a pump for a month or so before swapping. You are going to shock the hell out of your system if you change out the sand bed with fresh dead sand. It will look good for about a week, then get ready fore a heavy case of new tank syndrome.

[allan]

Yeah, new tank syndrome really bites. If I knew now what I didn't know then I would have never gotten a new sand bed for the new tank.

[Shu]

6 weeks

[Shu]

what do you mean by train new sand?

[hobogato]

yep, your tank would cycle if you replace it all.

[Shu]

bah don't want it to. I will probably just leave it for the time being then

[alton]

Replace 25% a week. Start on one side and work your way to the other.

[Kyle46N]

Shu, I just recently began taking out sand from my display and putting it in my fuge to create a deeper remote sandbed. Wanted to get the display from "no man's land" 3 inches down to around 1 inch. First tried siphoning. Works, but not the best. Next, I used a plastic cup. Put it down in the sand bed, use your other hand to push the sand in gently. Slowly lift it out. Works pretty well, and doesn't disturb too much. I'm down to about an inch now in my 75 gallon.

[Shu]

Kyle, doing this method how would I replace it with new sand. Should I get out the all the old sand first?

[barderer]

its easier to let it cycle in a 10 gal with change water like I said, then just temp drain all the water and change it all at once, of course I would still leave about 25% of your old sand. Just put it on the back and the bottom so you don't have to see it.