Switch to Bare Bottom

[Zack]

After having my nano reef set up for about 7 months, I have decided to remove the sand from my aquarium. I have heard of people cooking their rock but from what I have read, most people that do this have had hair algae, bubble algae, or a xenia infestation. The rock I have has some decent Coraline growth from where I started (fiji from Phenomenal Aquatic). And does not have any pests on it.

If my rock is doing pretty good and has no pests on it do I still need to cook it?

If I don't cook it what are the consequences?

And since I will be removing 10 lbs of sand, do I need to offset this with 10 new lbs of LR?

Thanks!

[Regric25]

I would remove the sand a little at a time over the course of a month. If you remove it all at once you might start a cycle because you are removing bacteria.

[Europhyllia]

I would take the sand out all at once to be honest. I really trashed a tank by messing with the sand too much. That can kick off a new cycle too.
I would NOT cook the rocks. If you have no pests on them why would you want to kill off all the good stuff?

[Zack]

I heard the benefit was to change the way the bacteria in the live rock functioned, idk I thought it sounded pretty dumb as well to kill perfectly good rock. If I add more LR would that help offset the loss of bacteria?

[Regric25]

The way you could remove the sand is with a syphon hose. each time you do a WC use the syphon hose to suck out some sand. That way you dont make a big mess and you dont kick up alot of junk onto the rocks

[allan]

The way you could remove the sand is with a syphon hose. each time you do a WC use the syphon hose to suck out some sand. That way you dont make a big mess and you dont kick up alot of junk onto the rocks


This is the way I'm doing it.

[Zack]

How detrimental would removing 10 lbs of sand all at once be?

[Regric25]

It really depends on your bio load... Remember, nothing in this hobby happens fast :)

[Zack]

Haha true, bio load is just two tank raised ocellaris clowns. For corals I have about 20 shrooms, 3 zoa frags, a really nice 100 head colony and some GSP.

[Zack]

Just an update, switched to bare bottom (removed all at once). I tested all my parameters today and everything checked out except the PH. It was at 7.3. Is this within the normal range of daily swings? I stopped testing my PH after about 5 months of set up and everything is doing fine, other than the low PH. I haven't done my weekly water change yet, could that be it?

[allan]

I don't want to jump in here being a boob myself, but that ph seems a bit low.

Do you run a fuge? Reverse cycle lamps?

That will only help for daily swings. If you're reading 7.3 ph now during the day I'm thinking you may want to dose some kalk or calcium to bring up your ph.

Then you need to consider your gas exchange.

[Europhyllia]

that doesn't sound right. I'd check it another way (use a different probe or test kit). It can't be 7.3. What's your salinity and alkalinity?

[Zack]

UPDATE: Got a new PH test kit (liquid type) instead of the dip ones that were used to test the PH and its at 8.2. I have not dosed kalk for the last two days due to moving out the sand, I will continue to do so tonight and re test tomorrow morning.

[allan]

You were using the dip sticks?

I've been tempted to try them as a quick ph check.

[Europhyllia]

good, nano. Glad you decided to double check the test results rather than buffer it up. :)

[Zack]

You were using the dip sticks?

I've been tempted to try them as a quick ph check.

Yeah, I had some lying around from a freshwater tank that I had years ago, they were pretty old and I checked them in RODI water and the test was off.

If you wanted a quick PH test, try using the ones that they use in chemistry classes. I know there cheap and accurate an I've used them with pretty decent results. The only problem is there not too specific but I'm sure there are ones out there that get pretty accurate reads.