live sand/cycling question

[crabman]

ok so we're going to be moving to a new apartment and when we make the move we wanted to make a switch in sand beds. i forgot exactly what we're using right now but its a very thick kinda coarse sand mixed with real powdery sand. every time we touch the bottom we have a mini cloud, and god forbid we have a diamond goby! we actually had to donate him to my girlfriend's mom because he was creating a sandstorm. she has a fine sand, i think its sugar grade, and he doesn't create anywhere near a mess in her tank, and still does the same amount of work. so here are the big questions...
1) what kind of sand should i use? we want very white sand, and a finer sand with less chunky stuff in it.
2) how would this effect our cycling of the tank?
Question #2 is the most important because we only have one tank and have to get the corals back in there by the end of the day. We have a 37g Tall, and we're filling 4-6 6-gallon jugs with our water from the tank, then filling it back up probably with about 30g of our original water and the rest will be freshly mixed salt water. We have about 50-55lbs of live rock, and lots of tiny frags, a gbta, false perc, lawnmower, yellow watchman, etc. any ideas & advice would be much appreciated! any other info needed please lmk. thanks!

[Kristy]

Be careful mixing new and old sand, especially if it is of different grades. We just upgraded and experienced some of this. The heavier/larger sand will separate from the smaller grade that falls to the bottom, giving it a striated look.

We used Fuji Pink Sugar fine live sand. It is bright white sand. We have a Diamond Goby who works hard and doesn't create a dust storm. We recommend 2 20 pound bags of live sand for your size tank (we were recommended 1 pound per gallon), depending on how deep you want your sand bed.

[crabman]

Be careful mixing new and old sand, especially if it is of different grades. We just upgraded and experienced some of this. The heavier/larger sand will sink to the bottom, giving it a striated look.

We used Fuji Pink Sugar fine live sand. It is bright white sand. We have a Diamond Goby who works hard and doesn't create a dust storm. We recommend 2 20 pound bags of live sand for your size tank (we were recommended 1 pound per gallon), depending on how deep you want your sand bed.

thanks for the advice! we're definitely not going to mix the sand at all, just want to start fresh with all new sand. any ideas about the cycling situation? lmk, thanks.

[Kristy]

If you use the live sand there should be no cycle at all, or at least none of the ammonia - nitirite - nitrate kind of cycle. There does seem to be a bit of a "cycle" of introducing new sand in terms of algae. Typically you will get a little run of algae about two or three weeks after new sand, usually cyano, nothing that cannot be managed. Wonder what causes that? Maybe there's an increase in phosphates associated with the new sand? Just thinking out loud here.

[zcatzmeow]

Totally agree with Kristy's reply. When I switched cubes, I changed out most of the substrate and replaced with live sand. Even moving the existing rocks, corals, fuge, and some water I still hit a diatom bloom several weeks after the move. I'm just now getting towards the end of it...I hope!

[crabman]

any further advice/opinions are still accepted! i'd like to know personal preferences on sand and reasons, experiences with switching sands, reasons for switching sand... any and all info is appreciated! and kristy & cory, thanks for your responses!!

[Ping]

Here's what I would do and I hope I am answering your question.

Purchase sugar fine sand ahead of time. Put it in some kind of container with water and a cup or sand from your tank. Put a small powerhead or airstone in the water and let it age for a week.

It will build up the bio-film and bacteria that we pay so much for when we buy live sand.

A Rubbermaid garbage can works great for this.

This will help with (not eliminate) the cycle and sandstorms.

The reason we get less of a sandstorm from finer grade sand, in the simplest terms, is that finer sand helps break down detritus / mulm faster and more completely.

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/SandBed.php

[crabman]

Here's what I would do and I hope I am answering your question.

Purchase sugar fine sand ahead of time. Put it in some kind of container with water and a cup or sand from your tank. Put a small powerhead or airstone in the water and let it age for a week.

It will build up the bio-film and bacteria that we pay so much for when we buy live sand.

A Rubbermaid garbage can works great for this.

This will help with (not eliminate) the cycle and sandstorms.

The reason we get less of a sandstorm from finer grade sand, in the simplest terms, is that finer sand helps break down detritus / mulm faster and more completely.

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/SandBed.php

thats a good idea, i might try that! whats the best brand?

[crabman]

in response to the "well i did it" thread posted here: http://maast.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=43621i was wondering if there were any other suggestions yall might have. after reading his thread most posted saying there is not enough time in a day to let the live sand do its thing. i'm wondering now what should i do? skip my idea with the live sand and go with dry? would ping's idea help if i did that in a rubbermaid and let it sit for about a week? that idea seems to be very logical. then just use that sand when i make the move? any ideas are still greatly appreciated!