• How to add sand to an existing reef tank

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    melev
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    Published on 01-01-2010 11:59 PM
    29 Comments Comments
    Adding additional sand to an established reef isn't difficult nor does it have to be messy, but product choice should be considered. In the case of adding more sand, I preferred to purchase bagged sand from a local fish store specifically made for aquarium use. It is aragonite-based and pre-rinsed, which keeps the clouding issue to a minimum. In this article, I'm using the Tropic Eden brand, which has that nice white appearance I prefer, and has a grain size a little larger to prevent excessive movement by the Vortech pumps.

    This is the bag, wiped down with a damp towel to remove any pollutants.


    Next I had to move some corals out of the way. I turned off the return pump as well as the Vortech pumps, but two were still running on battery backup anyway.


    Next, I cut off the top of the bag and lowered it into the tank, open-side downwards. Bubbles are rising from the top corners of the bag.


    The empty bag is floating on the surface, and all the sand is now on the substrate.


    Next I spread it out, moving some corals as needed to get that accomplished. The water didn't cloud much at all. Here it is after 5 minutes.


    After 15 minutes


    After 45 minutes


    After 70 minutes


    Done. It looks nicer, and the flow will level it out more.

    And this is what the tank looked like the next day.


    This is an easy DIY project that you don't have to fear. Using sand from other locations like Home Depot won't yield the same results, which is why store-bought aquarium sand is the best option. Typically one might only need one ore two bags of sand, so saving money might not outweigh the outcome in this particular case. Rather than continually rinsing out 'Pavestone' or 'Southdown' sand, this project is going to cost a little more - but it is well worth it.
    Comments 29 Comments
    1. T5FL's Avatar
      T5FL - 06-27-2010, 05:20 PM
      Beautiful tank, ill have to try that technic next time, much easier and cleaner.
      Reply
    1. T5FL's Avatar
      T5FL - 06-27-2010, 07:14 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by melev View Post
      Thanks. I like it most of the time.
      LOL, all your hard work shows, one day i hope to have my tank looking like that, but ive got a lot to learn to get there.
      Reply
    1. Lyfey's Avatar
      Lyfey - 08-23-2010, 10:44 AM
      Do you believe in removing "X" amount of sand per year? I know you stated that your sand dissolves, but i have heard to prevent OTS some sand should be replaced during the tanks lifetime.
      Reply
    1. sedor's Avatar
      sedor - 08-25-2010, 07:22 AM
      I've never heard of removing X amount of sand per year...I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I don't think its necessary. Sand doesn't "go bad" until it gets really old and even then it could be cleaned, but its usually just easier to buy the new stuff.

      For everyone concerned with their powerheads blowing around their sand I just picked up a 40 lb bag of this stuff and all the reviews i've read state that it is excellent for staying in place. You can tell by the large grain size. I picked some up online for $30. Its called Caribsea Seaflo Special Grade.
      Reply
    1. melev's Avatar
      melev - 08-27-2010, 12:44 AM
      No, I wouldn't remove sand intentionally. You don't want to unearth stuff.

      My sandbed was nearly 6 years old when I recently tore my tank down, and there was no sign of OTS. All of the sand was clean throughout.
      Reply
    1. Ray's Avatar
      Ray - 10-09-2010, 09:20 PM
      I just joined and did not do the exact same thing but I just added sand to my tank that had water in it but I did something right along the sames lines. Good DIY Info.
      Reply
    1. Xler8n's Avatar
      Xler8n - 08-17-2011, 02:07 AM
      Awesome Mark. Maybe you can do a write up on how to CHANGE substrate, say from Crushed Coral to Tropic Eden Reef Flakes. Im about about to do this on my tank. Maybe ill do the write up. hehe
      Reply
    1. melev's Avatar
      melev - 08-17-2011, 03:06 AM
      Sounds like a good blog entry to me.
      Reply
    1. Blake's Avatar
      Blake - 11-03-2011, 03:24 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by sedor View Post
      I've never heard of removing X amount of sand per year...I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I don't think its necessary. Sand doesn't "go bad" until it gets really old and even then it could be cleaned, but its usually just easier to buy the new stuff.

      For everyone concerned with their powerheads blowing around their sand I just picked up a 40 lb bag of this stuff and all the reviews i've read state that it is excellent for staying in place. You can tell by the large grain size. I picked some up online for $30. Its called Caribsea Seaflo Special Grade.
      What website did you buy from?
      Reply
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