Replace coarse bed with sea sand?

[Lynn]

Evening. I have a 1000l tank, ( sump is 200l). It is about 2 years old with a coarse arogonite (I think) bed. We are going to Sodwana next week to scuba dive, would it be advisable to change to real sea sand?

 

[Nella]

I'm doubtful if Sodwana sea sand would be less coarse than aragonite. and even so I wouldn't change it because aragonite is a much better substrate. except maybe if you have a course crushed coral as substrate

 

[Lynn]

Thanks. I will resist.

 

[ShLiMi333]

Sorry if i hijack this thread. I currently have crushed coral. Can i swop it out with sand?

 

[Nella]

In my opinion the only negative factor about crushed coral is that it will trap huge amount of detritus. The surface area on the crushed coral is excellent in comparison with normal beach sand for example. that's where aragonite comes in to play.... it's still very porous just as crushed coral but it's fine enough not to trap detritus
if you change your substrate just do it in small sections toe give the bacteria change to colonize the new substrate

 

[ShLiMi333]

And if you swop it out with live sand,like collecting sand directly from the beach?

 

[Nella]

good question... I would think as long as you can keep it alive it wouldn't have such a big difference when changing you're substrate..
but the challenge would lie in keeping it alive without any major die off of any bacteria. it would need to be in enough water to keep sufficient oxygen levels to prevent bacterial /critters lost. otherwise it will spike a small nitrogen cycle.
hopefully one of the more experienced refers will chime in hear

 

[ShLiMi333]

i scaled a small zoa from a tidal pool in Manaba this past easter. i pt it in a 10L container with a battery operated airpump and small heater and did 1L WC from the ocean everyday until it was time to go home. the drive was nearly 12 hors but zoas are fine....

 

[RiaanP]

like collecting sand directly from the beach?

Can be done. My substrate is sand collected from under the low water mark. Depending on how much sand you would need. Just take note, wet sand is very heavy. You will have die-off. I will not add sand just collected into a running system, especially not after a couple of hours drive. Did my tank when I started it up, had enough time to let it cycle before moving the old system over.

Here it was cycling. The sump was already connected to the old system, so I run the display with half filled for some time with a few small powerheads and skimmer inside the display.

 

[reefer101]

Im not sure about sea sand there but i got sand from tinley manor and it does look very nice and small grain

 

[ShLiMi333]

@RiaanP I fully understand where you are going with this. So you will use half in DT and then how long before you add the other half? What if you buy live sand? Will you still need to have it cycled?

 

[RiaanP]

Cycle is about allowing time for whatever did not make it on the substrate or in the liverock, enough time to decompose. Or be eaten up by other organisms. Until you get to the point that excessive ammonia released by the dead are untraceable. How long that period would is not defined by us humans. But by mother nature. Depending on what is dead, how much is dead, what survived, how quickly whatever survived can grow and populate the surfaces. Nature got a lot more time and is a lot more patient than humans. Around 6 weeks is what we normally use as a guide, some guys found zero ammonia after 2 weeks, other only after 2 months. Depending on the quality live rock or live sand you got.

check my signature below

 

[ShLiMi333]

if you take beach sand just below the low water mark there wont be much living or dead stuff hanging around, or will there?

 

[RiaanP]

not that much, but it will still cycle.

 

[kierantf97]

Can be done. My substrate is sand collected from under the low water mark. Depending on how much sand you would need. Just take note, wet sand is very heavy. You will have die-off. I will not add sand just collected into a running system, especially not after a couple of hours drive. Did my tank when I started it up, had enough time to let it cycle before moving the old system over.

Here it was cycling. The sump was already connected to the old system, so I run the display with half filled for some time with a few small powerheads and skimmer inside the display.

Do you have any photos of your tank using the beach sand?

Also, do you have any advice with using beach sand in terms of it blowing around? Will this definitely happen or will it be okay if I don't aim any powerheads at the sand bed?

 

[RiaanP]

here it is 3 years ago, wow time flies...
https://www.marineaquarium.co.za/2015/08/masa-totm-september-2015-riaan-pretorius/

over time the sand clings together. Not blowing away, unless you do point a pump directly into it.