New sand + Old sand

Fishy Lee · 05-13-2006, 01:47 PM

So I'm upgrading the size of my tank, and since I'm doubling the size of the tank, I'm going to have to add alot more sand to cover the bottom.
In my tank right now, I bought play sand from Home Depot, and rinsed it and rinsed it and rinsed it and rinsed it and it came out PERFECT!!! I get comment after comment about how good the sand looks in the tank, so I wanna stick with the same sand.

Here's my concern:
When I rinsed the sand the first time, I was using tap water from a hose, obviously, and when I added it to the tank, there was nothing in it, it was all before the cycle and everything took place. Will rinsing, and adding sand to an established tank cause any sort of problems? I'm doubling the size of my tank, so I'll roughly be doubling the amount of sand in the tank right now as well, I just don't wanna do it before I know the facts. Thanks so much for you help guys and gals!

emc7 · 05-13-2006, 02:59 PM

Assume the sand will hold some tap water and add dechlor to your tank before you add the sand.

**Cichlid Man** · 05-16-2006, 01:50 PM

If you're using an established filter, then a small amount of tap water shouldn't be a problem. You could always use dechlorinator just to be on the safe side though.

Alin10123 · 05-16-2006, 02:19 PM

Agreed, most of the bacteria associated with the cycle is in the filter since that's where most of the waste is when it gets sucked up. I would rinse the new sand out, put it into the new tank. Use as much as the old water as possible, then dechlorinate the new water. Then run the old filter in conjunction with the new filter in the 90 gallon tank. I wuold assume that if you do it right that you dont kill off much bacteria and you shoudl be able to have the same # of inhabitants in the new tank. Then slowly add more and more fish into there to the new stocking level. That will give the bacteria a chance to catch up.

05-13-2006, 01:47 PM	#1
Fishy Lee Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 27 Posts: 86 User Feedback: (0)	New sand + Old sand So I'm upgrading the size of my tank, and since I'm doubling the size of the tank, I'm going to have to add alot more sand to cover the bottom. In my tank right now, I bought play sand from Home Depot, and rinsed it and rinsed it and rinsed it and rinsed it and it came out PERFECT!!! I get comment after comment about how good the sand looks in the tank, so I wanna stick with the same sand. Here's my concern: When I rinsed the sand the first time, I was using tap water from a hose, obviously, and when I added it to the tank, there was nothing in it, it was all before the cycle and everything took place. Will rinsing, and adding sand to an established tank cause any sort of problems? I'm doubling the size of my tank, so I'll roughly be doubling the amount of sand in the tank right now as well, I just don't wanna do it before I know the facts. Thanks so much for you help guys and gals! __________________ 90g 1 Albino Taiwan Reef Cichlid 1 "Blueberry" OB Pea************** Cichlid 1 Zebra Obliquiden 1 Venustus 3 Electric Blues 2 Electic Yellow Labs 1 Borlyeii 1 Sunshine Pea************** 1 J. Regani 1 Super VC-10 (Placidochromis milomo) 1 Synodontis multipunctatus (Cuckoo Catfish) www.myspace.com/rockdirtyraw

05-16-2006, 01:50 PM	#3
Cichlid Man Super moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,100 User Feedback: (0)	If you're using an established filter, then a small amount of tap water shouldn't be a problem. You could always use dechlorinator just to be on the safe side though. __________________ If you have a big enough tank with enough hiding places, pH of around 7, you can keep virtually any fish together as long as all the fish are around the same size and these two groups of fish are avioded: Serrasalmus Tetradon(figure eights and dwarfs are the exception). I keep a successful community of fish in a 4 foot tank including the following families: Cichlids, tetras, loaches, gouramis, barbs, rainbows, livebearers, killiefish, catfish, puffers.

05-16-2006, 02:19 PM	#4
Alin10123 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 523 User Feedback: (0)	Agreed, most of the bacteria associated with the cycle is in the filter since that's where most of the waste is when it gets sucked up. I would rinse the new sand out, put it into the new tank. Use as much as the old water as possible, then dechlorinate the new water. Then run the old filter in conjunction with the new filter in the 90 gallon tank. I wuold assume that if you do it right that you dont kill off much bacteria and you shoudl be able to have the same # of inhabitants in the new tank. Then slowly add more and more fish into there to the new stocking level. That will give the bacteria a chance to catch up. __________________ 29 Gallon tank ~6 Long Finned Black Tetras ~3 Bosemani Rainbows ~10 Serpae Tetras 55 Gallon tank - Planted ~2 Pearl Gouramis ~2 Platys ~16 Neon Tetras ~6 Glo Light Tetras

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Funny, informative, or just plain sad?	TheOldSalt	FYI (For Your Info)	17	07-29-2007 04:33 PM
Sand	Fishy Lee	General Freshwater	4	11-18-2005 04:29 AM
Sand questions	Neon_Tetra	General Freshwater	3	11-14-2005 09:14 PM
My fish...New to Sand	phadam	General Freshwater	4	11-14-2005 12:20 PM
To use Sand or Not to use Sand???	BettaLover	General Freshwater	7	05-22-2005 01:08 AM

Members currently in the Chat:0
	Users In Chat Room: There are several users in chat now! Don't Be Shy - click here and come on in!

05-13-2006, 02:59 PM	#2
emc7 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 39 Posts: 2,589 User Feedback: (0)	Assume the sand will hold some tap water and add dechlor to your tank before you add the sand.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)