Adding sand to existing DSB

Nautical · July 2, 2004

Existing DSB, grade 0 sand, is about 2 to 3 inches for my 3 feet tank.

Now four months old.

Depth of DSB getting thinner due cleaning out debris over time.

Please advise how to add new sand and what precautions to take. :thanks:

I am afraid of disturbing the peace and cause a crash. :cry2:

Nautical · July 2, 2004

hello, any guru, shifu or experts out there ?? :bow:

need help leh .... :thanks:

JustinK · July 2, 2004

Just use a plastic bag, those transparent ones, cut a hole at one end and then fill the bag with sand. After that, just dip your hand into the tank, pressing the cut end and gently cream the top layer of your sandbed. You know how they layer those cream on cakes? the same method. Thats the gentlest way to do it without disturbing your sandbed too much.

blueheaven · July 2, 2004

That's the trouble of not having a "recharge kit", you just don't get enough infauna to do all the dirty work for you

But anyway, you can use a plate and pour the sand in slowly

mAriNe_enthusiast · July 2, 2004

Tat's an intersting way... maybe i can try out also. Also, my snad has becomne yellow over the time. MAybe can add a layer of clean sand to make it have the white sandy look again

Nautical · July 3, 2004

hello ppl, its me again. thanks for all the tips. :thanks:

ultimately, after trying out several ways, found the below method to be most efficient. obviously wash sand first.

fill sand into a 1.5 litres soft drink bottle to the top. close bottle cap, rinse with water to clear sand on the outside of bottle.

then lower bottle into tank and having reached the lowest possible, turn bottle over slowly. sand will start flowing out.

Nautical · July 3, 2004

oops sorry, common sense not so common.

remember to open bottle cap when bottle immersed into tank.

otherwise how can sand flow out ..... hahaha

iewnehz · July 3, 2004

or the safer way is to top up the sand slowly...

weileong · July 3, 2004

Get a long PVC taller than your water level.

Put this PVC pipe into your tank so the other end is just at the sandbed.

Then pour the prewashed sand slowly into the PVC pipe

moxa · July 4, 2004

Get a long PVC taller than your water level.

Put this PVC pipe into your tank so the other end is just at the sandbed.

Then pour the prewashed sand slowly into the PVC pipe

weilong idea should be good enough.

consider having a funnel at the top of the PVC pipe. this way might be easier

I use funnel to divide solution from bigger bottle to smaller and is easier

weileong · July 4, 2004

remember to wash the sand till it is ultra clean and do this slowly so you do not stress your LS.

I also recommend to just top up a small area of the sandbed at a time so the new area have time to mature

Nautical · July 4, 2004

yeah i tried using a pvc pipe, 3 feet long for a 2 feet deep tank.

also has a funnel at top of pipe.

very troublesome, as need to use chopstick to poke thru the funnel for the sand to slide thru the funnel. time consuming.

that's when i use the 1.5 litre soft drink bottle described above. complete the process in no time.

Domino · July 5, 2004

I read somewhere that it is good not to add a big layer at once. Add max between 1/2 to 1 " layer at several week interval to allow acteria migration into the new layers.

Sounds logical because the top layer bacteria are aerobic. if you bury them under a few inches of sand in one shot, less oxygen will get to them and some might perish.