Replacing Coral Chips With Dsb

[WLSS]

I hv my 3-ft tank running for coming 5 months already. From this forum, I learnt tt my coral chips aint suitable to be used as substrate in my main tank (giving rise to the high NO3 level??) - though my anemones seems to be doing very well in the water. Looks like DSB does not gives trouble. As such, I made a painful decision, to slowly remove the coral chips fr the tank n replace them wif #0 and #1 grade sand. I know tis is a big risk tt I m taking ... unless anyone out there has a better solution/idea? If this is the only way u can advise, wat is the best way to go about it?

Fyi, I hv:-

> an overhead filter system, where I put bio-rings, chemipure, phosguard n polyfilters,

> no sump,

> a hang-on Prism protein skimmer - not seem to be working well these days as there aint anymore kopi-o, like last time,

> 24kg of LRs

> 9 fishes and 2 snails

> some corals (still trying to differentiate whether they are hard or soft corals)

Anyone can advise?

[WLSS]

Hiii ... thought I posted my question at the wrong place earlier n may get some help here ...

I hv my 3-ft tank running for coming 5 months already. From this forum, I learnt tt my coral chips aint suitable to be used as substrate in my main tank (giving rise to the high NO3 level??) - though my anemones seems to be doing very well in the water. Looks like DSB does not gives trouble. As such, I made a painful decision, to slowly remove the coral chips fr the tank n replace them wif #0 and #1 grade sand. I know tis is a big risk tt I m taking ... unless anyone out there has a better solution/idea? If this is the only way u can advise, wat is the best way to go about it?

Fyi, I hv:-

> an overhead filter system, where I put bio-rings, chemipure, phosguard n polyfilters, (I know tis is not advisable, but I hv space constraint)

> no sump,

> a hang-on Prism protein skimmer - not seem to be working well these days as there aint anymore kopi-o, like last time,

> 24kg of LRs

> 9 fishes and 2 snails

> some corals (still trying to differentiate whether they are hard or soft corals)

Anyone can advise?

[shiraz]

you're using only an overhead filter for filtration? hmmm if thats the case then i think that its highly recommended to use a dsb. y not get a sump as well or at least a cannister... the OH filter takes up space at the top of your tank.. might hinder the light if u intend to upgrade to MH in the future..

[mafia]

i would advise u to get a another tank to place all the fishes!...get #0 sand, better if live sand. remove all coral chips and put in the sand!

Its better to take out most of the water like 90%...then take out the chips and live rock!....place the live rocks in pails covered with wet newspaper(soaked with the saltwater) the put in the sand! and lastly the water back in! i believe u will need to restart ur cycling but it will take a max of 2weeks! make sure DSB is no less than 3 inches, better if 4 inches! the the anoerobic bacteria will survive!....hope this helps!

[mafia]

i would advise u to get a another tank to place all the fishes!...get #0 sand, better if live sand. remove all coral chips and put in the sand!

Its better to take out most of the water like 90%...then take out the chips and live rock!....place the live rocks in pails covered with wet newspaper(soaked with the saltwater) the put in the sand! and lastly the water back in! i believe u will need to restart ur cycling but it will take a max of 2weeks! make sure DSB is no less than 3 inches, better if 4 inches! the the anoerobic bacteria will survive!....hope this helps!

p/s: i use a DSB of 4" and run on OHF....

ru in spore?

[Achilles Tang]

I think in your case, your coral chip sandbed is not a source of denitrification help but actually contributes to high NO3 as detritus and uneaten food particles are trapped in there.

What I suggest:

1. Drain out as much water as you can without disturbing the sandbed/detritus into a seperate container.

2. Remove your LR (give it a good rinse in seperate saltwater bucket to remove detritus, don't reuse the SW). Keep water well circulated in the temporary housing container

3. Transfer all livestock out... make sure they are not stressed and well oxygenated.

4. Remove all the coral chips, give your tank a good wash. Lay the new sandbed in with as fine sand as possible.... at the least, it must be #1 sand. #0 is best. Try for 4 inch minimum with #0. #1 at least 5 to 6 inches for best results.

5. Replace all your SW.

6. Replace all your LR and livestock.

7. Do small water changes in the next few weeks.

Since your old sandbed wasn't functioning as a DSB in the first place, you don't have to worry about hydrogen sulfide. So you won't probably get an ammonia spike as your LR was probably helping out with most of the biological filtration. Now you just have to wait till the anaerobic bacteria will colonise the lower depths of your DSB and..... zero nitrates will be realised in a few months time!

A DSB takes about a year to fully mature....

Good luck with your exercise!

AT

[WLSS]

Thanks, shiraz and mafia!

Need to clarify with mafia:

Do you mean I should keep 90% of the water that is currently in my tank now? What you sugeested seems to take place within a day, provided I have another temporary accommodation for my fishes, but I have corals too. Can I do it this way, instead:

I plan to slowly remove the coral chips by stages. Halfway through, I would start to add #1 and #0 sand gradually, i.e. to say somewhere along the stages, I would have half-sand-half-coral chips in my tank. Will this do? Everytime when I remove the coral chips, I will also change about 5 litres of water, since NO3 will rise as I agitiated the substrate.

Hmmm... live sand seems a good idea, for my case ... any suggestion where to get/buy them?

BTW, what do you put in your OHF?

Yes, yes, I reside in Singapore.

Once again,

[Achilles Tang]

hmmm... you posted the same topic in 2 different forums?

You should not be doing this... well... I'll see what I can do to merge these two threads together...since I answered in the other one!

[WLSS]

Gee, thanks, AT, for the advice!!!

Really pray hard that I will succeed ... start thinking of where to get all those containers ...

[Achilles Tang]

I can lend you my BIG toyogo tub (see Product Review Forum) or you can go get one for yourself.. extremely useful for emergencies and water changes... 1 should be enough for your 3ft tank. It's probably bigger than your tank.. hahaha!!

PM me if you want to make the arrangements.

[Achilles Tang]

Thread merged!

[WLSS]

hee ... yes, I posted the same topic in 2 different forums, because I did not get any respond when I posted it in the General Reefing forum ... time was running out ("desperate" to solve my problem and SRC happened to be in the migration process ... was too anxious) ... sorry! And, thanks for merging the two

Yea, the idea of using toyogo box was a good one! I will empty one of mine and use it. Thanks for the offer, anyway!

[Achilles Tang]

No prob!

[sjsheng]

protein skimmer will remove nitrate rite.. if i am not wrong... izzit true..

[Achilles Tang]

A skimmer will remove the stuff that produces nitrates, actually.

By skimming out dissolved organics in the water before it has the chance to further decompose and produce the end product of the nitrogen cycle > ammonia > nitrites > nitrates.

[tansh]

Hi, i am newbie nice to meet all bro n sis here.I came across biohome homepage mention that this biohome can track denitrification n nitrific bact.In that case this biohome can acturely achive full nitrogen cycle,is it ture? but biohome red colour one very expensive 1 kg cost $50

[Crab]

I can lend you my BIG toyogo tub (see Product Review Forum) or you can go get one for yourself.. extremely useful for emergencies and water changes... 1 should be enough for your 3ft tank. It's probably bigger than your tank.. hahaha!!

PM me if you want to make the arrangements.

I use inflatable pool when I shift my tank. 1 pool can contain about 400 ltrs. Can be flatten and store when not in use.

4. Remove all the coral chips, give your tank a good wash. Lay the new sandbed in with as fine sand as possible.... at the least, it must be #1 sand. #0 is best. Try for 4 inch minimum with #0. #1 at least 5 to 6 inches for best results.

Is it possible to lay #0 sand on top of the coral chips? Maybe after cleaning it with a subtrate cleaner. Any consequences? I may need to do the same thing. But my coral chips is "tiny", not sure # what. Definitely not #0 or #1.

[sjsheng]

but nitrate is harmful to fish rite...

but with protein skimmer it will reduce the nitrate level produce rite ?

am i rite..

[mafia]

looks like Achilles Tang has replied to ur needs....he is the man!

thx for the wonderful details Achilles Tang

[ai[k²]wan]

i think actually can change bit by bit leh anyone think so too?