My 55 gallon Tank

Gorgeous frags!

 

I think we need a new FTS with all the new additions

Tom

 

Will do. I'll try to get one tonight.

 

Picked up some new frags from Salty Critters in Vermilion.

Pics of the superman montipora:





And...just to show the size of the larger frag:

 

Pics of the new Acros from Pacific East Agriculture.

All pics taken with my phone, so my apologies for quality.

Taken at 0 Exposure:








Taken at -2 Exposure:

 

Looking for some advice on replacing the entire sand bed.


Reasons for wanting to replace it:

• I believe the previous owner of this tank did not ever clean the sand bed. I've tried to clean it as much as possible.
• I feel the sand bed has become a nitrate factory and needs to be replaced.
• I do 50% water changes and the nitrates keep coming back to 20+
• It is nasty looking

Concerns:

• Not sure I can replace a little bit at a time. If it is a nitrate factory, sucking up a little at a time will cause massive spikes.
• Do not want to cause harm to livestock.
• Do not want to cause harm to corals.
• There is a pistol shrimp and watchman Goby living under the sand bed.
• Do not want to destroy Pod population with 90% water change.

Thoughts/Ideas/Plan of Attack:

• Drain water as if doing a 50% water change - Discard this water
• Remove all live rock and corals and place in buckets/tubs (no power heads likely)
• Catch livestock and place in buckets/tubs
• Drain more water while removing substrate at the same time
• Remove remaining substrate
• Clean Glass and remove buildup
• Place new substrate
• Fill halfway with new water
• Place live rock and corals back in
• Fill up with water
• Place livestock back in
• Cross fingers

Unknowns/Questions/Etc:

• How much water should I replace?
• I want to use black sand. Do they make non-live black sand?
• Does the plan make sense?
• What changes/suggestions/etc would you recommend?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Black sand is usually magnetic and is usually replaced with regular sand. Search more for that topic.

 

Most black sand is magnetic, but you can find non magnetic somewhere, sorry I've forgotten. But I'd do your plan except keep most your water, I'd just get 4 big totes from walmart, syphon your water out, put your corals in one with a heater, and your fish in another with a heater, and the water in another. Have a bother tub with new water due to the amount you'll lose.

Grab a friend and a 6 pack empty the tank and clean it, put new sand in, put water back in then fish then rock and coral, get out 6 pack, should take less than an hour

If you can I'd get a cup of the old sand to help seed the new

 

Wow!! You got a lot of stuff going on for a 55......Looks great, very clean tank. K+