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View Full Version : can i move sand from one tank to another


gotbags-10
08/21/2007, 02:24 PM
i need to set a little 5 gallon holding tank with about 10 zooanthid frags for about 2 weeks and i was gonna put a few pieces of rock from my other tank and just a few lbs of sand as well. Can i do this? I've heard moving sand is not a good thing but wasnt for sure since its such a small amount. Could i even go without sand? But what would i use to keep my ph up around 8. Dosen't the aragonite in the sand do that? Any ideas?

jer77
08/21/2007, 03:02 PM
You don't need sand to keep your pH at normal levels, your salt mix does that along with additions of an alkalinity supplement, CO2 or kalkwasser to correct minor deviations from your stable pH. For a holding tank all you really need is a heater, a pump and a light. You can also add a HOB filter with carbon and a HOB skimmer if you have one. Just do small water changes every few days. Moving sand is a bad idea because it will mess up the existing sandbed and it will cause a cycle in your holding tank.

ahullsb
08/21/2007, 03:07 PM
I agree. Anytime I have moved sand, it has been followed by a huge cycle. It is better to use new sand, with a cup or two of the old sand bed to seed it. But since you are setting up a holding tank, I don't think you need sand at all. jer77 is right that with your supplements, etc your ph shouldn't swing that much. I'm not a big fan of buffers, but there are some ph buffers that may help if you are getting large ph swings. But keep in mind that smaller fluctuations in ph are fairly normal in the hobby.