Adding frag tank to main system

stinkyreef · 01/28/2017, 09:42 AM

So I am in the process of adding a frag tank. This tank I am using consists of 3 separate 10g tanks in one unit. One of them will become a nano tank to house fish that can't be in the main tank. I had a beaten up Bangaii cardinal that started this whole adventure. the other 2 will be mini frag tanks until I setup one of those 50g Zoomed frag tanks. Hopefully by the fall. So I want to add some sand and dry rock to this nano. It will eventually become live sand but do I want to add live sand right off the bat or get dry sand, rinse the heck out of it and use that? I don't want to cause an uproar in my main display as everything is going well.

organism · 01/28/2017, 01:58 PM

Whether you get dead sand or live sand in a bag it's still likely to have some die-off, so it might be a good idea to make sure everything is fully cycled before connecting it to your display with corals in it. Personally I wouldn't go putting a bunch of new sand of any kind into a system that's already running unless it had been in a bucket for a month or two first.

stinkyreef · 01/31/2017, 09:18 AM

Wouldn't it be like adding a refugium to the main system?
Im only talking 10 lbs of sand and some dry reef ready rocks. Also will be rinsing the heck out of it with ro. I appreciate the info from you. Thanks

JohnnyHildo · 02/02/2017, 07:06 AM

what he is basically saying is that adding a large amount of sand, rock or both could cause the tank to fall back into a state of cycling again. in reality it's best to probably just cycle the rock & sand on their own before hand in a tub.

Cajunreefer87 · 02/27/2017, 09:12 PM

Not even could you have to worry about a cycle, every time that I have ever added new uncycled sand to a system algae tends to follow. Dry rock is know for algae as well, I throw 25 pounds of dry rock away because of it.

01/28/2017, 09:42 AM	#1
stinkyreef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Illinois Posts: 102	Adding frag tank to main system So I am in the process of adding a frag tank. This tank I am using consists of 3 separate 10g tanks in one unit. One of them will become a nano tank to house fish that can't be in the main tank. I had a beaten up Bangaii cardinal that started this whole adventure. the other 2 will be mini frag tanks until I setup one of those 50g Zoomed frag tanks. Hopefully by the fall. So I want to add some sand and dry rock to this nano. It will eventually become live sand but do I want to add live sand right off the bat or get dry sand, rinse the heck out of it and use that? I don't want to cause an uproar in my main display as everything is going well.

01/28/2017, 01:58 PM	#2
organism code monkey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: south bay Posts: 6,223	Whether you get dead sand or live sand in a bag it's still likely to have some die-off, so it might be a good idea to make sure everything is fully cycled before connecting it to your display with corals in it. Personally I wouldn't go putting a bunch of new sand of any kind into a system that's already running unless it had been in a bucket for a month or two first. __________________ I don't always grow frags... but when I do, I prefer Dos Acros

02/02/2017, 07:06 AM	#4
JohnnyHildo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 669	what he is basically saying is that adding a large amount of sand, rock or both could cause the tank to fall back into a state of cycling again. in reality it's best to probably just cycle the rock & sand on their own before hand in a tub. __________________ 120G Standard - 40G Sump. Apex - DOS - ATI Current Tank Info: Acros - Zoas - Palys

01/31/2017, 09:18 AM	#3
stinkyreef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Illinois Posts: 102	Wouldn't it be like adding a refugium to the main system? Im only talking 10 lbs of sand and some dry reef ready rocks. Also will be rinsing the heck out of it with ro. I appreciate the info from you. Thanks

02/27/2017, 09:12 PM	#5
Cajunreefer87 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 53	Not even could you have to worry about a cycle, every time that I have ever added new uncycled sand to a system algae tends to follow. Dry rock is know for algae as well, I throw 25 pounds of dry rock away because of it.