Want to change out crushed coral for live sand

I've searched the forum and found many helpful tips. My main concern is my fish and keeping them alive!

I'm a new member and this thread seems to be the closest fit for my question. I have an established 55gal upright tank, fish & live rock only. I have crushed coral and want to make the switch over to live sand. I simply like the look of live sand better. I have a 15" snowflake eel, 1 clown trigger, 2 clownfish, 2 pajama cardinals, 1 coral beauty, 2 pincushion urchins, and a red sea star. Is there an easy way to go about this without losing my fish, or should I leave well enough alone? Thanks for any replies

 

I think if you take a hose and vacuum up a little at a time with out stirring it up to much it might be ok. You might have to do it with weekly water changes till all the CC is gone. I will have to follow along because I was thinking of doing the same thing. That's how I planned on doing it.

 

You can switch it out all at once, but you may get a mini cycle. If you do switch, make sure you vacuum out all debris underneath the crushed coral and then put the sand in. If you don't, the new sand will trap all of that debris underneath it and it will start pumping out nitrates.

It would be good to do a 1/4 at a time with water changes. Just make it a slow and steady transition.

 

scarey.. hopefully other more experienced reply but thinking not such a good idea. How deep is your bed now. If not very deep possible add the sand over the top??? Just a thought but may not be good idea either.

 

I switched my cc to sand all at once in my 150 fowlr. I just did it sliwly and scooped out cc 1 cup at a time until it was all gone and then slowly poured in live sand under water.

I did this with a 2 ft snowfkake eel, various triggers, damsels, clowns, foxface etc.

 

When you do water changes do you clean the bed or just siphon the water?

 

+1 RoloSaez, and IMO, I wouldn't think live sand would be necessary, just regular sand. If your tank is cycled and houses livestock, your liverock should seed the sand in short order.

 

I clean the bed out at the same time as I do the water change. I took over this tank from a friend of mine about three years ago. I moved into a new house 1.5 years ago and the tank has stayed put since. There is about 3" of CC at the base. I had plans on getting a bigger tank when I moved but $$$$ was an issue. If I knew then, I would have switched when everything was out of the tank. Another option I was told is to use regular sand with a bag of live sand.. Thanks for all the replies!

 

Well the fact that you clean the bed during water changes is a plus in this circumstance as you should not run into as much of a gas release as those who do not clean the bed.

I am sure you will get a lot more input here and I am for 1 very interested in others opinions.

 

And I was gonna use the CC in my garage, and some of it currently in my 125, for a thin layer as I have now, but it'll be in my newer 180g.

I don't know that I ever really want to go wind sand. My CC is pretty fine, about like a coarse sand anyways.

You are gettin good advice however, good luck, should be fine if you decide to change it out.