My CC to Sand Change Project

Thanks to the good advice I received from the forum, I did my own successful crushed coral (CC) to sand change project, and I wanted to share the experience here for anyone else looking to go down that road. Here's what I used:

• 2 20lb bags Fiji Pink sand
• Pet food scoop (for scooping out CC)
• Rubber pet bowl placemat (I used this as a makeshift tank divider)
• Multiple 5G buckets

Here's my tank before the project:

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Step 1: Out with the Old

I drained enough water into my buckets for the live rock on 1 side of the tank, and put the rocks in the buckets. I then used my makeshift 'tank divider' to keep the fish, crabs, and snails out of the work zone. After picking out a few straggler snails and crabs, I got to work scooping the CC into a bucket. Be warned, the water will get very cloudy, very fast. Most of the scooping work will be done 'blind', so you'll be thankful for that divider to know where you're at in the tank and that nobody's in your way.

Step 2: In with the New

After I got the CC out of one side of tank, I put 1 bag of sand in the bottom and opened it with a razor, and slid out the bag as carefully as possible. After that, I removed the divider and did a water change. It took about an hour for the water to clear enough to arrange the sand a bit and return the rocks. I also did several cleanings of my filter media during the day (as well as water tests) as the tank cleared. Steps 1 and 2 took about 2 1/2 hours to complete. Here's the tank at the halfway point:

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Step 3: Do it Again!

After about a week and a half, I repeated the above steps on the other half of the tank. I also took the opportunity to add another piece of rock and do some general rearranging of things. Here's the finished product:

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My readings are all normal and everyone in the tank seems quite pleased with the extreme tank makeover, as am I! It was definitely a 'Dirty Job', but not that difficult and well worth it in my opinion.

 

Looks good.

 

very nice, looks way cleaner im sure the fish like it!

 

Looks awesome.

Why did you do the halves of the tank a week apart vs all at once?

What kind of cycle impact would you expect?

 

sand looks good, hopefully water chemistry is not affected.

Really liked the LR formation in your "half way" picture. Should really consider keeping two piles like that- looks crafty.

 

You can't (or really shouldn't) change all your sand at once if you're changing it because your sand is providng a good percentage of your biological filter, and by changing out all the old sand at once, your losing a very good portion of your nitrifying bacteria.

 

Looks great! Hey where are you in Tampa, I'm just north of you in Homosassa. Jean

 

Couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks!

 

Looks great. Boy, what an improvement that sand makes.

 

I'm in Carrollwood, just north of Gaither High School - Mike