Adding More Sand To A Tank...

[eschaton]

I set up my first marine tank this weekend. The tank has cured live rock filled with life I'm really happy with, but I under-bought sand, and only have a bed around 2 inches deep. Is there any problem with adding additional sand to the tank now that live rock is already in it? Of course I'm going to rinse thoroughly, but I'm wondering if silt in the sand will stir up will harm the sponges, featherdusters, and other filter-feeders. I'm also wondering if the few pounds of beneficial live sand I picked up are going to be harmed by being buried in the mid layer.

 

[tmreynolds]

I set up my first marine tank this weekend. The tank has cured live rock filled with life I'm really happy with, but I under-bought sand, and only have a bed around 2 inches deep. Is there any problem with adding additional sand to the tank now that live rock is already in it> Of course I'm going to rinse thoroughly, but I'm wondering if silt in the sand will stir up will harm the sponges, featherdusters, and other filter-feeders. I'm also wondering if the few pounds of beneficial live sand I picked up are going to be harmed by being buried in the mid layer.

2 inches is plenty unless your going for a species of fish that likes more. I have about an inch max. Too much can trap detritus and produce nitrates.

 

[eschaton]

2 inches is plenty unless your going for a species of fish that likes more. I have about an inch max. Too much can trap detritus and produce nitrates.

Really? I've read with deep sand beds you can virtually eliminate nitrates. I lucked out as to hitchikers, and recieved a full assortment of sand bed fauna in my rock (bristleworms, brittle stars, at least one Stomatella and several Cerith snails), and I was thinking with such a nice assortment of fauna a deep sand bed would work out quite well.

 

[brittlestar]

I only have about 3/4 an inch, I heard that too deep a layer is bad too...

 

[rhysiboy]

for a true deep sand bed it neeeds to be like 8 inches deep , that is why DSB's are only usualy used in refugiums and in sumps

 

[N1z]

I only have about 3/4 an inch, I heard that too deep a layer is bad too...

Could be but you have to take into account there are many inverts etc that move this sand to stop build ups and also feed within the sand.