[Roady]

This may sound like a dumb question, but I almost always run my ideas by you guys first and it has always payed off Anyway i would like to add about another fourty pounds of live sand to my aquarium. It has fourty in it right now, but I just like the look of a deeper sand base. I've never added more sand after an aquarium was up and running. Would it be ok to just purchase more of the same live sand that i used originally open the bag in the water and just pour it on the bottom, or is that not a good thing to do? Just airing on the side of caution.

[ksreefbuilder]

yes, it can be done. Just make sure you dont have much die off in the sand before you add it to your tank. Also a little trick I use is a funnel and piece of pvc pipe to put it where you want it.

[Roady]

much die off in the sand?

[ksreefbuilder]

Well, live sand is not always all alive and adding dead items to your tank is never good. Thats why you have to let a new tank cycle is because of the dead items you are putting in it. If it is the pre bagged live sand you never know what you are really getting, half of it could be dead. If you want to be safe you can just get a plastic tub and put the sand in it with some saltwater for a few days or a week with a heater and pump and just check the parameters of the water every now and then to see whats its doing. Then you can add it to your tank. Any new sand or live rock that has much die off has to do a cycle before you put it in your tank, unless you want problems.

[pogodzib]

Only add 1/4-1/2" of sand per week so you don't bury the critters that live in your existing sand bed. Also, either use a cup to place the sand on the tank's bottom or a funnel so you don't create a dust storm.