[DoLceNBeLLa]

Hey ya'll

Not sure if this is the correct spot for this particular question but here I go.


My tank (55g over 6 years) has not been responding well to the increase in water changes, better parameters etc etc in terms of algae, so I figured I could try and add some new live sand (Arag-Alive) in order to see if that would help.

The guy at the LFS said that I would need to mix it in all at once because the sand won't last once I open it....but the smallest bag they had was a 20lb bag and I'm worried of adding all that sand all at once. On top of that, I already have 3-4 inches of sand, so should I slowly add in the new sand while taking some of the old sand out? Is there a way that I can extend the life of the sand once I open the bag? It seems like a bad idea to put it in all at once, even with mixing the two together fairly well.

If its a dumb idea all around I can return the bag most likely, I'm just trying new ideas to see if my tank can get better with its looks.

[Jeremy0322]

I would assume you could take an old tank, take some water from the 55 from a water change, and add a cocktail shrimp. The shrimp you decompose and make ammonia giving the stuff in the sand something to eat. From there it would last longer i would assume because it would be the same thing as your tank but in a smaller scenario.

-I HAVE NOT ever been asked this question so I am just using some basic principles for the assumption that it would work. You may wanna wait until someone else says something about it before you go ahead and try it, but i dont see why it would not work.

[pogodzib]

If adding new sand, while leaving the old sand in place, don't add over 1/4"-1/2" of sand at a time. Adding more than that will bury the critters in the sand and kill off some of the zones. Allow at least one week before adding more. You don't need to buy "live sand in a bag" as it is a waste of money. Just buy dry sand. You don't need to add it all at once, but make sure that you seal it up once you open the bag up to keep spiders and other contaminants out.

Since your tank is 6 years old, your sand be is probably full of bad stuff so it would probably be better to replace a full thickness section of your sand. To do this, try to remove all of the sand from an area of your tank and replace it with new dry sand. When you do this, try not to create too much of a sand storm so make sure that you shut off your power heads. I'd recommend not replacing over 1/2 of the sand at a time. The sections of sand that aren't replaced and your LR will reseed the new sand.