xiong.s2460.mccd

12 g Aquapod
9 lbs live rock
1 1/2 inch live sand(have never stirred the live sand before)
Gold Stripe maroon clownfish (juvenile)
Lawnmower Blenny
Turbo Snail
0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20ppm nitrate, 82 F (API Saltwater Master test kit)
Stock lighting(set to turn on for 12 hrs to create enough algae for Lawnmower Blenny which seems like not enough algae is growing for this hungry blenny) and filtration
Seaclone 100 (which don't know if it is working properly :<)
Water changes (4 gallons) every week to keep nitrate levels down, which I don't know why my nitrate levels keep going up so high.

I have decided to go bare bottom because it is too hard to keep up with the large amount of poop that my lawnmower blenny excretes and it looks dirty with green algae and diatoms.

Question #1: What are the exact steps that I should take on how to remove the fine live sand out of the tank?

Question #2: What possible problems can occur if I remove all the live sand at once? Mini cycle? What is a mini cycle? (Sorry for dumb question)

Thank you all in advance.

xiong.s2460.mccd

not even one reply?? Thanks!

Lucy

Welcome to Fish Lore
Sometimes it takes the right member to come along who can answer your question. Not everyone is on every day.
I'm sure someone will be able to answer your question.
I know nothing about S/W except that they're beautiful.

Oh, wait....I can answer #2. A mini cylcle is when your previously cycled tank now has ammonia. It usually happens when for some reason you lose bacteria (like over cleaning) or add too many fish that it over powers the bacteria.

sgould

The only person I know for sure has switched from substrate to BB in an established tank is Agsansoo, but I am not sure how he did it...could be as simple as just scooping it out. I do remember he posted some pics with the water all clouded up from the process. The fish were fine, though. As far as a mini-cycle, I would think that you should be fine with the live rock in there.

xiong.s2460.mccd

Thank you to you both. I just scooped it all out.

agsansoo

xiong.s2460.mccd, sorry I didn't read this sooner. I've been real busy lately (life & work). How did everything work out for you ?

xiong.s2460.mccd

Well, I scooped all the live sand out, however, I purchased new coral sands yesterday, not fine sand, and put it in the tank because it didn't look so great without the sand. I will stay with the sand and not go BB.

agsansoo

Just make sure not to go too deep with the coarser sand. Also vacuum up any detritus that settles in the sand, during your weekly water changes. This will keep you nitrates in check.