- Here's my Top 10 do's and don'ts when adding sand
to a brand new tank or a tank that already has water in it,
plus, one bonus tip you don't wanna miss,
what you should absolutely avoid
the first couple of days after adding your sand.
First up, do have an overall aquascape
and fish plan in mind.
It doesn't have to be set in stone.
However, consider both your desired look
and the fish that you wanna add in the future,
like wrasses, jawfish, and gobies,
so that you add the right amount of sand
the first time around.
If you are unsure about how much sand to add,
keep an eye out for a sand depths calculator.
As a general rule, I always recommend
about one pound of sand
per two gallons of display water volume.
Number two, do not rinse any of CaribSea's Arag-Alive sands
or their Oceans Direct sand,
if you wanna maintain the integrity
of the added beneficial bacteria inside,
which leads us to number three.
Always rinse your CaribSea Special Grade dry sand
because it is super dusty,
and it will take forever for your tank to clear up.
Trust me, you don't wanna skip this rinsing step.
The best practice is to use RO water
for the rinsing process, but if you're in a pinch
and have to use tap water, use some dechlorinator first.
Number four, make sure to add all the water
from the bag of CaribSea's Arag-Alive sand
because actually, the water that contains
the majority of the starter bacteria
and the reason you bought the sand in the first place.
Number five, when adding CaribSea's Arag-Alive sands,
do use the little packet of clarifier that comes in the bag.
It has always worked great for me
and clears the water almost immediately,
so don't just throw it away.
Number six, do your rockscape before adding sand and water
into your aquarium.
I find it so much easier to build a solid structure,
and I find it less messy to aquascape
without water in your way.
Here's an important tip.
When building your aquascape, try using rocks
with as flat of surfaces as possible.
And actually, the MarcoRock Foundation Reef Rock
is the perfect tool for this job,
as it's cut flat and smooth on one side,
giving your structure both a stable foundation
and a more natural look.
Number seven, now this one seems like a no-brainer,
but I'm gonna mention it anyway.
When adding sand to an established tank,
don't bury your sand welling corals with new sand
and uncover them after you're done.
Instead, move them out of the way
or you can even take them out of the tank temporarily
while you add your new sand, and then once you're done,
put them right back in to place.
Number eight, when all your rock and sand is in its place,
do not just dump water haphazardly into your tank.
Sand will go everywhere,
your rock structure can tumble,
and if it took you hours or even days to build
your perfect zen garden look,
you just destroyed it.
Instead,
number nine, pour your water
into something flat on the sand bed,
like the cover from a soap bucket or a small plate,
or even better, use a small pump and hose
to slowly add water into your rock work,
like the MarcoRock Foundation Reef Rock I just mentioned,
which is way less likely to disrupt your newly-placed sand.
Number 10, when adding sand to your tank
that is already set up,
do not just cut open the bag and dump the whole thing
into your aquarium.
Sand will cover everything.
Instead, to ensure that your sand
ends up in the places that you want it to go,
use a small container or cup like this
and slowly add your sand to your desired areas.
And now for the bonus tip that you've been waiting for,
after you've added your sand,
do not, I'm gonna repeat it, do not try to clean
the inside of your tank with a magnet scraper.
The small dust particles actually stick to the magnet
and make it like a fine grit sandpaper
that will scratch the hell out of your glass or acrylic.
Instead, use something softer
like SeaChem's Foam Cleaning Sponges
to gently wipe the excess dust off the inside surfaces.
You might have to do this a couple times
the first few days, but you'll be a lot happier
you didn't use your magnet scraper.
So what's next?
The next thing to consider is how flow and powerheads
will affect your brand new aquascape and sand bed.
Learn from Ryan and Randy and watch their video
on the "Top 22 Powerhead and Flow Mistakes."