Reducing Sand bed?

[ozone]

I want to reduce the height of my sand bed and I am looking for suggestions on how to remove the sand with out affecting my live stock.

Here is a picture of my setup http://www.manhattanreefs.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=12065&c=3&userid=2095

 

[Bob 1000]

Use a big syphon hose and keep reducing til it's not there....

 

[ozone]

I am thinking to scoop it out one cup at a time over a several week period until I get the level I want. This sould cut down on making the water cloudy and stressing the fishes and inverts.

 

[Deanos]

• Make sure you have somewhere else for the bacteria to colonize when you start removing the substrate
• Remove the sand at night when corals are closed and the fish are hiding/sleeping

 

[marki24]

.

What you gonna do with the extra sand?:scratchch

 

[Bob 1000]

You have to syphon it out or you'll just stir up and raise phosphates..Depending on how old you tank is...

 

[ozone]

Thanks guys I'll try to siphon it out.

I have a fellow reefer who is taking the extra sand off my hands.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Are you trying to reduce the sand bed so that a DSB becomes a SSB?

 

[ozone]

Not necessarily, all that sand is not asthetically appealing and I want to get rid of some.

 

[alrha]

siphon may be best during a water-change as you will lose water with it.

of course dont do it all in one shot, break it up doing a little bit at a time.