im looking at changing from crushed coral to sand but i dont what kind to go with? i was wondering what ppl's opinion on which sand is the best marine sand money isnt really much an issue but i dont want to go all "live sand" cuz thats wayyy to expensive even tho im sure its very bennificial.. and whats the differance between "live sand" and "agra-alive"? also how important is the sands pH buffering capability? thanks
Marine Sand Substrate
- Thread starter wade_vv
- Start date
Dry sand from your local hardware store will work. you can even get aragonite based sand--OldCastle brand. I have their paver sand, and I love it--but some will tell you that it is superfine, and requires some time to settle. Something a bigger grained might be better for a tank that's alreayd running.
The aragonite based stuff will help buffering some, but IMO, it's not hugely significant. I used plain jane silica playsand for years with no problems in my reef. Literally, dirt cheap.
The aragonite based stuff will help buffering some, but IMO, it's not hugely significant. I used plain jane silica playsand for years with no problems in my reef. Literally, dirt cheap.
Wade vv,
You shouldn't need live sand at all if your tank is already established... and if it is, I can only imagine the pain and hassle it'll be to switch over to the sand. I have two types in my 55. Some old course grained beach type sand from my old days in Hawaii and some Burmuda blue(?). It's great looking and I'm glad I put the bucks into it.
RM
You shouldn't need live sand at all if your tank is already established... and if it is, I can only imagine the pain and hassle it'll be to switch over to the sand. I have two types in my 55. Some old course grained beach type sand from my old days in Hawaii and some Burmuda blue(?). It's great looking and I'm glad I put the bucks into it.
RM
This is sneeky but I went out to the local coast (SC) and got some sand from a local sandy flat at low tide. It's much finer than sugar, but I have a 3/4 inch layer of it (it's dark, dark grey) and tons of sand-churning critters, but nitrates stay below the detectable mark.
nice.... id love to be able to do that.. but my "local" coast is a lil over 1200 miles away haha iowa doesnt have much in terms of ocean front property but i ended up swiping a half bag of aragonite sand from a friend to stick in a 10 gallon tank i just set up im gonna leave crushed coral in the other tanks its not that big of a deal i just wanted to get a feal for the sand before i put it in the big tank im thinkin bout getting... but now i got a 10 gallon tank in my hallway full of saltwater and sand what do i put in it?
coral sand is definately the best, you do not need all live sand as one bag will quickly multiply it's bacteria and organisms and before no time the whole sand bed will be crawling with benificial bacteria. LIve rock is also crucial as it helps to remove nitrates and phosphates etc from the water, with all the algae living on it. the coral sand also keeps the Ph stable at 8.3 and i think it looks attractive. with a 3 inch sandbed it would be perfect.
why do you 3 inches would be the best? alot of ppl say to have a good 3 inches of sand in the bottem of your tank... im only puttin this sand in a 10g 3 inches in like a quarter of my tank so i put in like an inch and a half... just curious why ppl prefer 3 inches...
The theory is that you need a minimum of 3" depth for a functioning deep sand bed. Otherwise, it won't be hypoxic enough for denitrification. There is also a theory that a DSB won't work with a tank as small as a 10. My experience with about 4" of sand in a 10 gallon was that I didn't get much denitrification, but that's just one tank.