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stricknine
01/01/2009, 02:35 PM
I just bought 120lbs of Dowell Sea Fooor from the LFS to start up my new tank. (specs at bottom) Calcium carbonate, aragonite, and crushed shell/coral. http://www.fishgravel.com/gravelsub.htm

I went with a bright white which I think will look awesome under some super actinics, blue plus, and aqua blues but it was only available in a fine grain, about the size of table salt throughout.

Am I going to have problems with the sand blowing all over the place and causing sandstorms and swells all the time? Anyone here have problems with extra fine substrate? I do want to get a watchman and pistol shrimp and heard they prefer the finer stuff for burrowing, but is this too fine? Also heard larger stuff is nothing but a nitrate trap as well.

Any advise before I tear open $150 worth of sand?

THANKS!

jarrett
01/01/2009, 02:50 PM
i have really fine substrate as well and dont have any problems

Michael
01/01/2009, 02:52 PM
well i have a sugar sized fine aragonite in my tank and its ok, it did move about to start but it soon settles, not sure to be honest what your sand is like, but id avoid crushed coral, the fine stuff sounds ok though, hopefully someone else will chip in and confirm its ok

stricknine
01/01/2009, 05:55 PM
Thanks, just what I wanted to hear. The bright white is nice, good to know the fine grain wont be a problem.

Anyone else with an opinion on the fine stuff before I open it up?

Thanks!

loyalrogue
01/01/2009, 06:31 PM
I've used everything from large gravel to fine sugarsand and I like the fine sand best both for looks and for burrowers.
You probably already know, but just remember to make sure your rockwork is supported and stable and not just sitting on top of the sand.

One thing about using the fine stuff is to wait till it's all settled before using any powerheads or pumps unless you put a fine filter pad over the intake.
When the particles are still suspended in the water they can get lodged inbetween the impeller and the shaft and cause a horrible racket and binding.

stricknine
01/01/2009, 06:56 PM
thanks loyalrogue, sounds like the sand will be ok then. As for the filter pad, my plan was to put a 100 micron filter sock on the end of my overflow and stir up all the powder so the heavy would settle and the ultra fine would head down the overflow and be caught in the filter sock. Good enough?

Thanks!

loyalrogue
01/01/2009, 07:11 PM
Sounds good.
If anything gets by and manages to work itself in, it's easy enough to take apart an impeller and clean it or replace it.

THE ROOK
01/01/2009, 07:23 PM
I bought 100lbs of really fine live sand & 9 months later it still blows around & I'm constantly dusting my rocks off & cleaning it off the glass. I wish I'd gone with a heavier mix. Oh and I only have one return about 1/2" under water & one koralia 4 pointed towards the surface.

stricknine
01/01/2009, 08:28 PM
Ahhh... thats what I didnt want to hear. I have the same size tank, way more flow planned, and dont want to mess around with blowing rocks off all the time until I redo all the sand.

3:1 for the small stuff though, any others?

JCR's Reef
01/01/2009, 09:06 PM
It all depends on your water flow. I have very fine sand with reefsand mixed in to it and it does good for the most part. It takes a couple of months to settle though. Keep your water flow on the rocks and off the sand and youll be okay. I blow my rocks off with a powerhead anyways before I do a water change. If my powerhead slips and points down though I have a sandstorm.

calli
01/01/2009, 10:12 PM
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1538440

go to this thread and click the links that waterkeeper posted. VERY!! good read on DSB and what to use...

stricknine
01/02/2009, 01:06 AM
Im stumped. the last thing I want to do is add all the stuff and mess around with it for years, or get sick of it and try to redo a sandbed in an established tank. I think I just might open 1 bag, throw it in my 16 G QT, and point a koralia 1 at it to see how bad it is. Atleast that way I spend 25 instead of 150 "experimenting".

Thanks all.

Whys
01/02/2009, 01:21 AM
I have a DSB, my return lines are at sand level, and I have both considerable flow and significant turbulence, thus grain size was a real concern for me as well.

I like to recommend Ocean Direct Original Grade. Mostly sugar sized with some bigger stuff. The larger stuff naturally tends to find its way to the top and forms a thin layer there helping to hold everything down. The color is nice and white and the grains are good and rounded.

I put a layer of their oolite grade on bottom for good measure.

stricknine
01/02/2009, 01:35 AM
The stuff I bought was comparible to the oolite on the carib sea website. Not something to use on an entire bottom, 2-3" I assume?

Thinkin the 120lbs are going back tomorrow.

Whys
01/02/2009, 01:41 AM
I'm not certain what you are asking, but to be more specific, I have about 2" of the oolite on bottom and on top of that about 3" of the original grade.

stricknine
01/02/2009, 01:55 AM
Thanks Calli, That was a LOT of reading, and made me more on the fence with the sand I have than I was before!

Stumped.

calli
01/02/2009, 09:30 AM
Yeah it was lol.. I read that last night but I am pretty sure I am going with a 3" - 4" bed....