What sand?

[dzeadow]

I'll apologize ahead of time, i used google search for this and the answer wasn't in the first 5 pages. I'll be setting up a 90g wide soon and want to know the best sand. I know this is a loaded question. I've used aragamax, sugar fine, and some crushed coral in the past. I've heard that the Seaflor Special Grade seems to be the best now? Big enough to not blow all over yet small enough for sand sifting organisms. Its 1-2mm. So any thoughts on what's the most preferable?

[Taqpol]

Free bump. I'm curious as well.

[Overland04]

I'm not sure about the special grade but I will say that I went with sugar fine sand (240 pounds of it) and It has been a struggle since day one. I try to run a vortech mp-40 on a 6' tank and I still have to turn it down. I have a maroon clown that loves to do burnouts on it and make a huge sand storm every 30 minutes. I would go with something a little bigger.

[mat167]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14841518#post14841518 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Overland04
I'm not sure about the special grade but I will say that I went with sugar fine sand (240 pounds of it) and It has been a struggle since day one. I try to run a vortech mp-40 on a 6' tank and I still have to turn it down. I have a maroon clown that loves to do burnouts on it and make a huge sand storm every 30 minutes. I would go with something a little bigger.

I had that exact same problem with my maroon. So frustrating, all the sand would settle on the bottom level of my rocks. Now I'm using special grade and I'm liking it a lot more. Crushed coral is a bad move.

[Fiction2040]

Fiji pink is popular. I had the ooh-lite sand which looks the most natural but is a huge pain to keep off your corals and rocks since it gets blown around everywhere.

[dzeadow]

thanks for the input guys.

Mat, is the Special Grade too big for sand sifters like gobies? I don't think i'll be putting one in this tank but I'd obviously like the option.

[Whys]

I'm really happy with OceanDirect Original Grade. I have a lot of flow over the sandbed and it really helps to keep it in place while still appropriate for my 5" DSB.

[mat167]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14843053#post14843053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzeadow
thanks for the input guys.

Mat, is the Special Grade too big for sand sifters like gobies? I don't think i'll be putting one in this tank but I'd obviously like the option.

I've not noticed any problems with it so far, when I had my orange diamond gobies. Right now I don't have any sand sifters but I have a dusky jawfish who burrows and has no problems with it.

[cardiffgiant]

I used 1 bag of special grade and 1 bag of fiji pink (that's all that was at the store ;) ). I've been really happy with the outcome. No dust storms, and fine enough to be sifted.

[username in use]

I keep a goby/pistol shrimp with the argamax black. Its not really black, its half white half black, looks pretty cool, and it doesnt get blow around at all. AS far as their burrowing goes, it hold up well around the entrance to their tunnel system, and I can tell where there are tunnels under the sand 7 and 8 inches away from the entrance, so I think it does well for those kind of fish.

[dzeadow]

thanks everyone, i think i'll go with the seeflor special grade then!

Username, is the black the same 1-2mm as the seeflor? Seeing your occupation, you'd probably appreciate where I live, Bozeman, MT, the home of Gibson Guitars :)

[wetWolger]

Is this sugar grade sand?
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=C-ARAG-SELT&Category_Code=

I was planning on getting 60lb of that for ever 40lb of special grade....I thought this would be a good mixture. But the tank will be semi-high flow (about 12 times the tank volume turn over per hour after head loss). So if it is going to blow around everywhere, then that is good for me to know also.

So what's the solution? Change my ratio to be 30lb of the linked sand to 80lb of special grade? Or just go completely to special grade?

[dzeadow]

that's got some sugar fine sand in it.. i believe the sugar fine stuff is from .5-1.0mm, oolite is smaller than that. if you have that much flow it may blow around

[wetWolger]

So should I adjust my ratios or just leave it out all together?

[corbett_n]

does anyone know off the top of your head what the sand is called you can get at lowes that is best for a reef tank? I know it isn't silica but what is the play sand actually need ingredient wise to be good for a reef tank? What to avoid?

[dzeadow]

the play sand that lowes used to carry or does in certain locations is southdown play sand or something. you want calcium carbonate based sand, or dolomite... silica is actually ok but if you get it stuck in your magnet it's as hard as glass so it'll scratch.

Jent, not sure what to do, I put sugar sand in my tank and i had to cut down my props on my maxi mods.. but my tank's also short and stout, 36x18x18.