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Unread 12/09/2003, 02:21 PM   #13
hdtran
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 846
sea star & DSB

If you read thru the TBS site, they recommend just putting their sand on the bottom, no DSB, plenums, etc. That said, I just threw their sand on top of my pristine white (no longer pristine white) plenum, and stirred very lightly. I've got bristle worms and snails diving thru the substrate, no problems at all. I'm pretty sure I've got a pistol shrimp in there (spotted him late one night after part 1; hear occassional clicks), but I'm sure he's made his burrow where his privacy won't be invaded. Aside from the fact that you'll have cloudy water for a while, you shouldn't have any problems mixing the TBS live sand with your sand. You just won't have as high a density of micro/meso fauna as the native LS.

There are a number of tiny (1/4" total size) to mid-size (1-2" total size) serpent or brittle stars mixed in the TBS stuff. You don't need to worry that they're the green serpent star (Ophiarachna, I think) which eats fish when big. That serpent star is an indo-pacific species.

There exists a pest starfish (Asterina folium) which doesn't get very large, but has been accused of feeding on corals. See Fenner/Calfo's 'Reef Invertebrates' if you want details. It is considered a pest because it's prolific, but Fenner/Calfo maintain that it is misunderstood, and is essentially an algae/detritus grazer. I don't know that TBS sand would necessarily have this species.


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Hy D. Tran

Required reading: John Tullock's books; Bob Fenner's books.

Current Tank Info: 120g with 145# TBS LR, 700W VHO lighting, 5g (24") hang-on Aquafuge, AquaC Remora Pro skimmer, all sumpless
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