Which Substrate do you like?

Dyraxe · 01/16/2018, 02:37 PM

**Same old question**Which type of substrate or sand do you like in your SPS tanks? I wanted to ask in the SPS forum section because we usually tend to have a higher flow rates.

Which sand bed type do you use?
Does it kick up sand storms?

FYI my last tank was a bare bottom that used starboard but this time I plan to use a sand/rock/gravel.

Thanks in advance for your input.

jda · 01/16/2018, 08:28 PM

Mixed grade from the Caribbean. The larger stuff ends up on the top and the smaller on the bottom.

Dyraxe · 01/16/2018, 09:59 PM

Thanks!

I haven’t had a tank in a long time now and I don’t know if anything new came out. It’s been 7 years and I’m trying to catch up.

DesertReefT4r · 01/18/2018, 09:42 PM

I like a bit larger grain like Special Grade, West Caribean Reef, or Natural Reef. Keeps the sand from getting blown around by powerheads.

DiscusHeckel · 01/21/2018, 07:05 AM

I use Caribsea Fiji pink

Ucantwin · 01/21/2018, 09:57 AM

I was using the Fiji pink but found with my flow it was moving around to much for me. My clowns kept kicking it up and my diamond goby made the water have particles in it. I swapped the sand out about a month ago to tropic edens reef flakes and it made a huge difference. I don't think I will ever use a different type of sand again.

plyle02 · 01/21/2018, 10:22 AM

Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and Mini-Flakes. By far the best I have ever used!

Dyraxe · 01/21/2018, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ucantwin

I was using the Fiji pink but found with my flow it was moving around to much for me. My clowns kept kicking it up and my diamond goby made the water have particles in it. I swapped the sand out about a month ago to tropic edens reef flakes and it made a huge difference. I don't think I will ever use a different type of sand again.

That’s is good to know. I’ll check it out thanks.

illumnae · 01/22/2018, 12:44 AM

I started off with a 2:1 mix of Caribsea Special Grade and Fiji pink. Once I established my flow and found the spots where my flow would create bare spots, I filled those spots with the heavier Caribsea Natural Reef. Over time everything settled out without any more bare spots.

DiscusHeckel · 01/22/2018, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illumnae

I started off with a 2:1 mix of Caribsea Special Grade and Fiji pink. Once I established my flow and found the spots where my flow would create bare spots, I filled those spots with the heavier Caribsea Natural Reef. Over time everything settled out without any more bare spots.

Good call. I will do the same.

Diana A · 01/22/2018, 09:02 AM

Special Grade

smatter · 01/22/2018, 10:05 AM

I won't use anything other than Tropic Eden anymore. It's the cleanest, whitest, most consistently graded sand available.

Lsufan · 01/22/2018, 09:27 PM

I also use Tropic Eden. I won’t buy any other sand after using it. I liked it so much I removed all the Fiji pink out of my other setup & replaced it with Tropic Eden. As far as grain size I have used the MiniFlakes, mesoflakes & the reeflakes. I love the looks of the MiniFlakes & it doesn’t move around in my 40 breeder which is a sps tank with quite a bit of flow. On a larger tank I would probably go with the little larger grain & prefer the mesoflakes over the reeflakes. Nieghther will move around & I like the looks of the mesoflakes over the reeflakes. If u like the really large grains then the reeflakes are a good choice but be prepared that it is so large it looks more like small gravel then sand.

illumnae · 01/23/2018, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiscusHeckel

Good call. I will do the same.

It was a tip I learnt from a video on Melev's Youtube channel

Magem · 01/23/2018, 06:45 AM

Aquamedic Bali sand 2-3 mm. Does not blow. Quite white too.

Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

01/16/2018, 02:37 PM	#1
Dyraxe Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,606	Which Substrate do you like? Same old questionWhich type of substrate or sand do you like in your SPS tanks? I wanted to ask in the SPS forum section because we usually tend to have a higher flow rates. Which sand bed type do you use? Does it kick up sand storms? FYI my last tank was a bare bottom that used starboard but this time I plan to use a sand/rock/gravel. Thanks in advance for your input.

01/18/2018, 09:42 PM	#4
DesertReefT4r Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Mesa Az Posts: 771	I like a bit larger grain like Special Grade, West Caribean Reef, or Natural Reef. Keeps the sand from getting blown around by powerheads. __________________ Tank history 29g tropical ,55g cichlid tank, 20H softy reef, 29g mixed reef, 20H brackish goby & puffer tank, 55g mixed reef, 6g Nanocube softy lps reef, 40B sps reef, 75g sps reef, 75g sps reef in bu Current Tank Info: 75g sps reef build in the works.

01/21/2018, 07:05 AM	#5
DiscusHeckel Acropora Gardener Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 2,780	I use Caribsea Fiji pink __________________ Featured Tank OCT 2016 \| "Reef Hobbyist Magazine" TOTM OCT 2016 \| "Ultimate Reef", UK FB \| "/troutsReefTank/" 65G SPS Reef- ATI 8 X 39W PM; TM [Bacto-Balance A-; Reef Actif; Nitribiotic; Iodine]

01/21/2018, 10:22 AM	#7
plyle02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lake Helen, FL Posts: 5,526	Tropic Eden Reef Flakes and Mini-Flakes. By far the best I have ever used! __________________ Perry "Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" ~Buddha~ Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon AIO Cube, Aquamaxx WS-1 Skimmer, LED/ Hybrid 4x24 watt t5

01/22/2018, 09:02 AM	#11
Diana A Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: New Jersey Posts: 682	Special Grade __________________ diana

01/16/2018, 08:28 PM	#2
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Mixed grade from the Caribbean. The larger stuff ends up on the top and the smaller on the bottom.

01/16/2018, 09:59 PM	#3
Dyraxe Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,606	Thanks! I haven’t had a tank in a long time now and I don’t know if anything new came out. It’s been 7 years and I’m trying to catch up.

01/21/2018, 09:57 AM	#6
Ucantwin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: some where Posts: 559	I was using the Fiji pink but found with my flow it was moving around to much for me. My clowns kept kicking it up and my diamond goby made the water have particles in it. I swapped the sand out about a month ago to tropic edens reef flakes and it made a huge difference. I don't think I will ever use a different type of sand again.

01/22/2018, 12:44 AM	#9
illumnae Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Singapore Posts: 322	I started off with a 2:1 mix of Caribsea Special Grade and Fiji pink. Once I established my flow and found the spots where my flow would create bare spots, I filled those spots with the heavier Caribsea Natural Reef. Over time everything settled out without any more bare spots.

01/22/2018, 10:05 AM	#12
smatter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,055	I won't use anything other than Tropic Eden anymore. It's the cleanest, whitest, most consistently graded sand available.

01/22/2018, 09:27 PM	#13
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	I also use Tropic Eden. I won’t buy any other sand after using it. I liked it so much I removed all the Fiji pink out of my other setup & replaced it with Tropic Eden. As far as grain size I have used the MiniFlakes, mesoflakes & the reeflakes. I love the looks of the MiniFlakes & it doesn’t move around in my 40 breeder which is a sps tank with quite a bit of flow. On a larger tank I would probably go with the little larger grain & prefer the mesoflakes over the reeflakes. Nieghther will move around & I like the looks of the mesoflakes over the reeflakes. If u like the really large grains then the reeflakes are a good choice but be prepared that it is so large it looks more like small gravel then sand.

01/23/2018, 06:45 AM	#15
Magem Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 157	Aquamedic Bali sand 2-3 mm. Does not blow. Quite white too. Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk