what sand? and where?

Billybatz9 · 10/19/2014, 08:47 PM

Hey guys,

I don't know which sand to get for my reef tank. It's going to be a biocube and I am going to get goby and jawfish, so I don't want sand that will hurt them. What's the best sand to get and where can I get it?

Thanks

Sk8r · 10/19/2014, 10:55 PM

I recommend CaribSea aragonite, either live (but check the expiration date) or dry (if dry, wash and wash and wash and then wash some more.) I recommend medium grade: jawfish can't cope well with fine grain, which slides too much. Medium is just about right to let them make good burrows. Also supply them some small (under dime sized) shell bits so they can use it for bracing.

jkubec · 10/20/2014, 05:53 AM

Also check West Mariculture, this guys knows his sand! (not sure I would want to admit that). I have the course grade and it is nice.

Billybatz9 · 10/24/2014, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

I recommend CaribSea aragonite, either live (but check the expiration date) or dry (if dry, wash and wash and wash and then wash some more.) I recommend medium grade: jawfish can't cope well with fine grain, which slides too much. Medium is just about right to let them make good burrows. Also supply them some small (under dime sized) shell bits so they can use it for bracing.

I looked up CaribSea aragonite sand. I never saw sizes though like "medium" like you said. Am I looking wrong?

tomreefer · 10/24/2014, 07:10 PM

I got sand from marco rocks, awesome sand just make sure you rinse it well using RO/DI water. You can choose fine or coarse. If you are going DSB then fine if not coarse. Also if you are going the DSB route dont rinse it. THe cloudiness is the small particles of sand. It will eventually go away for a DSB these small particles are important

Billybatz9 · 10/26/2014, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

I recommend CaribSea aragonite, either live (but check the expiration date) or dry (if dry, wash and wash and wash and then wash some more.) I recommend medium grade: jawfish can't cope well with fine grain, which slides too much. Medium is just about right to let them make good burrows. Also supply them some small (under dime sized) shell bits so they can use it for bracing.

Hello Sk8r,

Thanks for the reply. I found a few different sands on amazon that are caribsea aragonite. Could you tell me which is the best? Or could you give me a link for the sand that you recommend? Thanks

http://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arago...bsea+aragonite

http://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arago...bsea+aragonite

http://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Araga...bsea+aragonite

http://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arago...bsea+aragonite

Fallling · 10/26/2014, 05:49 PM

I recommend Tropic Eden. There's 5 different grain sizes, is super clean, and tends to be a bit whiter than other substrates. If you do a search for Tropic Eden substrates, you'll find everyone loves the stuff. You can get it at Premium Aquatics. A bit pricey, but well worth it IMO.

Billybatz9 · 10/26/2014, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallling

I recommend Tropic Eden. There's 5 different grain sizes, is super clean, and tends to be a bit whiter than other substrates. If you do a search for Tropic Eden substrates, you'll find everyone loves the stuff. You can get it at Premium Aquatics. A bit pricey, but well worth it IMO.

What grain size is best?

Fallling · 10/26/2014, 06:23 PM

It depends on preference I suppose. The Agrasnow is the finest but likely to be blown around by powerheads and probably not the best for jawfish. Reef-lakes and Mini-flakes are probably the most popular and are a good medium size. Not too fine but not too coarse. The grand select has the biggest size if want a chunkier look. People will often mix different ones together such as grand select + reef-flakes or mini-flakes + reef-flakes. Ultimately, it's what's best for the jawfish and what looks good to you.

Ryanrttu · 10/26/2014, 10:14 PM

Quote:

awesome sand just make sure you rinse it well using RO/DI water.

Not necessary, you can rinse your sand with tap water.

Sk8r · 10/26/2014, 10:48 PM

Avoid the #3. The rest are probably ok. Sugar sand is too fine, it blows, kills corals, and is too prone to 'walk' from hill to hill---not good for jawfish, who want to have some permanence in their holes. Grains should be about the size of a third of a grain to half a grain of rice. The one that looks really bad is #3, which is sugar sand.
Rinse all dry sand, and be prepared to rinse little batches in a truly enormous amount of water. The dust is incredible. Rinse in tapwater, and when you get it finally clean---add some Prime (a dechlorinator) to your last before you pour the rinse water off. Repeat ad nauseam.

formsix · 10/27/2014, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Rinse all dry sand, and be prepared to rinse little batches in a truly enormous amount of water. The dust is incredible. Rinse in tapwater, and when you get it finally clean---add some Prime (a dechlorinator) to your last before you pour the rinse water off. Repeat ad nauseam.

Random question, but you wouldn't worry about copper from the pipes if rinsing in tap water? I only ask because I just did this process with RODI water and it felt wasteful, but I tried to "dirty" each batch of water as much as possible to use as little as possible. Hmm, perhaps this would be a good use for RODI wastewater... it's at least been filtered a little bit!!

tzylak · 10/27/2014, 02:02 PM

"Also if you are going the DSB route dont rinse it. The cloudiness is the small particles of sand. It will eventually go away for a DSB these small particles are important"
Is mud in the tank more important than a pristine looking tank?? -I rinsed the sand with 100s of gallons of water (at least it seemed like so) to get the water clear. Initially, the water was downright muddy and even after all that rinsing the tank got quite cloudy . .
Please explain the role of small particles vs. those of regular sand.
Thanks.

10/19/2014, 08:47 PM	#1
Billybatz9 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 557	what sand? and where? Hey guys, I don't know which sand to get for my reef tank. It's going to be a biocube and I am going to get goby and jawfish, so I don't want sand that will hurt them. What's the best sand to get and where can I get it? Thanks

10/19/2014, 10:55 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I recommend CaribSea aragonite, either live (but check the expiration date) or dry (if dry, wash and wash and wash and then wash some more.) I recommend medium grade: jawfish can't cope well with fine grain, which slides too much. Medium is just about right to let them make good burrows. Also supply them some small (under dime sized) shell bits so they can use it for bracing. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/26/2014, 05:49 PM	#7
Fallling Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 455	I recommend Tropic Eden. There's 5 different grain sizes, is super clean, and tends to be a bit whiter than other substrates. If you do a search for Tropic Eden substrates, you'll find everyone loves the stuff. You can get it at Premium Aquatics. A bit pricey, but well worth it IMO. __________________ A really expensive cat TV. Current Tank Info: 40"L x 24"W x 30"H 125 gallon mixed reef \| 40 gallon sump \| Pacific Sun Pandora S T5 / LED \| RLSS R8-I protein skimmer

10/26/2014, 06:23 PM	#9
Fallling Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 455	It depends on preference I suppose. The Agrasnow is the finest but likely to be blown around by powerheads and probably not the best for jawfish. Reef-lakes and Mini-flakes are probably the most popular and are a good medium size. Not too fine but not too coarse. The grand select has the biggest size if want a chunkier look. People will often mix different ones together such as grand select + reef-flakes or mini-flakes + reef-flakes. Ultimately, it's what's best for the jawfish and what looks good to you. __________________ A really expensive cat TV. Current Tank Info: 40"L x 24"W x 30"H 125 gallon mixed reef \| 40 gallon sump \| Pacific Sun Pandora S T5 / LED \| RLSS R8-I protein skimmer

10/26/2014, 10:48 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Avoid the #3. The rest are probably ok. Sugar sand is too fine, it blows, kills corals, and is too prone to 'walk' from hill to hill---not good for jawfish, who want to have some permanence in their holes. Grains should be about the size of a third of a grain to half a grain of rice. The one that looks really bad is #3, which is sugar sand. Rinse all dry sand, and be prepared to rinse little batches in a truly enormous amount of water. The dust is incredible. Rinse in tapwater, and when you get it finally clean---add some Prime (a dechlorinator) to your last before you pour the rinse water off. Repeat ad nauseam. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/20/2014, 05:53 AM	#3
jkubec Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 49	Also check West Mariculture, this guys knows his sand! (not sure I would want to admit that). I have the course grade and it is nice.

10/24/2014, 07:10 PM	#5
tomreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 767	I got sand from marco rocks, awesome sand just make sure you rinse it well using RO/DI water. You can choose fine or coarse. If you are going DSB then fine if not coarse. Also if you are going the DSB route dont rinse it. THe cloudiness is the small particles of sand. It will eventually go away for a DSB these small particles are important

10/27/2014, 02:02 PM	#13
tzylak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 457	"Also if you are going the DSB route dont rinse it. The cloudiness is the small particles of sand. It will eventually go away for a DSB these small particles are important" Is mud in the tank more important than a pristine looking tank?? -I rinsed the sand with 100s of gallons of water (at least it seemed like so) to get the water clear. Initially, the water was downright muddy and even after all that rinsing the tank got quite cloudy . . Please explain the role of small particles vs. those of regular sand. Thanks.