Southdown?

[dan]

i have around 10 bags of southdown sitting in my garage waiting to go in my new tank but i also have a pump that will push 4500gal. an hour. would it be a good idea to use a larger gain of sand? i don't want the constant dust storm in the tank. or do you think after a while it will settle down? or i could mix it with bigger stuff. any one haveing a problem with the southdown?

[GaryP]

Most of the large tanks like yours that have been going in recently use Southdown and then a 1" layer of special grade on top of that. The southdown gives a better DSB, but the special grade doesn't blow around and still allows the burrowing critters to get through it. Crushed coral is a challenge for burrowing critters such as Nassarius snails. Special grade has a 1-2 mm particle size. I would love to use nothing but Special grade but the cost is higher and I think you would have to use a deeper bed to get the anoxic conditions you need for an effective DSB that does the denitirifcation its supposed to do. The compromise is to use Southdown with a layer of special grade on top. I have southdown in my tanks and its a major pain, especially if you have fish that like to dig. This is especially true if you have LPS corals that should be on the bottom such as plates and open brains.

I recently lost a huge LT plate that I have had for years because it kept getting buried. I also had to move a huge open brain from that tank before it was killed because of the same fish that buried the plate. Most of these corals can handle an occasional sand storm, but not if its an everyday event.

My wife insisted on putting a blue damsel in my SPS tank and it has decided it likes to dig. I had a yellow coris wrasse as well. I have to take the blame for that one.

My next tank will definitely have a special grade layer over it.

[NaCl_H2O]

Special grade has a 1-2 mm particle size. I would love to use nothing but Special grade but the cost is higher and I think you would have to use a deeper bed to get the anoxic conditions you need for an effective DSB that does the denitirifcation its supposed to do.

Dan, remeber the sand you helped me load at AA :D They received several pallets in error and sold it really cheap < $20 per 40# bag, I don't remember the exact price.

Maybe you could approach AA to get another load if there is enough interest among MAASTards (I like that new tag) ;)

[GaryP]

That's a great price. I think its about $35/bag at FA and that's a pretty good price.

[NaCl_H2O]

That's a great price. I think its about $35/bag at FA and that's a pretty good price.

Yea, I got really lucky! Walked in one day and saw a pallet of sand, said, "Hey, I think this is what I have been looking for, how much?" ... then I asked three more times to make sure I was hearing right :D :D

[GaryP]

Yea, I got really lucky! Walked in one day and saw a pallet of sand, said, "Hey, I think this is what I have been looking for, how much?" ... then I asked three more times to make sure I was hearing right :D :D

See, that shows what an honest guy you are. I would have grabbed it and ran. Reminds me of when Petland had a Magnum 350 mismarked for $35. We were looking over our shoulders as we beat feet out the door.

[NaCl_H2O]

Correction, my memory fails me again! Found my Old Post (http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=7320&high light=alamo) on this topic.

I bought CaribSea Select (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CS0932) 0.5-1.02mm for $14.99 !!!

[StephenA]

I used a mix in my tank. Everything from Pure Caribbean Aragonite (http://www.purearagonite.com/) to regular play sand and 100lbs of beach sand from padre island. I do tend to get drifts but it doesn't get in the water column.

[GaryP]

I used a mix in my tank. Everything from Pure Caribbean Aragonite (http://www.purearagonite.com/) to regular play sand and 100lbs of beach sand from padre island. I do tend to get drifts but it doesn't get in the water column.

Which floated to the surface, the play sand or beach sand, or can you tell?

[StephenA]

Which floated to the surface, the play sand or beach sand, or can you tell?

It's been almost a year and the beach sand is still on the bottom and the play and aragonite are still on the top. The beach sand is real fluid in water. You can still see where they meet. There is a definite line. The only place there is a mix is where I've messed with it.

[GaryP]

It's been almost a year and the beach sand is still on the bottom and the play and aragonite are still on the top. The beach sand is real fluid in water. You can still see where they meet. There is a definite line. The only place there is a mix is where I've messed with it.

That's interesting. I would have thought the aragaonite would have gone to the bottom. Is the play sand silica or aragonite sand?

[StephenA]

The 1 bag of play sand is silica (30lbs of it) I followed Dr Ron's suggestions on mix. Everything I read said the small grain would go to the bottom.