amount of sand ?

[D.Barta]

Im going to try corals for my first time in a 20 gallon flat back.just wondering how much(deep)of sand to get.I also didn,t want to pay alot for live sand at local pet shop and wanted suggestions on were to get sand be it dry sand at fish store and have it seeded by some one or get sand from pool supply.trying to budget have slowly got everything else needed except sand,rock,and of coarse coarls.some one suggesteg lineing bottom of tank with eggcrate to protect it just wondering your thoughts on that.finally how much live rock should I get my only filter for now is a emp.400.sorry for all the questions I know there basic I just want to do this right.thank you for any advice you give me hope to be joining with a active reef tank soon if this one goes well Im sure I talk girlfriend into biggerr one!!!! David B

[LoneStar]

Sand Bed Calculator:
http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/SandBed.php

And your correct, just buy regular sand and seed it with a few cups of sand from members tanks. I'm sure a few people could help you out on here.

[Darth-Tater]

David, I have a cup of live sand I can give you to jump start the new sand. let me know and I will bring it to ya.

Tater

[erikharrison]

David, asking questions is exactly what this website is for. Never feel foolish about asking! I remember asking if ghost shrimp (like a dozen) would have a significant affect on my bioload. haha. There has always been a big debate on sand, but Richard put alot of those questions to rest in a previous post. Maybe someone else could link it? :) Sand from the pool place is cool as well, but you have to wash it first, to rid yourself of fine sand. Fine sand will cause some sand storms so if possible wash/screen your sand a few good times. You could line the bottom with egg crate but if you are worried about cracks etc, I wouldn't. Sure if you drop a rock, it may crack the glass, but just be careful and you shouldn't need the crate. This is a GREAT site, with a ton of extremely knowledgeable people that are willing to help. Best of luck, and remember, you can't ever be too patient in THIS hobby. :)

[OceanInMotion]

im in a nice mood. i have 13 pounds of dry sugar-grade quality sand you can have for free. that will give you a start on your sand bed. in a tank that size, you will probably get about an inch sandbed out of it.

this is the only thing i will suggest. if you use the sand im going to give you, if you want it, you should stick to sand that has patricles the same size. this is really fine sand and it looks weird when you mix it with larger-grain sand.

[MissT]

A small piece of advice would be to make sure to put the liverock in the tank first, then add your sand. If you put down your sandbed then add your rock, you could end up with pockets of ammonia underneath the liverock otherwise. Plus, it seems more natural looking to have the rock "coming out of the sand" rather than sitting on top of a compacted sandbed. AND, the amount of sand will go much further....:whew: