Setting up a 240gall

kzoo · 05/20/2006, 09:04 PM

I have two questions first is, I have read that to keep live rock out of your sand you can use pvc pipe. Has anyone done this I dont what a rock slide. Second is live sand,agro....what is best I am about to buy alot and want to do it right. Also were can I get a good deal. Sorry that was three.

xtrstangx · 05/20/2006, 09:08 PM

Yeah, go ahead and use some PVC. You want some 2" or 3" pipe probably. Or you could always put starboard under your sand however it will be atleast $125 for that so may want to skip that.

Go to home depot and pick up the best looking sand there. Even if its a little yellow, under our reef lighting (10-20K) it will definately show up white and good.

Hop · 05/20/2006, 09:12 PM

To Reef Central

Check around the site for a few weeks and pick up some info from nexdog and a few others in the large tank section. They have used pvc to support rocks and have detailed the construction.

Also live sand is over rated. xtrstangx had a good point on the sand, also I have seen masonry places sell nice white sand

I bit the bullet on mine and picked up some caribsea that I liked and ran with that... I could have saved some cash if I looked around a little harder

Craig Lambert · 05/20/2006, 09:12 PM

There isn't a need to buy lots of live sand. The bacteria on your rock will seed the sand in time. It could be helpful to add a few cups of it from a fellow reefer, or order a bit of it online.

As for the main substrate go with arogonite sand. Another thing to consider is to buy a detrivoire kit after your tank has cycled. Two sources that pop up alot here are Inland Aquatics, and IPSF. (Indo Pacific Sea Farms). As for the rock structure there are many different opinions. I just placed them on 2-3" of sand, and then placed the rest of the sandbed afterwords to raise it to 5" around the rock.

xtrstangx · 05/20/2006, 09:20 PM

Quote:

As for the main substrate go with arogonite sand

Any reason? Silica sand is just as suitable as aragonite sand.

kzoo · 05/20/2006, 09:21 PM

Man this site is great I have been posting on other sites along time but you guys now your stuff. So if I get play sand and add some of my sand from my 45gall it would be ok? Is there any thing I should look for when buying the sand.

xtrstangx · 05/20/2006, 09:28 PM

Nope, nothing really to look for. I wouldn't get too small of a grain (sugar sized) otherwise it blows around too easy.

I would only take the top 1" of sand out of the 45g otherwise you are risking opening up an anoxic zone (baaaad, it will smell and you will know)

coralfarmer84 · 05/20/2006, 09:33 PM

i thought silica sand would cause algea blooms and thats why everyone wants southdown sand and not just regular sand from a home improvement center..... when i bought my sand everyone preached not doing silica because of algae??

kzoo · 05/20/2006, 09:45 PM

Man dont what that, had a battle in my 45gall and that sucked.

Hop · 05/20/2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by coralfarmer84
i thought silica sand would cause algea blooms and thats why everyone wants southdown sand and not just regular sand from a home improvement center..... when i bought my sand everyone preached not doing silica because of algae??

LOL. You know the debate rages on, but everyone who used silica based sand found that nothing taboo happened. In fact I belive one of the Dr.s that was here did a long study on it and found no adverse problems with silica based sand. And the buffering issue I guess is null, because we keep out reefs higher in pH (I think) than what aragonite breaks down at...

Anyone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong... I'm not a scientist, chemist or Dr. of anything

fservillon · 05/20/2006, 09:51 PM

Go barebottom! No algae, no cyano, flow as high as you want, no sandstorm. Just a suggestion.

yeame · 05/20/2006, 11:22 PM

if you use like crazy filteration you won't need sand or for that matter live rock except for decoration way to expensive for me. but if you have the money why not. My 75g has a mix of 60#crushed coral 50#arogonite50#dolimite with 130#live rock that is most of my filteration with a couple power heads hooked to spray bars blowing on the liverock. I say put all the live rock directly on the bottom of your tank. there is alot of fish that like to dig in the sand then there is snails and crabs that like to move sand and rocks. I have an 11" engineer and i'm glad my rock is all the way down on the glass.
If your not going to have fish and just corals put 1" of acoronite and build a stair case with pvc then put power heads,heater under it so you cant see any of it

xtrstangx · 05/21/2006, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by coralfarmer84
i thought silica sand would cause algea blooms and thats why everyone wants southdown sand and not just regular sand from a home improvement center..... when i bought my sand everyone preached not doing silica because of algae??

Why would silica sand cause algae blooms?

Silica causes no algae, it is basically inert.
Silicates do cause algae, mostly diatoms.

Silica sand literally doesn't break down into a significant amount of silicates that would cause an algae bloom.

Silica sand is just a terrible myth that made a lot of people waste a lot of money.

05/20/2006, 09:04 PM	#1
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Setting up a 240gall I have two questions first is, I have read that to keep live rock out of your sand you can use pvc pipe. Has anyone done this I dont what a rock slide. Second is live sand,agro....what is best I am about to buy alot and want to do it right. Also were can I get a good deal. Sorry that was three.

05/20/2006, 09:12 PM	#3
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	*To Reef Central* Check around the site for a few weeks and pick up some info from nexdog and a few others in the large tank section. They have used pvc to support rocks and have detailed the construction. Also live sand is over rated. xtrstangx had a good point on the sand, also I have seen masonry places sell nice white sand I bit the bullet on mine and picked up some caribsea that I liked and ran with that... I could have saved some cash if I looked around a little harder __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

05/20/2006, 09:12 PM	#4
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	There isn't a need to buy lots of live sand. The bacteria on your rock will seed the sand in time. It could be helpful to add a few cups of it from a fellow reefer, or order a bit of it online. As for the main substrate go with arogonite sand. Another thing to consider is to buy a detrivoire kit after your tank has cycled. Two sources that pop up alot here are Inland Aquatics, and IPSF. (Indo Pacific Sea Farms). As for the rock structure there are many different opinions. I just placed them on 2-3" of sand, and then placed the rest of the sandbed afterwords to raise it to 5" around the rock. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

05/20/2006, 09:51 PM	#11
fservillon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Rancho Bernardo, CA Posts: 211	Go barebottom! No algae, no cyano, flow as high as you want, no sandstorm. Just a suggestion. __________________ F.D.S. Current Tank Info: 60G Cube (2'x2'x2'), 1 x XM 250W 20K MH, 1 x Seio 1500, 1 x Seio 1100, CSS 65 Skimmer, Sumpless, Fugeless, 50lbs Fiji LR, Barebottom, Softies Tank

05/20/2006, 09:08 PM	#2
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	Yeah, go ahead and use some PVC. You want some 2" or 3" pipe probably. Or you could always put starboard under your sand however it will be atleast $125 for that so may want to skip that. Go to home depot and pick up the best looking sand there. Even if its a little yellow, under our reef lighting (10-20K) it will definately show up white and good.

05/20/2006, 09:21 PM	#6
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Man this site is great I have been posting on other sites along time but you guys now your stuff. So if I get play sand and add some of my sand from my 45gall it would be ok? Is there any thing I should look for when buying the sand.

05/20/2006, 09:28 PM	#7
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	Nope, nothing really to look for. I wouldn't get too small of a grain (sugar sized) otherwise it blows around too easy. I would only take the top 1" of sand out of the 45g otherwise you are risking opening up an anoxic zone (baaaad, it will smell and you will know)

05/20/2006, 09:33 PM	#8
coralfarmer84 Moved On Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Naples Florida Posts: 1,267	i thought silica sand would cause algea blooms and thats why everyone wants southdown sand and not just regular sand from a home improvement center..... when i bought my sand everyone preached not doing silica because of algae??

05/20/2006, 09:45 PM	#9
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Man dont what that, had a battle in my 45gall and that sucked.

05/20/2006, 11:22 PM	#12
yeame Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: maine Posts: 488	if you use like crazy filteration you won't need sand or for that matter live rock except for decoration way to expensive for me. but if you have the money why not. My 75g has a mix of 60#crushed coral 50#arogonite50#dolimite with 130#live rock that is most of my filteration with a couple power heads hooked to spray bars blowing on the liverock. I say put all the live rock directly on the bottom of your tank. there is alot of fish that like to dig in the sand then there is snails and crabs that like to move sand and rocks. I have an 11" engineer and i'm glad my rock is all the way down on the glass. If your not going to have fish and just corals put 1" of acoronite and build a stair case with pvc then put power heads,heater under it so you cant see any of it