Recommended Sands?

jakaufman · 06/25/2006, 03:08 PM

What type of base and live sands should I get for my new tank? I heard that getting a few bags of live sand from different areas is a good idea but are there any online stores which you recommend?

Also, what type of regular sand should i get? Again after researching I have read of aragonite as the best. HOw fine should it be? The LFS has some reef sand that doesnt look very fine but I dont know if that is an issue or not... if that sand is no good then where else can i get some? possibly a good one to buy online

Thanks for the help

bertoni · 06/25/2006, 04:18 PM

A lot depends on the goals you have for the tank. There's some notes I wrote in a sticky note at the top of the forum on substrate choices.

Fine sand is usually easier to maintain, in my experience. Any fine silica or calcium carbonate sand should be okay. Aragonite doesn't really have any advantages over silica, but if you can find it cheaply, it works well.

Most of the bagged live sand products aren't worth much, IMO. They contain at most some bacteria, which will come for free. Good live sand is very expensive, and might not be worthwhile.

KIDiCARUS · 06/25/2006, 10:54 PM

i agree with bertoni. the so called live sand in a bag is a waste of money. over time the sand will become live on its own. save your money for other things you need

mg426 · 06/25/2006, 11:46 PM

I agree just use fine oolitic type aragonite.

jakaufman · 06/26/2006, 11:41 AM

not buying the bagged live sand is a good piece of advice! i would have spent a chunk of change on that :P

are there some good places i can buy live sand online that anyone recommends? i want to get like 20 - 40lbs of live along with 80 - 100 lbs of base to get going along with my live rocks. ( i am doing a 90g FOWLR but planning it to be converted to a reef )

i heard about some sand that you can buy at home depot or something that is very inexpensive for a base... anyone know where that is? or if you can get it online incase I cant find it ? (i bet even with shipping its less than the LFS sand)

akrimmel · 06/26/2006, 12:32 PM

unless you live on or near the east coast you will have a hard time finding the southdown sand if you have heard of that before. they do sell other playground sands just make sure it is argonite based.

jakaufman · 06/26/2006, 04:45 PM

i did go looking for southdown or the other tropical sand i read about (yardright) and no luck at home depot or the local hardware store (im in Cleveland, OH)

any stores that might have sand that will work? i thought to check Target or something just incase :P

also, most of the info I have seen about Southdown is from like 3 years ago... is it even still being produced? is it worth it to try to get my HD to transfer some in from another store?

thanks again for the help everyone

jakaufman · 06/26/2006, 04:46 PM

oh i thought of another thing.. if i find other sands, what should i be looking for on the bag to make sure it will be acceptable?

and here is the link to that yardright stuff.. says not for aquariums but it is silica-free and "tropical" just like the other stuf... i think that it might be the same company?

http://www.yardright.com/sand.htm

i keep finding more stuff... anyone heard of this? apparently you can order online
http://www.safesand.com/

bertoni · 06/26/2006, 07:24 PM

For an aquarium, silica sand is fine. Lots of people use it. If you just want an inch or so of sand for looks, any relatively fine-grained silica or calcium carbonate sand should be fine. Both the links you posted look reasonable to me.

06/25/2006, 03:08 PM	#1
jakaufman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 288	Recommended Sands? What type of base and live sands should I get for my new tank? I heard that getting a few bags of live sand from different areas is a good idea but are there any online stores which you recommend? Also, what type of regular sand should i get? Again after researching I have read of aragonite as the best. HOw fine should it be? The LFS has some reef sand that doesnt look very fine but I dont know if that is an issue or not... if that sand is no good then where else can i get some? possibly a good one to buy online Thanks for the help

06/25/2006, 04:18 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	A lot depends on the goals you have for the tank. There's some notes I wrote in a sticky note at the top of the forum on substrate choices. Fine sand is usually easier to maintain, in my experience. Any fine silica or calcium carbonate sand should be okay. Aragonite doesn't really have any advantages over silica, but if you can find it cheaply, it works well. Most of the bagged live sand products aren't worth much, IMO. They contain at most some bacteria, which will come for free. Good live sand is very expensive, and might not be worthwhile. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/25/2006, 11:46 PM	#4
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I agree just use fine oolitic type aragonite. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

06/26/2006, 04:46 PM	#8
jakaufman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 288	oh i thought of another thing.. if i find other sands, what should i be looking for on the bag to make sure it will be acceptable? and here is the link to that yardright stuff.. says not for aquariums but it is silica-free and "tropical" just like the other stuf... i think that it might be the same company? http://www.yardright.com/sand.htm i keep finding more stuff... anyone heard of this? apparently you can order online http://www.safesand.com/ __________________ 34g Mixed Reef

06/26/2006, 07:24 PM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	For an aquarium, silica sand is fine. Lots of people use it. If you just want an inch or so of sand for looks, any relatively fine-grained silica or calcium carbonate sand should be fine. Both the links you posted look reasonable to me. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/25/2006, 10:54 PM	#3
KIDiCARUS Premium Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Orange County Posts: 62	i agree with bertoni. the so called live sand in a bag is a waste of money. over time the sand will become live on its own. save your money for other things you need

06/26/2006, 11:41 AM	#5
jakaufman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 288	not buying the bagged live sand is a good piece of advice! i would have spent a chunk of change on that :P are there some good places i can buy live sand online that anyone recommends? i want to get like 20 - 40lbs of live along with 80 - 100 lbs of base to get going along with my live rocks. ( i am doing a 90g FOWLR but planning it to be converted to a reef ) i heard about some sand that you can buy at home depot or something that is very inexpensive for a base... anyone know where that is? or if you can get it online incase I cant find it ? (i bet even with shipping its less than the LFS sand)

06/26/2006, 12:32 PM	#6
akrimmel Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: HAZELWOOD, MO Posts: 2,260	unless you live on or near the east coast you will have a hard time finding the southdown sand if you have heard of that before. they do sell other playground sands just make sure it is argonite based.

06/26/2006, 04:45 PM	#7
jakaufman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 288	i did go looking for southdown or the other tropical sand i read about (yardright) and no luck at home depot or the local hardware store (im in Cleveland, OH) any stores that might have sand that will work? i thought to check Target or something just incase :P also, most of the info I have seen about Southdown is from like 3 years ago... is it even still being produced? is it worth it to try to get my HD to transfer some in from another store? thanks again for the help everyone