Type of Sand

DashHills · 04/02/2010, 05:35 PM

After moving 4 years ago, I am finally putting my tank back up. It will start out as a FOWLR, but eventually get back to a reef.

What sand bed should I use? Some have suggested sugar size; while others have said to use BB size (4 mm). What do you all say?

DashHills · 04/03/2010, 07:27 AM

I would really like your opinion. I realize that it is an opinion.

dano1 · 04/03/2010, 09:42 AM

always dug the look of of sugar aize. hth

mapleredta · 04/03/2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dano1

always dug the look of of sugar aize. hth

I did too until I put two vortechs in my 90. Looks like Pyramids.

Footbag · 04/03/2010, 09:51 AM

I put sugar sized dead sand into my current build, and it was so fine that the tank just wouldn't stay clear. Just moving a single rock in the tank meant I'd have to wait a day for it to clear. After spending a week trying to literally filter the smaller grains, I gave up and replaced it with live sand which has a much larger grain size and also looks more natural.

I know a lot of people have had luck with the sugar sized and I admittedly didn't rinse it long enough. Probably could've used a half hour rinse. I rinsed 15lbs with 10g of water. It wasn't enough.

I did like the look of it, but this is going to be a high flow SPS tank.

dano1 · 04/03/2010, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mapleredta

I did too until I put two vortechs in my 90. Looks like Pyramids.

try a sand rake ; ) been reefing for a while on and off and over time found the sugar sized worked well for me.

Dante_JoseCuerv · 04/03/2010, 11:10 AM

I'm using fiji pink in my nano and will eventually use it in my next system. I highly recommend it.

kimber45 · 04/03/2010, 12:38 PM

caribsea Seaflor special grade reef sand.

RobbyVonAwesome · 04/03/2010, 01:15 PM

+1 for the special grade. I put sugar sized in my current tank when it was new and now I hate it. It blows around a lot, but at the same time it settles and packs thogether and makes it hard for sand burrowers to get in. I will only use special grade from now on.

tangzzz · 04/03/2010, 01:15 PM

Sugar sized for me. The larger the grain, the more chances that detritus will get stuck inside your bed, causing nutrient problems. All the detritus stays atop of the sugar fine sand and if you have enough flow it will keep it in the water column for corals or skimmer to get. Too much flow will cause the sand to move around. My sand stays white all the time without any sand sifters.

Merfin70 · 04/03/2010, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimber45

caribsea Seaflor special grade reef sand.

+2. Love it. Good mix of sizes. Small enough for my wrasse to bury in but large enough to not get knocked around too bad by my ph's.

04/02/2010, 05:35 PM	#1
DashHills Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ocoee, FL Posts: 63	Type of Sand After moving 4 years ago, I am finally putting my tank back up. It will start out as a FOWLR, but eventually get back to a reef. What sand bed should I use? Some have suggested sugar size; while others have said to use BB size (4 mm). What do you all say?

04/03/2010, 07:27 AM	#2
DashHills Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ocoee, FL Posts: 63	I would really like your opinion. I realize that it is an opinion.

04/03/2010, 09:42 AM	#3
dano1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 72	always dug the look of of sugar aize. hth

04/03/2010, 09:51 AM	#5
Footbag Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Scranton, PA Posts: 336	I put sugar sized dead sand into my current build, and it was so fine that the tank just wouldn't stay clear. Just moving a single rock in the tank meant I'd have to wait a day for it to clear. After spending a week trying to literally filter the smaller grains, I gave up and replaced it with live sand which has a much larger grain size and also looks more natural. I know a lot of people have had luck with the sugar sized and I admittedly didn't rinse it long enough. Probably could've used a half hour rinse. I rinsed 15lbs with 10g of water. It wasn't enough. I did like the look of it, but this is going to be a high flow SPS tank.

04/03/2010, 11:10 AM	#7
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	I'm using fiji pink in my nano and will eventually use it in my next system. I highly recommend it.

04/03/2010, 12:38 PM	#8
kimber45 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: michigan Posts: 455	caribsea Seaflor special grade reef sand.

04/03/2010, 01:15 PM	#9
RobbyVonAwesome Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 394	+1 for the special grade. I put sugar sized in my current tank when it was new and now I hate it. It blows around a lot, but at the same time it settles and packs thogether and makes it hard for sand burrowers to get in. I will only use special grade from now on.

04/03/2010, 01:15 PM	#10
tangzzz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 70	Sugar sized for me. The larger the grain, the more chances that detritus will get stuck inside your bed, causing nutrient problems. All the detritus stays atop of the sugar fine sand and if you have enough flow it will keep it in the water column for corals or skimmer to get. Too much flow will cause the sand to move around. My sand stays white all the time without any sand sifters.