A Couple Of Quick Q's

[fishwatcher]

I have black sand I got from a fish store in my fw tank. Can I use that for my saltwater tank?

Also, I've had conflicting info... a person told me that since it's only a 30g and I'm doing FOWLR, that I won't need a skimmer. The man at the lfs asked whether I had a HOB or internal filter, and when I said HOB he said I'd need either a skimmer to go with it or get an internal filter.
Which one is correct?

One last question. The lfs said not to go with clowns unless I went with a maroon clown. He said they are very fragile and tend to die quickly. Is that right, or is it just the ones he's getting?

Thank you!

 

[shibby]

black sand may not buffer enough.


you dont need a skimmer for a fowlr unless u get messy preds reli.


clownsa re one of the most hardiest fish around! all clowns are usually hardy, first fish to be put into a new tank usually since they can handle more then most! maroon clowns get big anyway ... so best to go for a smaller percula or sumin

 

[kkyyllee]

maroon clowns are generaly hardy it must be your lfs supply, maroons are pretty aggresive anyways and you wouldnt be able to add most other fish to the tank

 

[fishwatcher]

I'd read that they were aggressive (the maroon's that is), so I really didn't want to go that route. My little boy will be thrilled to hear he can still have a Nemo fish! (I know, I bet y'all real reefers hate to hear people say that, don't you! LOL)
I'll just make sure I get them elsewhere.
Do you think I should go with live sand then? The lfs quoted me a price of about $20 for a 1-1 1/2" layer for my tank. If I go with that I will probably only get a couple pounds of LR and the rest base rock. I know it'll take a while for the LR to seed, but I'm in no hurry.
Thank you so much!

 

[shibby]

get aragognite or crushed coral it will become live after a while

 

[rictheredneck]

not alot of people like live sand usually because it isnt very live after been sitting around in a bag for ages just plain aragonite sand is what most people go for and in time it will turn live itself.

edit - looks like im too slow lol

 

[fishwatcher]

oh, well then. I thought it was a good idea!
I'll just go with aragonite sand then. Do you think I could mix it with my black sand? If I make it about 2" deep will that be ok? I just think the black sand would help the colors of the fish really pop. If not, it seems now that there is some arag. sand that is black?

 

[shibby]

im sure u cud, the main reason arag is used is for its buffering cappacity i believe so mixing it with black sand shouldnt take away its buffering ablity, though im not to sure on the sciency side of life lol!

it will turn brown after a while if that adds enough pop for ya

 

[fishwatcher]

LOL
I'm actually guessing that the natural colored sand is what is normally found in the wild, huh? Can't say I've ever seen any black beaches... maybe I should keep it a natural color.

 

[shibby]

volcanic beaches prob have black sand ! more ash then sand i think lol! not sure if u can egt black marine sand but i guess u most likely can somewhere surely ....

 

[fishwatcher]

I want it to look as natural as possible, while still bringing out the colors the best, and of course making the fish feel most comfortable. I'll just have to look around and see what I find.
Thanks!

 

[SkiFletch]

Do the vinegar test on your black sand. Put a little sand in a bowl, pour some vinegar in it, enough to cover the sand. If it bubbles for more than a minute, it's aragonite sand, if it doesn't bubble, or only does so briefly then it's silica sand

 

[Musho3210]

ever seen flags of our fathers, black sandy beaches.... but i dont think there were any coral reefs nearby....

Bubble = has buffering capacity

no bubble = inert

Incase you didnt understand the silica (very common inert sand) and aragonite (very common buffering sand)

 

[fishwatcher]

Well the black sand is inert, then. No bubbles at all. I think I'll just get the aragonite sand, then I know it'll work.
Is it ok to add dead sand dollars to the tank? I have a couple I've collected over the years and I think they'd look pretty scattered about, but I'm not sure if they'd somehow decompose or something.
Thanks!

 

[Betta5]

I have seen some black aragonite sand around the net i would try to get the link. Says it has all the buffering of normal but just black will defo dig around for it!