Substrate

[BOD]

Ive started looking for my substrate some one said id need aprox 30-40lbs of sand for a 1'' bed is this correct?

Well im thinking of getting Caribsea sugar sand aragonite will this be good? it comes in a 30lb bag.

Can you mix subrates say if the 30lb bag did not make a 1'' bed could i just mix it with some normal marine coral sand? or shall I just stick to caribsea sand?


edit --- Or i have just seen Caribsea Aragalive Indo-Pacific Black Live Sand going pretty cheap, its discont so they are selling it cheap would it be worth getting this? its - X FINE GRADE

 

[SkiFletch]

What are the tank dimensions? For my 45 gal whose footprint is 3x1' I used about 20lbs of caribsea aragonite for a 2" sand bed. I also have a lot of rock covering my tank bottom so take that for what its worth and hopefully that gives you an idea of how much you'll need

 

[steelhealr]

Rough rule of thumb is about 1lb of sand for each gallon water. However, you will get a height difference, eg, between a 20G long vs 20G high.

Be careful how you use the sugar fine. It can compact and become like concrete unless you have and sifters and occasionally stir up the bottom. Can cause dust storms as well. SH

 

[BOD]

I have a 3X1.5 ft foot print on my tank....im thinking then of getting the Caribsea Aragalive Indo-Pacific Black Live Sand its not complletly black its kinda mixed it come in 20lb bags so i would need 1-2 bags then?


so SkiFletch if you used a 20lb bag on a 3X1 do you think i could get away with using 20lb on a 3X1.5 with a smaller depth or do i need more than a 1 inch depth?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah you prolly could get away with it, but I wouldnt bother with live sand... Just get plain old aragonite. Sand seeds from LR VERY quickly (within a month or so) and the extra money spent on the live stuff just doesnt seem to be worth it in my oppinion (seems more like a marketing gimmick if you ask me)

 

[BOD]

Well i bought the black live sand cos it was cheaper!!! lol than just normal aragonite becos its a discon so they wanted to get rid of it, 20lb bag.


so when i buy my live rock do i sit that directly on the bottom of the tank then and put the sand around it? Or do i put down the sand first and then place the rock on top?

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, it sorta depends on your tank and stand. If you're in the US your tank is going to be tempered glass for sure in which case, putting the rocks on the tank bottom is fine. Some UK tanks are made of a different glass that is sometimes suceptible to point stresses (sharp edges of rocks). Most people with tanks like that in the UK opt for putting a piece of styrofoam, polystyrene or similar foam pad along the underside of their base glass to prevent point stresses from cracking the glass. If you can do that, put the rocks straight on the glass. If you have a non-tempered tank and cant support it with foam, then and only then should you put the rocks on top of your sand. Putting rocks on a sand bed should be avoided because the rocks WILL settle over time and shift on you. If they shift enough it can cause a collapse which is very detrimental if the collapsed rocks are covered in corals

What is the brand and size of your tank? Did it come with a stand? And if so was that stand open topped or covered at the top?

 

[BOD]

Its a clear seal tank 36X15X18 it hasnt got a stand because we put it in this gap, I will post a pic of it in a minute if i can find my camera and, yea we are putting foam underneath the tank anyways!

Also going under that piece of mahogany top you see will be a 1/2 inch thick piece of either chipboard or mdf im not sure which is the strongest, to support the weight in the middle a bit more.


Let me know what you think!


PS : EXCUSE the mess we are decoration this room.

 

[SkiFletch]

If you've got foam, then once you've inspected your rock for hitchikers you dont want, to ahead and place them on the glass and setup your rock work. Then pour sand all around them and on the glass. Finally, fill with saltwater and fire up your powerheads/heater

Do yourself a favor though... If you're going to run a sump, skimmer, or other plumbing, make SURE you have it all setup before you fill the tank with water. I regretted not doing that

 

[BOD]

okay then thanks, im going to use the hole underneath to store all my fishy stuff