Is this substrate good?

[crister13]

Low in my other thread I said I had big aragonite, which was very poorly worded. It's not cc, it looks like this. Would a stingray be ok with this? It doesn't seen to be sharp at all.

 

[crister13]

Heres an actual picture FROM the tank. This is for a Cortez stingray. Ok, or finer sand?

 

[crister13]

Does anyone have any info? I wish I would've posted pics before, would've been so much more useful.

 

[AquaRick]

looks a bit course. Do you have the sand grain specs? How many mm's etc? A buddy of mine used oolite aragonite sand from caribsea with good success on his stringray tank. I've got it in my tank as well and the sugar sized grains pass well through my 2 goby's gills.

 

[crister13]

No I don't. I bought it awhile ago. It doesn't look sharp though. Looks like rounded edges. I'll try to find the specs. What would you say is the max mm size for a stingray? It also really disnt look like it would cut, it's pretty soft. My bird wrasse always burrows himself in it and my old horseshoe crab never had any trouble. Same with nassarius snails. I just don't wanna risk killing my tank with noxious sand fumes. Lol

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

It looks pretty fine to me. I have never owned a stingray, but that looks like the type of sand i see stingrays in at the beaches by my house. lol just my opinion.

 

[crister13]

That's what I was thinking. I mean, the sand in the ocean isn't sugar sized lol. I think I found it. I think caribsea makes 2 aragonites on marine depot and mine is the bigger one. I believe it is 1.25-1.95 mm grain size. That would be fine, right? No pun intended lol

 

[crister13]

I just looked closely at the sand. Some are a little bigger ( like 1 mm larger) but are rounded. Most are about that size, and a lot are smaller. I think it'll work, right?

 

[AquaRick]

My buddy switched from the larger grain to the smaller grain after he noticed some scratches on the underside belly of his rays. Up to you though. Maybe go with what you have and change if you notice anything bad happening?

 

[crister13]

Ya that sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the help!!!!!

 

[Hondatek]

Bad idea with that substrate. I have a fw ray and I would never ever even think about using that. If your going to do it you need to do it right the first time and go with a sand that states it is safe for rays .

 

[AquaRick]

I've never seen sand that says "ray safe"?

 

[Hondatek]

It's out there . I have an empty bag in my shed. I would take a pic but it's late over here.

 

[crister13]

I'm just wondering how would it scratch itself if it's not sharp? I mean, in aquariums there are touch tanks with people touching them. I'm not very knowledgable on substrate as you can see lol.

 

[Hondatek]

It may not look sharp or feel sharp to you but I bet if you look under a microscope you can find sharp edges. When your on a beach the sand feels good on your feet but I bet if you get some between your cheeks if you know what I mean it's not going to feel good at all.

 

[crister13]

What would be the worst that could happen if I tried it and saw scratches and changed it?

 

[Hondatek]

The same reason you don't want to change it now . Harmful gases from under the sandbed and rays will get infections really quick and you cant use meds because they are too sensitive to it.

 

[crister13]

I mean what would happen to the rays. Thanks for the help do far

 

[Hondatek]

After he gets scratched up he will get infected. My co worker has the same fw ray I have. A 2 inch window cichlid bit the ray. 24 hours later the ray has some type of infection. You can't give rays and sharks meds period so guess what he has to do? He just has to wait and see if it gets better or if it dies. Now let's say you do get one with your current substrate and he gets scratched and infected. Do you think the ray will be able to be moved from the tank without causing serious stress? Then you have to risk all your fish to change the substrate in a hurry and you will probably have a mini cycle . Are you going to put your ray back in that tank? See my point?

 

[crister13]

Yup! I'll try to change it over time. Take a half out every pwc.