Best substrate for S/W

[Guest]

Still reading.......

In my planted F/W I have pool filter sand. I like the white look. What do you all recommend for your S/W. I have read that live sand probably isnt live once I get it. Just interested what people like.

Thanks

 

[austinsdad]

Dry aragonite sand. Not the so called live sand in water that's really all dead. I prefer it deep (3-4") for a reef tank.

 

[seaham358]

Real LS shipped in is the best IMO but you can use some types of play sand. the dry sand the LFS sell is good also. Stay away from crushed coral.

 

[ckmn101]

I wish I had asked this ? before I put the crushed coral in and I wouldn'd be going through the long process of switching to aragonite sand. I hear of lots of people switching from cc to sand but never anyone from sand to cc.

 

[roka64]

I wish I had asked this ? before I put the crushed coral in and I wouldn'd be going through the long process of switching to aragonite sand.

Heeeee, me too! I had CC and switched to sand. CC limits your clean up crew and eliminates cool little fish combos like goby/pistol shrimp.

 

[Guest]

Why is CC bad?

 

[austinsdad]

Holds too much detritus and waste stuff very easily and cannot be reached by sand sifters or vacuuming etc. Stuff settles in those little shells.

 

[Guest]

Oh...Thanks

 

[roka64]

I wouldn't say it is bad, if the correct maint is kept up. I think it is personal preference. I tried it, and didn't like it. In my tank, I would really only be able to vacuum about half of it and wait for another PWC to get the other half, so half my tank was kinda nasty looking and one half was clean....

 

[Guest]

Is Pool filter sand to sharp for inverts?

 

[roka64]

I would tend to think anything that is silica based sand, could possibly harm soft, bottom dwelling inverts/fish. I am not sure what pool filter sand is made of.

++Edit+++
High-rate sand filters use a special filter sand, normally .45 to .55 mm (also known as pool grade #20 silica sand), because it has sharp edges that separate particles, allowing filtration to take place.

This is what I found on a couple of sites.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Roka