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Guest
Guest
hey guys, what substrates do you recommend????
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
sugar-sized aragonite sand.
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
is that expensive? if so how much per 50 lb bag?
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steve-s
Guest
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
also, by sand i meant live sand
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
badfish
Aquarium Advice Freak
a lot of people will tell you not to bother with livesand if you intend to use LR, because, in time the sand will become live. THe only think is it may cut off a couple days on your cycle.
luckycat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Rudy_627 said:
What about..none? Barebottom?
pearsont74
Aquarium Advice FINatic
i definently like my sand...but i got mine direct from the gulf of mexico...adn gezz its full of life and its only 1 day old 
I personally dont like crushed coral....its doesnt look natural...Ive done alot of reef diving and never have seen crushed coral around a reef...or anywhere except the beach - I personally thank sugar size is the best most natural way to go...maybe mixed alittle with some larger argonite sand
I personally dont like crushed coral....its doesnt look natural...Ive done alot of reef diving and never have seen crushed coral around a reef...or anywhere except the beach - I personally thank sugar size is the best most natural way to go...maybe mixed alittle with some larger argonite sand
Any and all sand placed i nthe tank will become LIVE so the Sand and crushed coral mix and Live sand and crushed coral mix is the same thing.
For the budget hobbists you should get the bulk of your sand from the home improvment store. Be sure its argonite sand and not silicate based. A simple vinegar test will show this. At the home improvment store a 50lb bag will be less than $10 vs the same amount from a LFS of that bagged live sand would be over $100. Complement this dry sand with a few lbs of live sand from the LFS's tanks (if they sell live sand thats not pre bagged) or from a fellow hobbists thats in your area.
Dont buy that prebagged stuff.
For the budget hobbists you should get the bulk of your sand from the home improvment store. Be sure its argonite sand and not silicate based. A simple vinegar test will show this. At the home improvment store a 50lb bag will be less than $10 vs the same amount from a LFS of that bagged live sand would be over $100. Complement this dry sand with a few lbs of live sand from the LFS's tanks (if they sell live sand thats not pre bagged) or from a fellow hobbists thats in your area.
Dont buy that prebagged stuff.
Jermz79
Aquarium Advice Addict
pearsont74 said:i definently like my sand...but i got mine direct from the gulf of mexico...adn gezz its full of life and its only 1 day old
Being new to this hobby, is that really advisable to do?
I live minutes from the beach and it would be so easy for me to get sand there instead of paying the insane prices at a LFS, or trying to find the sand at HD or Lowe's!
A bag of "Live Sand" at my LFS is $30 for 20 pounds and for me to do a 5" DSB like I want I need a 103 pounds ..... WHAT ... 8O 8O 8O ... that's over a $100!!!
pearsont74
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Its a risk like anything you get do....since your just starting out Id let it cycle and make sure all your water tests come out correct before adding fish - thats what im doin
Jermz79
Aquarium Advice Addict
Oh yeah defintely ....
Would it be advisable to do for a NooB? What would be the cautions? any drawbacks?
It sure would save me some money and then I could get a better skimmer and maybe even a wet/dry filter!
Would it be advisable to do for a NooB? What would be the cautions? any drawbacks?
It sure would save me some money and then I could get a better skimmer and maybe even a wet/dry filter!
I wouldnt avocate taking anything from the ocean until you where well versed in the local, state and federal laws. I know FL has some fairly strict laws about taking anything from the ocean. If once you check it out you find it legal to take sand then the best thing to do would be to go out in a small boat to a point where the water is several feet deep and the chance of being contaminated shorline sand is lessened and harvest the sand from that point.
The sand right along the shore line has a greater chance of land politants being present.
The sand right along the shore line has a greater chance of land politants being present.
pearsont74
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Jermz79 - I have done the research and if you want to all you have to do is go to the Fla Game and wildlife commision and look at the regulattions. I doesnt say anything about harvesting and removal of sand. And yes it wold allow you to get a better skimmer and filters - this I am sure is very contraversal but others have done it with no problems and I will let you know in a month or so how mine is doing. YOu do have to be smart though about where to get it.
If you dont mind the extra work....as I dont, go for it
If you dont mind the extra work....as I dont, go for it
Jermz79
Aquarium Advice Addict
Right on I'll check out the site ...
I have access to a boat and a friend that is always willing to go out boating, so it would be just a matter of transporting the sand back to my house!
Not that I'm trying to cut costs or anything, but the way I see it is why pay for sand when my whole back yard is FULL of it. Not literally my back yard, but you know what I mean!
pearsont74 - Where did you go to get your sand? did you travel far out, how did you transport it, and in what? sorry for all the questions!
I have access to a boat and a friend that is always willing to go out boating, so it would be just a matter of transporting the sand back to my house!
Not that I'm trying to cut costs or anything, but the way I see it is why pay for sand when my whole back yard is FULL of it. Not literally my back yard, but you know what I mean!
pearsont74 - Where did you go to get your sand? did you travel far out, how did you transport it, and in what? sorry for all the questions!
pearsont74
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I got some at Ft Desota...I waded out to a bar and got it in a 5gal bucket and poured it in a rubbermaid tub to transport it back to the house
I'm goin tonight to pass-o-grill beach and will wade out abit to get another 5gal bucket cause the stuff at Ft Desota is very fine...sugar fine...so I want to mix it with stuff thats more course. This is a good location cause it the point and fast moving water so pollutates cant settle in.
I hear you on cost....this hobby is very expensive as it is and ur right...the whole point I am gettin into this is I love the natural setting of fla and marine life. What better way to set up a tank as natural as possible. I doubt that stuff in the LFS is imported in from afar.... LOL some of the best LR is from Florida, go figure.
I'm goin tonight to pass-o-grill beach and will wade out abit to get another 5gal bucket cause the stuff at Ft Desota is very fine...sugar fine...so I want to mix it with stuff thats more course. This is a good location cause it the point and fast moving water so pollutates cant settle in.
I hear you on cost....this hobby is very expensive as it is and ur right...the whole point I am gettin into this is I love the natural setting of fla and marine life. What better way to set up a tank as natural as possible. I doubt that stuff in the LFS is imported in from afar.... LOL some of the best LR is from Florida, go figure.
JPloman
Aquarium Advice FINatic
pearsont74 said:
Hey me too!
As I always advice people who PM about this, take it from an area where not too many people are, try to go out as far as you can, and by all means rinse it with a good saltwater mixture. Check for any forgien objects that might have gotten in the ocean as well.
When we took our sand, over a year ago, from the ocean we did not rinse it. Later we had a major problem with nitrates. This was because we didnt rinse it. We also got a baby Sheepshead, oysters, clams, sand dollars and other really cool stuff living in our tank from that one trip to the beach. They would all still be alive if it was not for the poison that got into our tank about 7 months ago... tragic.
Jermz79
Aquarium Advice Addict
Awesome .... I just went to Ft. desoto a couple weeks back, had a little camping/fishing excursion there! It is nice down there, unfortunately so far for me as I'm in Spring Hill.
keep me posted if possible on how the cycle goes and everything! I have another month before I close on my new home so I'm just doing some research right now!
Thanks,
Jermz
keep me posted if possible on how the cycle goes and everything! I have another month before I close on my new home so I'm just doing some research right now!
Thanks,
Jermz
JPloman
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Oh sorry, I edited the last post.
If you want to see some photos of my tank as of now, feel free to look in my photo gallary.
If you want to see some photos of my tank as of now, feel free to look in my photo gallary.
