CaribSea Mix?...what do you think?

[afgoody]

Hello again,
For a 75 gallon reef tank I am going off a previous posted suggestion for 120# of aragonite and 20# of Live Sand.

How would you divide up the 120# between CaribSea's products...listed here http://www.marinedepot.com/a_cr_ss_caribsea.asp?CartId=?

Also, where would you recommend I get the Live Sand...especially considering I only want about 20#?

Thank you,
Adam

 

[kleinfreak]

I use CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand: 1 - 1.7mm diameter grain size. I chose not to mix...just 1 kind.

 

[hillbilly]

I use CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand: 1 - 1.7mm diameter grain size. I chose not to mix...just 1 kind.

I agree.

 

[afgoody]

Do either of you have live sand also or solely the CaribSea?

 

[danmhippo]

The prepackaged LS is nothing more than sand, bacteria, a bit of nutrients to keep the bacteria barely alive before the bag is sold, and seawater.

If you are starting fresh, you don't really need to use prepackaged LS. However, if you want to start the tank up without cloudy water from day one, then you need wet LS on top of the dry dead sand to weigh them down when you fill the tank with water.

The choice is yours, but I would stick with only one type of sand grain size. and I will stay with 1mm or smaller grain size.

 

[afgoody]

OK...that all makes sense...thanks for the advice.
You mentioned that I should stick to 1mm or smaller. I would like to do that for both looks and sand sifters, but what about the problems with siphoning the top layer of sand when I do occasional cleanings?
-Adam

 

[danmhippo]

For DSB in reef tanks, you don't siphon the sand layer. Unlike UGF, water does not get sucked down carrying food particles with it and eventually clogs the sand bed. Since we do not install UGF, you should not have food particles trapped in the sand, and you should not do sand bed cleaning.

The purpose of DSB is to provide a place for micro fauna and pods and worms to propagate. It is these sandbed fauna that's keeping food consumed in and on the sandbed. These organisms also helps you to keep your sand bed looking white.

If you disturb sand layer, your DSB will lose the anaerobic zone structure and will no longer provide denitrification for your tank.

If you insist on cleaning the sandbed, then you should use coarse grain sand, but don't expect it to function as a denitrator.

 

[afgoody]

OK, that settles it for me. Thank you for the advice.