substrate help

[dhondtster]

Just seeing what other people use ? Im starting a 75 gallon reef/fish and just looking for input on substrate. Gunna go around 2inches deep wanted to use sand good Idea bad idea? good place to find it particle size?

[Monte455]

I tried the fine sand that Petco sells for about $7 a 10lb bag. It is white, and extreamly fine. I had read many purchasers complain that their tanks clouded up for ever, however I did not have the same expirience, mine cleared out in a day or two. I do admit however the sand is easy to disturb and get blowing around if your not cautious, but it is more from glass cleaning and such rather than flow. I wanted the fine sand bed for the sand sifting animals I wanted to keep, most of which prefer a fine sand bed, and did not find many other options at the price and availability that I needed. I am finding it difficult to keep carpet like algaes from blanketing the sand, and all my levels are great except Phosphorus which seems to stay at about .5. But I may expiriment with an algae scrubber type set up to attemp to zero that out. I have a sand sifting starfish, yellow headed goby, horseshoe crab, and bumble bee snail, along with 6 turbo snails, and yet I cant get the algae (diatoms, or cyanobacteria) off of my sand. The sand is too fine to use a siphon on, unless your are extreamly cautious and the covering is a good solid blanket, you will still end up siphoning out some of the sand too. But I do admit it does look great when it is clean and white, especially under MH bulbs.

[gregony]

Caribsea has this new Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand that I was thinking of giving a try in the 90 I'm putting together. It looks like a really nice mix of sizes and includes some small shells. Drs Foster and Smith has it for 35 for a 40 lb bag. Plus they got this 6 dollar anything for the entire order shipping and handling. (I got two T5 replacement bulbs from them - can't beat that shipping). So if you got 2 bags it would still be just 6 bucks for the shipping.
I'm not sure, but I think either Parrothead or SteveMcKay is always willing to help you calculate how much you need.

Monte455 - Is the Petco sand aragonite?

[Monte455]

Yes, suprisingly it is aragonite, would'nt have picked it up if it wasn't.