sand ????

[eagle9252]

just spent 30min LQQKing and did not find my answer.

I want to know what kind of sand to use. I have about 9gals of LIVE SAND in water in a bucket. it LQQKs like a mix of crush coral and small sand. it's all beige in color. I also have about 5 gal of dry sand, mostly off white with black specks in it.

I have a 75gal DT and a 36gal sump, fuge area about 24x12x14. where should i put it all? i put the dry in the sump about 3" deep but have some left over. should i go to 4"? or should i use the LS in the sump and the rest in the DT and put the dry on top? or the other way around.

I want to end up with in the DT some white sand on top but will the beige sand mix hurt any future additions?

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

I wouldn't put any sand in the sump. Water flow coming down from the DT will stir it up and eventually cause a pump failure. All of it will become live after it's in water and bacteria begins to be created. It all needs to be in your DT. If it's all good quality sand, put in the DT the sand that is most appealing to you keeping in mind what kind of fish you will eventually have. Sand sifters (a lot of gobies) will like fine sand....say Fiji Pink while others won't care.

 

[eagle9252]

I have baffles, 1 on the intake side and 3 on the pump side. the water should move across the top. why not any in the sump. i have actually read where some say none in the DT and to put it all in the fuge part of the sump

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

From what I know...the ones in the sump and none in the DT are generally set up as a Deep Sand Bed. This is an area that is INCHES deep....not just 3 or 4 like in a display tank but 7 or 8 or more. DSB's have been made out of 5-gallon buckets if that gives you any idea. I won't put it in my sump because of fear of seizing up a pump and causing bigger issues.

 

[mbachota]

You can put it in the sump in the fuge part. I had a 6" thick sand bed for my 125g

 

[mr difficult]

I would put dry in the tank and seed with a little of the live sand if that will get you too a level in the tank you are happy with. I have sand in my refug part with no problem.

 

[gareefer]

I have my sump set up the same way with the intake section, fuge, then return. I have done this on 3 different tanks and put sand in the middle fuge section and have never had a problem with the sand getting into the pump.

 

[eagle9252]

so if I put the dry sand in the DT, I can do this before and while I'm filling with RO/DI water before salt mix or wait until I mix the salt. after thinking will probably wait because I have more LS than dry and it could fill the voids in the egg crate

 

[mr difficult]

I would watch adding while you fill it may mix up more and make tank really cloudy I have heard of people using a 2 liter bottle house etc to add sand after running. I would also mix salt and water before adding to tank as salt probably won't mix well adding straight to tank. I use a mixing tank put RO water then add salt slowing until you reach proper salinity with a few power heads and maxi jet what I use.