Crushed limestone/sandbed

[mattb1983]

So im setting up a new reef tank next year after a few years away from the hobby and am collecting the equipment/ brushing up on the knowledge for said venture

The topic of the week is sand, I always used to favour a bare bottom tank for cleanliness but have always preferred the look of a sandbed so have been looking into what sand to use and came across a thread where someone was using pulverised limestone and as I work in a limestone quarry and have access to hundreds of tons for free I was more than a little interested as to what it looked like and more importantly if it worked scientifically

 

[dstockwell]

May be reef safe, but could be too coarse, and also mess with parameters.

 

[Rmckoy]

I don’t know how it will turn out. .
But we do use crushed limestone for walkways and driveways .
when it’s wet it’s very “muddy “
I think it would be next to impossible to rinse so there wouldn’t be cloudy water

 

[Dan_P]

So im setting up a new reef tank next year after a few years away from the hobby and am collecting the equipment/ brushing up on the knowledge for said venture

The topic of the week is sand, I always used to favour a bare bottom tank for cleanliness but have always preferred the look of a sandbed so have been looking into what sand to use and came across a thread where someone was using pulverised limestone and as I work in a limestone quarry and have access to hundreds of tons for free I was more than a little interested as to what it looked like and more importantly if it worked scientifically

My first impulse is to say that the sand is one the cheaper items you‘ll buy for the aquarium. Unless you want to experiment with limestone dust, just buy aragonite sand.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

To my knowledge it works fine scientifically and shouldn't mess up any parameters (though I'd cure it for awhile just to be safe). However, as mentioned, the texture and grain size are important.

Some related threads (limestone rocks and pulverized limestone in aquaria):

Limestone Rock in Reef Tank

Hi. What are the negative effects of using a limestone rock in a reef tank? I've done my fair share of research and the only think I could find is that it's not porous so it cannot house live bacterias as well as dry/live rocks. The thing is, I found this neat limestone rock and impulsively...

www.reef2reef.com

Crushed Limestone....yay or nay....

So i have read a few people that have used crushed limestone as a substrate in reef tanks. My concern is that it is limestone so wouldnt that alter nutrient levels? Has anyone ever heard of this or does anyone have it in there tank? It is non silica based due to it being limestone and has a...

www.reef2reef.com

Limestone

I live in Indiana. We have 6 acres, 3 that is wooded. Lots of limestone here. I have brought lots up to go around my gardens, but I'm sure they have been sprayed with weed killer. But, if I would go get a couple of rocks from the woods and wash them in RO water, could I put a couple in my sump...

www.reef2reef.com

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-kind-of-sand-do-you-use.638606/ (post 7 of this one is the relevant comment)

Reef Aquarium Rock Explained, Part 2

What kinds of dead or dry rock can go in a saltwater aquarium.

www.reef2reef.com

Reef2Reef FAQ #1: Substrates

A beginner FAQ on substrates for the saltwater aquarium.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mattb1983]

Many thanks for all your help guys It looks like it's doable but think I'm going to go for the Caribsea crushed coral I like the look and the bigger grain size should be a little better as I'm planning to be around the 25x turnover mark for flow