Sand questions

ImGoingCoastal · Feb 4, 2020

So was about to boot up my 40B and opened my box of Marco Rocks "fine" sand from aqua lab aquariums (never ordered from them before). This stuff is not fine at all and has me debating on whether or not to use it. Though, a coarser sand might be a good option to prevent sand storms...

My question is, does anyone have it in their tank, do you have a picture?

If not Marco, what should I use in a mixed reef that might even be a little SPS dominant tank?

I have an affinity for sand sifters so going bare bottom isn't something I want to do.

Quietman · Feb 4, 2020

Don't have it, but looks like a good medium aragonite grain sand. Wouldn't call that Fine in the picture. Fine sand can blow around so I stick with medium grade. It is about how it looks to you though. I would suggest surfing around a bit on both medium and course sand tanks...see if it grows on you.

To be honest...it's how clean sand is that catches my eye over grain size.

ImGoingCoastal · Feb 4, 2020

Well the thing that I usually hate is how the large grains tend to settle on the top in patches.... That's what makes me nervous. I guess since I already spent the money I could give it a try....

Barks · Feb 4, 2020

when I set my tank up 5 weeks ago I bought 40kg of redsea live reefbase ocean white fine sand, it was shipped from the Bahamas with sea water in it. It looked really nice, but 1 pump on 50% and it blew everywhere, couldn’t turn anymore pumps on, looked Awesome with its natural movement but it covered the rocks and silted the water if I so much as looked at it..
I ended up having to siphon it out and that was a nightmare.
so if you need good flow go larger grain size or none at all.

ImGoingCoastal · Feb 4, 2020

Sorry to hear! But thank you for the input!

Quietman · Feb 4, 2020

Wish I'd known. I have Caribsea and it's great but a little too uniform for my taste. I like the look of varying grain sizes.

Just shows we all have different tastes...and that shopping for sand online isn't easy.

ImGoingCoastal · Feb 4, 2020

If you had told me when I was younger that I'd be buying sand and rock online for $3-4 a pound I would laughed.

My neighbor was going to be kind and take my box of rock out of the rain, she said "surely that wasn't what it really was".... She looked at me like I had 2 heads when I explained to her. "Oh yeah, that literally was a 40 lbs box of rocks".