Tropic Eden sand sizes and how much to get

[cycled123]

I am getting a 48x36 180g tank in January. I am searching for a good clean sand which led me to Tropic Eden. It seems that most people are using the reef flakes. To my eye reef flakes looks a little coarse and gravely. In my head I picture something closer to the miniflakes when I think of sand. It is going to be a mixed reef LPS and softie dominate with very few "easy" SPS mixed in (Stylo, montiporra, birds nest). I am planning to have a sand sleeping wrasse and probably medium-high flow in the tank. I am planning to have lots of coral on the sand bed. Would the miniflakes blow around to much and cover the coral on the sand bed? Are Mesoflakes a better choice as size is right in the middle of the two? Should I do a mix of varieties? Regardless of type how many 30lb bags do I need to cover 48x36 tank to depth of 2 inches? Thanks!

 

[splix]

I have sand sleeping wrasses, coral on the sand, sand sifting star, and I use 100% tonga reef flakes. I love them because of the wrasses. If you have a fine sandbed with these wrasses, every time they touch the sand it'll cloud your tank. I had fiji pink in the past and was sick of the tank being constantly clouded when anything touched the sand bed.
You'll still need to rinse the flakes. There is a lot of dust from the bag.

 

[MaddyP]

I absolutely love Tropic Eden Reefflakes and use it in every build I do. Handles the high flow much better than other sands I've used, and is still fine enough to allow wrasses a comfy home.

As for coverage, a less friendly forum has a great calculator. On my 75g (48" x 20") I used 1 bag to achieve a 1.5"-2" coverage.

 

[dragon99]

I have reef flake and it is somewhat coarse. My yellow wrasse doesn't seem to mind and buries in no problem. I'm doing SPS and with (2) MP40's on a 48" tank at full power I can still make the sand move.

If you aren't targeting high flow, the mini or mesoflake MIGHT be fine.Definitely still rinse. It's pretty clean, but still very dusty.

Here's a past debate:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tropic-eden-reeflake-mesoflake-debate-help-me-pick.265059/

 

[cycled123]

I'l

I absolutely love Tropic Eden Reefflakes and use it in every build I do. Handles the high flow much better than other sands I've used, and is still fine enough to allow wrasses a comfy home.

As for coverage, a less friendly forum has a great calculator. On my 75g (48" x 20") I used 1 bag to achieve a 1.5"-2" coverage.

Thanks I'll have to see if I can find the calculator.

 

[cycled123]

I have sand sleeping wrasses, coral on the sand, sand sifting star, and I use 100% tonga reef flakes. I love them because of the wrasses. If you have a fine sandbed with these wrasses, every time they touch the sand it'll cloud your tank. I had fiji pink in the past and was sick of the tank being constantly clouded when anything touched the sand bed.
You'll still need to rinse the flakes. There is a lot of dust from the bag.

I'll definitely be rinsing whatever I get

 

[cycled123]

Ok I found a couple calculators for determining how much sand needed but they range from 120-190lbs! That's quite a difference. Anybody have a similar size tank that can tell me how much they used?

 

[cycled123]

I got all the sand rinsed and added. Used 1.5 bags dry mesoflake, 1 bag dry miniflake, and 1 bag live reeflake for 1.5-2in depth. This Tropic Eden sand has very uniform sizes and rinsed pretty clean. The miniflake was the cleanest. After 3 rinses the miniflake did not cloud the water when added and immediately dropped to the bottom of the tank. The 1 bag of mesoflake was cloudier then the other but settled within an hour. The live reeflake I did not rinse and that clouded the water pretty good but cleared completely overnight. The mesoflake and reeflake do not move with my gyre 250 at 100% placed vertically 4 in from top of tank. The miniflake does move but does not cloud the water when it does. I have now mixed the 3 sizes together and sand is not moving. It is really hard to tell the difference in size between the reeflake and mesoflake so I did not include picture.

Mesoflake and miniflake next to each other in tank

 

[Ocelaris]

Thanks, I just ordered 7 bags of the mesoflakes for my new 250 build. Luckily premiumaquatics.com got them in yesterday just in time as the tank is scheduled to be delivered today.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Hi Guys, I am getting ready to set up my SCA 150 and have decided to go with Tropic Eden Mesoflakes 30lb (aragonite crumbs, 2.7mm). The spec on my 150 gallon are the following 60''X24X24''. So far I have picked up so far 7 - 30 lb bags of it from @premiumaquatics!
I am thinking I am going to at least need 4 more bags - 11 total, in order to lay a nice 2-3'' layer of sand across it evenly! What are your thoughts?

 

[Flameback Pair]

Tropic Eden

 

[drtrash]

Throw in some reefflakes and blen, i was surprised the meso was finer than i thought so i added flakes for 50/50

 

[Antics]

Hi Guys, I am getting ready to set up my SCA 150 and have decided to go with Tropic Eden Mesoflakes 30lb (aragonite crumbs, 2.7mm). The spec on my 150 gallon are the following 60''X24X24''. So far I have picked up so far 7 - 30 lb bags of it from @premiumaquatics!
I am thinking I am going to at least need 4 more bags - 11 total, in order to lay a nice 2-3'' layer of sand across it evenly! What are your thoughts?

I have a 4x2 footprint and 3 bags (30 pounds) of reef flakes did about a 1.5" sand bed. I think 11 would be some serious overkill? Can't really return sand to an online vendor due to the shipping weight but perhaps its better to have more than not enough.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I have a 4x2 footprint and 3 bags (30 pounds) of reef flakes did about a 1.5" sand bed. I think 11 would be some serious overkill? Can't really return sand to an online vendor due to the shipping weight but perhaps its better to have more than not enough.

Thanks for the heads up @Antics . Well you know what they say it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it if that makes sense
I think 7 bags or 8 of Mesoflakes should be able to do a 5ft tank.

Here are the Grain Sizes Available:
Aragasnow - 0.5mm
Tonga Special Pink - 0.8mm
Miniflakes - 2.0mm
Mesoflakes - 2.7mm
Reefflakes - 3.0mm
Reefflakes Grand Select - 4.5mm

Thanks,
FLShark

 

[Ecvernon]

I have an SCA 150 and 2 bags of tropic eden did a 1- 1.5 inch all around.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I have an SCA 150 and 2 bags of tropic eden did a 1- 1.5 inch all around.

@Ecvernon - Com on!! Let's put it this way, my 120 that you see below was 48''x24''x24 and I used 80 pounds of live sand to be able to get a 2'-3'' layer bed across the entire tank. How were you able to get 60 pounds with a 2-3'' layer of sand on a bigger tank? I find it very hard to believe that you only have 2 30 pound bags in in this picture!!

 

[Antics]

@Ecvernon - Com on!! Let's put it this way, my 120 that you see below was 48''x24''x24 and I used 80 pounds of live sand to be able to get a 2'-3'' layer bed across the entire tank. How were you able to get 60 pounds with a 2-3'' layer of sand on a bigger tank? I find it very hard to believe that you only have 2 30 pound bags in in this picture!!

Well the sand is probably not perfectly level from the back to front glass, but in my 80 gallons (same foot print as your 120) three bags has at least a few 2-3" sections.

This is 90 pounds of reef flakes back when the tank was brand new. There is a lot of sand in the middle by the live rock and less at the glass.

 

[drtrash]

According to calc 48x24x1.5" is 88 lbs, not sure what that looks like bought 3 bags (2 meso and 1 flake) premium out of stock for 3 months so decide and shop or sol

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I have an SCA 150 and 2 bags of tropic eden did a 1- 1.5 inch all around.

@Ecvernon Thats what i thought! No way two bags i have below in picture # 3 will be enough sand to cover my 60x24x24'' tank with a 2-3'' sand bed correct? Does not it add up mate! Per Topic Eden my 150 will require a min of 8 -10 bags for a 2-3'' sand bed layer TO COVER A 60''X24''X24 AREA. Anyhow, nice tank mate... .

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Well the sand is probably not perfectly level from the back to front glass, but in my 80 gallons (same foot print as your 120) three bags has at least a few 2-3" sections.

This is 90 pounds of reef flakes back when the tank was brand new. There is a lot of sand in the middle by the live rock and less at the glass.

Did you buy a canopy or not on for any of your SCA tanks @Antics[/USER] ? I am going to be floating my canopy about 6 inches from the tank to hide my Hydra 52 HD, Hydra 26 HD & another Hydra 26 hd.