What sand do you use?

[Be102]

Looking to switch up my sand and was curious what others use. I am thinking something not too large such as crushed coral however.

 

[Jimbo662]

Agri Live special grade...doesn't blow around as bad as standard sand

 

[MaddyP]

Tropic Eden Reef Flakes are my favorite. Works great for wrasses and isn't so small my vortechs blow it around.

I find Tropic Eden also makes one of the most homogeneous sands I've used.

 

[fragit]

+1 on the aragalive special grade. There is a great thread out there about low par in which there is a video linked from MACNA. The speaker suggests that if your sand bed is not getting moved around a little by your flow then you don't have enough. The aragalive special grade is great for high flow IMO.

 

[Be102]

Does anyone here use black sand?

 

[Siasl]

Tropic Eden Reef Flakes - fantastic size, don't get blown around, even under heavy flow.

 

[Be102]

Tropic Eden Reef Flakes - fantastic size, don't get blown around, even under heavy flow.

It's confusing, it says to rinse it yet it has beneficial organisms? How does that work?

 

[GoVols]

Does anyone here use black sand?

I've used the (CaribSea - Hawaiian Black Arag-Alive - Live Reef Sand) in the past

Do you have any questions about it?

 

[Be102]

I've used the (CaribSea - Hawaiian Black Arag-Alive - Live Reef Sand) in the past

Do you have any questions about it?

Do you have any pictures of it under moonlight leds? Curious if it will still pop. Did you have any complaints?

 

[GoVols]

Do you have any pictures of it under moonlight leds? Curious if it will still pop. Did you have any complaints?

No pictures. Been running BB for over a year and a half.
I have no complaints .
If you want black get that one. Other brands are known the have metal particles in them and will cling to a magnet

It also has white speckles in it too, that makes a really nice look. It's not too small grained like others that blow all over the place. It's still the right size for sand sifter's like Diamond Golby's.

It also has a cleaner sand bed look as it gets older than white sand.

It darkens down your over all tank brightness because black sand absorbs light and white sand reflects it back.

If your have bright LPS corals it makes then POP. It's like your seeing frags on the black egg crate under leds making the frags glow at the bottom.

If you want coral colors to have more POP and don't mind a dimmer looking tank it's really good stuff.

 

[Puffpuffpuffer]

TBS sand straight from the gulf.

 

[Be102]

No pictures. Been running BB for over a year and a half.
I have no complaints .
If you want black get that one. Other brands are known the have metal particles in them and will cling to a magnet

It also has white speckles in it too, that makes a really nice look. It's not too small grained like others that blow all over the place. It's still the right size for sand sifter's like Diamond Golby's.

It also has a cleaner sand bed look as it gets older than white sand.

It darkens down your over all tank brightness because black sand absorbs light and white sand reflects it back.

If your have bright LPS corals it makes then POP. It's like your seeing frags on the black egg crate under leds making the frags glow at the bottom.

If you want coral colors to have more POP and don't mind a dimmer looking tank it's really good stuff.

Great. As long as it's not too thick to be sand sifted. I think black might be a nice different look. Thanks for all the feedback. Do you think I should do a 1 or 2 inch deep sand bed? My tank is 65 gallons if that helps.. not sure how many bags to pick up

 

[Hyde2406]

I was told the black would fade, not sure if this is true or not but went with fiji "pink" wish I hadn't powder fine and on every freaking rock, coral, is everywhere! Wish I had gone bare bottom with black starboard on the bottom same black look but no fluff, think my pink spot goby and pistol shrimp might get upset but IT'S EVERYWHERE

 

[Be102]

I was told the black would fade, not sure if this is true or not but went with fiji "pink" wish I hadn't powder fine and on every freaking rock, coral, is everywhere! Wish I had gone bare bottom with black starboard on the bottom same black look but no fluff, think my pink spot goby and pistol shrimp might get upset but IT'S EVERYWHERE

Whatever I used, is also getting pushed everywhere by my pistol shrimp. Hopefully the black doesn't fade.. wonder what it would even fade to?

 

[Hyde2406]

Not sure the guy showed me two tanks one just looked older and yes faded but are the lights the same who knows I just went with the fluffy stuff

 

[Siasl]

It's confusing, it says to rinse it yet it has beneficial organisms? How does that work?

I think they have a bio-active version, but I have never used that. Just the regular version - premium aquatics sells it.

I am quite guilty of not rinsing the sand, but never have had any dust problems in starting 3 tanks with it (a 50, 100, and 500 gallon)

 

[sureal00]

caribsea special grade fiji pink

 

[Mpierce]

Carib sea special grade, I like the 1-2mm grain size so it doesn't get blown around as easily.

 

[GoVols]

Great. As long as it's not too thick to be sand sifted. I think black might be a nice different look. Thanks for all the feedback. Do you think I should do a 1 or 2 inch deep sand bed? My tank is 65 gallons if that helps.. not sure how many bags to pick up

It's fine with sand sifters My Diamond Golby never skipped a beat when I went with the black.
It dose give a nice different look. If I went back to a sand bed it would the black Hawaiian.
I'd go 1 to 1-1/4" deep.
2" was always too deep for my likings (Keeping it vacuumed) but that's JMO

 

[haanstang]

What's the largest size that will still work for a full grown Dimond golby?
Do they make a crushed coral small enough for Diamond Golby?