DSB Question

[sal t. nutz]

I am filling my 300 as we speak, and it is very slow with RO/DI obviously. My question is this: I put about 600 lbs of Aragonite sand in first and the water level is now just barely above the sand. The sand is very soupy and liquid like. Will the sand pack down and become a firm substrate so I can setup my rock, how long if so? I set it up prior to adding water and it collapsed whern the water started filling.

 

[wrassecal]

IMO/E you should go ahead and get the rock in there somehow because it will help settle the sand by bacteria bonding. You will probably have to live with the "milk vat" effect for a few days no matter what, but once it's done it's going to be great. I can't wait to see pics Good luck

 

[sal t. nutz]

I am not too worried about the cloudiness of the water, I expected that. What I am worried about is the sand bed is not firm, it is like pudding, maybe even more soupy. Will this settle and become firm, or will it always be soupy to where I can't build rock on it.

 

[saltyrich]

It will firm up. However, I got a hold of some info I'll share. It recommended that in order to stabilze your lr structure, it is advised to get some very flat pieces of rock, like slate or something and place it into the sand itself. Basically you burry it and then place your lr onto this foundation. What this does is prevent any possible shifting at a later date.

 

[bonermeister]

Yeah, my LFS sells slate by the pound for like 50 cents a pound. I use aquarium safe glue for the foundation to the slate and then bury the slate in the sand, it is very stable this way and you have no worries of crushed fishies.

 

[azonic]

I've got 120 pounds of aragonite in my 90...gives me around a 3-4 inch bed. I arranged all my rock in a huge wall with an arch way as soon as the water was in the tank...the sand bed got "firm" really quick.

 

[sal t. nutz]

Thanks Azon, that is what I wanted to hear, someone with the same experience. Did you notice the sand becoming soup, like mud when you first started putting in the water?