LS Question(s)..

[ghoti]

I am buying an 80g tank and want to build a reef in it. I am starting from a dry tank.
I dive and have to make special arrangements to harvest LS. I've read up on harvesting my own fish (it seems easy enough), but I think that can wait for now.
If I bring up 2 or 3 five gallon buckets (probably 20 pounds each) of LS from Atlantic side reefs, would this be enough, or should I buy some of the dead sand you can get - Home Depot? :notsure:
If I do this, should I take the top 6 inches from one place, or should I skim a little from a larger area? :notsure:
I do know its illegal in Florida to harvest LR, but I can pick up some shells that may or may not have stuff on them. I was planning on timing a dive trip so that I return home, and receive a shipment of LR the following day. That way I can add fresh LS and shipped LR and allow the tank to cycle on that.
If anyone has done anything similar, please advise, if not, stick around for a write up...

 

[weberian]

Don't get any sand from Home Depot. That would be silica-based sand and you don't want that.

 

[reefnut]

Southdown sand from home depot will work just fine. The only concern I would have with using sand from the ocean is the getting polluted or nutrient rich sand... but at the same time you may get some really cool sand critters??

 

[ghoti]

I intend on lettig everything cycle for quite some time, and I'd put inverts in before and fish or corals.
My main goal with this tank would be a "local fauna" display. Plus, I could say, "I caught those" instead of "I bought those".