Sand-Is the LFS full of it

[airandsea]

Hey guys and gals, I know that you all get dumb questions from newbies but I searched and read through the forum for hours over the last few nights and I could not find the answer to my question. I have a 24gal aquapod on the way and I was planning on putting sand in it. The guy at the LHS told me that I should not use sand because it will get into the pump and make it go bad quicker. I also did a search on here for aquapods and it seems that almost every aquapod I found used sand in the tanks. Thanks for all of the help. I have spent multiple hours on the site reading and I have never seen so much knowledge of one subject in a single place. What a goldmine!!!

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by airandsea
http:///forum/post/2613944
Hey guys and gals, I know that you all get dumb questions from newbies but I searched and read through the forum for hours over the last few nights and I could not find the answer to my question. I have a 24gal aquapod on the way and I was planning on putting sand in it. The guy at the LHS told me that I should not use sand because it will get into the pump and make it go bad quicker. I also did a search on here for aquapods and it seems that almost every aquapod I found used sand in the tanks. Thanks for all of the help. I have spent multiple hours on the site reading and I have never seen so much knowledge of one subject in a single place. What a goldmine!!!
What else would you use? It is true if sand gets into a pump it will make it go bad, but unless you have set something up wrong sand shouldn't get in the pump.

 

[scotts]

First off welcome to the board!!!

Yes this place is a goldmine.
Yes they are full of it. When you talk about sand you are really talking about Live Sand. The term live means that it is full of bacteria, bugs and critters that break down the waste in your tank.

 

[airandsea]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2613949
What else would you use? It is true if sand gets into a pump it will make it go bad, but unless you have set something up wrong sand shouldn't get in the pump.
He told me to use crushed coral. Also, this LFS also told me to cycle my tank with a couple banggai or pajama cardinal fish and from what I have gathered from all of the starting a new tank links, this would be a very bad idea.

 

[lexluethar]

I think your LFS just has incorrectly setup tanks with sand. While fine grain sand can get stirred up more easliy then aragonite or crush coral, if you place your pumps correctly you should not have this issue. Just make sure not to point any of your pumps directly into the sandbed and you'll be fine.
He is correct - if you do get sand in your pump over time it will chewup your motor and it can fail prematurely. But if a tank is setup correctly, this shouldn't be an issue at all.
Besides, the multiple benefits created by sand far outweigh (IMO) the possible consequences that come with having a powerhead fall or point in the sandbed.

 

[scotts]

You are very smart for coming here and questioning your LFS. The way to cycle your tanks is by strting it with a raw shrimp, the kind you would eat. this starts to break down, creates ammonia in your tank and then your cycle has started.

 

[airandsea]

Originally Posted by Scotts
http:///forum/post/2613952
First off welcome to the board!!!

Yes this place is a goldmine.
Yes they are full of it. When you talk about sand you are really talking about Live Sand. The term live means that it is full of bacteria, bugs and critters that break down the waste in your tank.
Now with regards to the LS, can you put dead sand and mix it with the live sand and eventually it will all be live sand? Kind of like how you can take base rock and eventually with live rock on it, it will carry bacteria, algae, etc.

 

[scotts]

Originally Posted by airandsea
http:///forum/post/2613961
Now with regards to the LS, can you put dead sand and mix it with the live sand and eventually it will all be live sand? Kind of like how you can take base rock and eventually with live rock on it, it will carry bacteria, algae, etc.
Yep! In fact if you want to learn WAY too much about sand, do a search on this site for "Southdown" and "vinegar" Just don't put in the quotation marks. You will find people have discussed the properties of sand farther than I thought it could go. However let me tell you that the dead sand you use just cannot be any type of play sand. There are certain types that you should use. In all honesty since I have not shopped for sand in many years I can't tell you what the good and bad sands are. Just do your research.

 

[whyamisofl]

Originally Posted by airandsea
http:///forum/post/2613961
Now with regards to the LS, can you put dead sand and mix it with the live sand and eventually it will all be live sand? Kind of like how you can take base rock and eventually with live rock on it, it will carry bacteria, algae, etc.
Yes, you can put a majority of dead sand in and "seed" it with live sand. In your aquapod, you would only need about a cup or so of live sand to have the dead become "live" again. That is the cheapest way of doing it, unless you can find someone in your area that is breaking down a tank and just buying theirs.

 

[airandsea]

Thanks again for all of the help!!!

 

[stdreb27]

personally I'm a big fan of argonite, it is a little bigger than the really fine sand and is based on calcium carbonate, buffers the tank. And is really pretty.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2614096
personally I'm a big fan of argonite, it is a little bigger than the really fine sand and is based on calcium carbonate, buffers the tank. And is really pretty.
Arogonite is simply the composite makeup. Due to poorly labeled sand in the hobby this is often confused. "Aragonite" has nothing to do with grain size.
Southdown, for instance, is an Aragonite based playsand that is very fine.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2614111
Arogonite is simply the composite makeup. Due to poorly labeled sand in the hobby this is often confused. "Aragonite" has nothing to do with grain size.
Southdown, for instance, is an Aragonite based playsand that is very fine.
hmm I've never seen really fine argonite.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2614118
hmm I've never seen really fine argonite.
oolitic sand

 

[airandsea]

Well, I went to the LFS today and talked with the fish guy for quite a while. I told him about the opinions and thing that I had heard on here and he was very receptive to my questions and info used from this sight. Turns out the sand he is talking about is the super fine stuff. So fine it seems almost like powder. I found a bag of aragonite and we talked about it and he that it would be great choice for my tank. Anyways, I got a 20 lbs bag of CaribSea Caribbean live sand to start with. Also, just wanted to check, is $8 per pound of live rock from a LFS a fair price? Seems a bit steep. Just curious. Thanks!!

 

[hobrien]

the price you will pay for live rock depends on your location. I get it for 6$ a lb and can drive 2 hrs and pay 8 per lb.

 

[airandsea]

Cool, I don't mind paying the $8 for it. Just curious. I am out in the middle of BFE and so I am not surprised. I am just glad that there is a local SW shop around here. Also, should 20 pound of LS be fine with about 15-20 pounds of LR. Is this enough biological between the two or should I put more in???

 

[mckaax]

NO Way would I pay that much for rock. You can have it shipped to your for half that. Although you will have to cycle it. Only takes a few weeks. People are selling it for about 2/2.50 here in the classifieds. Your numbers as far as how much look o.k.

 

[stdreb27]

8 bucks is about average for 20 pounds of live rock, maybe a bit steep. But not bad. check your local reef club, might be worth it.

 

[aquaguy24]

i have an aquapod 24g also..been running great for over a year..i have 20lb. live sand and about 25lb. of live rock. i pay $5.00/lb for my rock at my lfs..$8.00/ might be cheap to fill a 24g, but when u decide to upgrade to a much larger tank. the price can add up very quickly..