Sand Question...

mike j

mike j

Member
I've heard that by having a DSB you don't have to clean your sand. If I were to get a 1-2 inch sand bed, would I then have to clean it?
Thanks for the help guys!
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
having a sand bed does not mean you do not have to clean it. haveing well balanced life in your tank mean's you do not have to clean it. cucumbers are great sand cleaning critters as are certain species of sand sifting snails and starfish. the trick is to have a well balance aquarium. how big is your tank? honestly if you were going to try to do a DSB it realy should be atleast 3 inches.
 
mike j

mike j

Member
I have a 77 g (16X48 footprint) and I just want a substrate for the bottom of my tank. I figured if its something I don't have to clean, even better. I can't buy southdown sand here in Calgary Canada so I'm limited to paying the big bucks for 100% live sand. Those are the only reasons I wasn't planning on getting deeper.
 
fish for life.

fish for life.

Member
I have heard of people turning playsand into live sand over time with liverock and other critters, You can fill your tank 4" for $2.00 if you have a rock/landscaping place nearby.
 
marine qa

marine qa

Member
Fish for Life,
Not all playsand will work in fishtanks. Most contain to many silicates. This is why your hear so much about "Southdown" playsand because it has been shown to be uniquely suited for marine tank use. Additionally, SD playsand costs only dollars per 50 or 100lb bag.
 
mr . salty

mr . salty

Active Member
The thing that makes Southdown so perfectly suited to marine tanks is that it is REEF sand.As a matter of FACT,it is mined out of the same reef as one of the popular reef sands that cost about 10times as much...The only diference is that southdown is packaged,shipped and marketed for a diferent purpose.For kids to play in,and stray cats to poop in....
 
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