Sand

[craig don]

Does anybody know how to figure out how much sand you need to get a desired depth? I have a 55 gal tank and I want it to be about 4 inches deep.

 

[melbournefl]

Length in inches x Width in inches x Desired Sand Bed Height in inches x .0641 = lbs. of Live Sand needed
HTH
Later,
Paul

 

[buzz]

I thought it was:
length (of tank) x width (of tank) x desired depth of sand bed x .0579 = lbs of sand needed(all measurements are in inches)
Also, here is a link I found in an older post for a calculator:
http://www.purearagonite.com/sandbed.html

 

[melbournefl]

hmmmmmm well it could be that both the answers are correct depending on the type of sand used? Not sure either way yields pretty close to the same number LOL
oh well I tried,
Paul

 

[craig don]

Thanks for the input.
I have some ls and some dry sand. Does anybody know the best way to rinse the sand before you put it into the tank? Do you even need to do this?

 

[buzz]

Don't rinse Live Sand. Put it straight in, but on top. You can rinse dead sand by putting it in a bucket, filling it with saltwater and working it through. Then dump out the water on top. You may want to do it a couple of times. There are other methods, but if rinsing, that's what I would do.

 

[craig don]

One more question.
I went to Home Depot to see what type of sand they had. The have the Southdown sand(tropical play sand), but on the bottom corner it says not for aquariums. Is this the correct sand to use in a reef tank?

 

[buzz]

Just a disclaimer because that is not how it is marketed. Yes you can use it. I have it in my tank. It WILL cloud on you, even if you rinse it. That is OK. It shouldn't harm the fish (didn't with mine), and will settle over a few days.