Silicate Free Live Sand???

[reef starter]

The link was messed up on my last post... hmm..
but anyway.. lets try this again.
What kind of sand should I buy for my DSB and much poundage for a 55 gal. long?
I really dont want to buy all Live Sand.. (EXPENSIVE) I heard u could use alot of a different sand and a little Live Sand... Is this true?? please explain..
---Enquiring Minds Want to Know?!?!

 

[predator]

Alot of people use play sand, but most contains silcates. I would recomend staying away from it. But there are plenty of people who have done so with great success.
I personally would use a couple 20lb bags of live sand and a few 20lb bags of dead sand. Rinse the dead sand first and lay it in your tank. Then lay the dead sand on top of that. You will want at least as many pounds as you have gallons. But it is better to go with a 4in dsb. I'm not sure exactly what the numbers are, but around 2lb per gallon is about right on a 55.

 

[reef starter]

But its so expensive.. Unless u know a good place to get it...
---Enquiring Minds Want to Know?!?!

 

[underthesea]

be prepared that in this hobby it does get very expencive. If you are going to take this hobby up do not cut to many corners or I am sure you will have alot of problems and so will your live stock. You would be supprised about how much some of our systems have cost us on this board let alone other boards. Research what you are going to need to spend before you jump into this hobby.

 

[kelly]

I think that Southdown play sand is silicate free. It is available at Home Depots on the east coast. You will have to check check the garden center, it is usually not it the cement/sand section.
Normally runs about $4.00 for 50# bag. I would recommend about 3 bags for a 55 gal tank. Then seed it with live sand.

 

[keitho]

well, good quartz sand doesn't contain a lot of silicates, but some minerals like feldspar are water soluble and can contribute to silicate (and diatom) problems. you can also buy dry aragonite and use it as a sand bed, then seed it with a fraction of the live sand you would have used in your bed or buy a live sand activator kit. live sand is expensive, but it's worth every penny in my opinion hope this helps...

 

[fishymissy]

Just wanted to clear one thing up. Silica sand does not contribute to diatom blooms. If the silica could be released into the water that easily, you would have more problems than an algae bloom, you would have water all over the floor from your glass tank and silicone sealant disintigrating!!!