That would do it. I recommend carib seas "reef-grade" aragonite. It is fairly fine, but big enough that you can vacuum out the crud.
thinking about trying marine
- Thread starter johnmoore55
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I would say close to 200 lbs. With a DSB, you want at least 3 inches. I think starting with 5 inches is a much better idea than 3 inches because the half life(time it takes for the sand to dissolve in half) is about 18 months. So unless you want to try and put bags of sand into the water of your tank without making a mess it is better to start with more than 3 inches.
So something like 200 lbs, but you can measure it and go buy more or return whatever you don't use.
You will need more too if you end up doing a refugium.
So something like 200 lbs, but you can measure it and go buy more or return whatever you don't use.
You will need more too if you end up doing a refugium.
I usually do 1# per gallon, except on really tall tanks. But I have never, and will never run a DSB.
200 lbs on a 6x2 tank, depending on grain size of the sand, may not be enough. I have 160lbs in a 4 foot by 1.5 foot cross-section and I am just under 4 inches.
I would go with fleshy, and just do a shallow bed, unless you really want to do sand dwelling fish like a jawfish.
I would go with fleshy, and just do a shallow bed, unless you really want to do sand dwelling fish like a jawfish.
flow (at least 20x tank volume) - most important (see Korralia)
good skimmer - (ok I lied), this is also most important
good rock - no, wait, this is most important
good heater - well, this is pretty darn important too.
(light according to species kept)
and the basic tank is done. Well actually, I wouldn't do a SW tank without any of the above variables. But I have done them without sand.
IME stay away from oolitic, sugar and deep sand beds. The upside is exremely limited, they are expensive to setup, they trap detritus mightily and I think they cause more nitrate problems than they solve. Instead use a fairly small grain size sand, and use just enough sand to cover the bottom completely. I like to use .5" to 1" deep sand bed. my current display tank has about .75" I don't like to use sands that have a grain size under 1mm or over 4mm. Less than 1mm is just a PITA (try it, you'll see) and over 4mm lets too much detritus under the surface layer.
this is good stuff
Good luck.
good skimmer - (ok I lied), this is also most important
good rock - no, wait, this is most important
good heater - well, this is pretty darn important too.
(light according to species kept)
and the basic tank is done. Well actually, I wouldn't do a SW tank without any of the above variables. But I have done them without sand.
IME stay away from oolitic, sugar and deep sand beds. The upside is exremely limited, they are expensive to setup, they trap detritus mightily and I think they cause more nitrate problems than they solve. Instead use a fairly small grain size sand, and use just enough sand to cover the bottom completely. I like to use .5" to 1" deep sand bed. my current display tank has about .75" I don't like to use sands that have a grain size under 1mm or over 4mm. Less than 1mm is just a PITA (try it, you'll see) and over 4mm lets too much detritus under the surface layer.
this is good stuff
Good luck.
I dont know that DSBs are as bad as people make them out to be. They can be if they arent done properly, but I promise you, my sand bed goes wild during feeding, its actually pretty wicked. I would venture to say that there is much in my sandbed other then living organisms. I would have to attribute it to the stuff I bought from IPSF.
Let me clarify, I would not do a DSB in the tank either, though it definitely can be done. I thought he had decided on that. I am a huge fan of remote DSB's though. Putting one in your sump/refugium is a great idea IMO. Fewer variables in a remote location, including no feeding. Since incorporating one for my 210 shark tank, my nitrates have never risen from 0 and that is a bigger fish with more waste than people have with all their fish combined.
I do agree, however, that if done wrong, there can be some dire consequences. Hydrogen Sulfide mostly.
I do agree, however, that if done wrong, there can be some dire consequences. Hydrogen Sulfide mostly.
Lets clarify something else...putting life in your DSB does not take waste out. In fact, in the long term, it will only accumulate more waste.
Life will die in your DSB, food will rot in your DSB, and so will anything else that can get down to the sand. Fact.
What happens to this? It stays there, and rots.
Because of this, I would rather keep the sand clean, but maybe that is just me.
Remember people, you have a small, closed system, to which you add a ton of nutrients, waste, and food to. Somethings gotta come out sooner or later, and its all ending up in your sand bed.
Life will die in your DSB, food will rot in your DSB, and so will anything else that can get down to the sand. Fact.
What happens to this? It stays there, and rots.
Because of this, I would rather keep the sand clean, but maybe that is just me.
Remember people, you have a small, closed system, to which you add a ton of nutrients, waste, and food to. Somethings gotta come out sooner or later, and its all ending up in your sand bed.
