what do you think?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Someone asked about silicate based sand a while back and I dug around a little bit to find out that silicates contribute to phosphate issues, which inhibit coral growth at low levles, become toxic at high levels, and would cause a massive algae growth problem.

And while we are talking about corals, those angels needs to go. Both of them will pick at lps and softies.
 
wel then. that would explain alot. it is covered with algea atm.....
i guess that fixes that problem.
so where can i find this distount sand?
is it actual sand or like argonite gravel stuff? is there a pure white fine sand?
 
scalesandfins;4458788; said:
wel then. that would explain alot. it is covered with algea atm.....
i guess that fixes that problem.
so where can i find this distount sand?
is it actual sand or like argonite gravel stuff? is there a pure white fine sand?
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marcorocks.com

sugar grain sized aragonite.
 
how much do i need?
im lookin at there bahama argonite sand
 
scalesandfins;4458998; said:
how much do i need?
im lookin at there bahama argonite sand
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80lbs of their sand is about one cubic foot. Take the cross sectional area of the tank, and divide 1 cubic foot by the tanks crossectional area in ft as well, and that will give you sand bed depth in units of feet.

Multiply that number by 12 and you will have your sandbed depth in inches for 80lbs of sand. If you want a DSB you want about 4 inches. Otherwise, go with a sandbed that is .5 to 1 inches in thickness. If you are interested in a DSB, I have a good read that you will want to look over before you commit yourself to it, just let me know.

I have a 4 inch DSB on my tank (standard 75 gal) and needed 160lbs to get there.

Most people say a lb per gallon is what you want, but thats not always true.
 
dsb?
n that seems complicated. im not good with math. i dont even know the demensions either yet
 
scalesandfins;4459080; said:
dsb?
n that seems complicated. im not good with math. i dont even know the demensions either yet
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dsb= deep sand bed

And I cant find dimensions on an 85 gallon aquarium. On a 72 gallon bow-front, 80lbs of their sand would give you 1.9 inches. So, i did some estimating (and keep in mind, its just that), and I came up with 1.66 inches of depth on 80lbs of sand.

The dimensions I found were based off of max dimensions, which isnt entirely accurate as the front is a radius, so you really have a smaller cross-sectional area then what the dimensions would lead you to believe. That is also apparent by a 72 gallon bowfront listing the same footprint as a standard 75 gallon, but showing that it is also three inches taller. I think, without out firm dimensions, based on my estimating, that 50lbs will get you one inch.

On their website, you can order in 20lb increments, and with the sale they have going, you can get 40lbs for the same price as 20. It looks like your bill for the sand is going to be 60bucks shipped.

If you can find me firm dimensions, I will get you a firmer number.
 
wow apreciate all the help man! you really went above and beyond :D
i went to look at the tank last night it looks great. the sand is aragonite based. its kinds black and white mixed... looks kinda dirty but will do for now. its only about 1" thick so would just thrwing another inch of white sand in there not cover it up?
also the volitan is awesome! he eats frozen food which (from what i have heard) is almost impossible. nice purple algea. great setup. needs a little more lr but that will come with time.
it has a four socket power compact fixture. is that good enough for most corals? could i just add tha MH to it and that would work fine?
 
scalesandfins;4461195; said:
wow apreciate all the help man! you really went above and beyond :D
i went to look at the tank last night it looks great. the sand is aragonite based. its kinds black and white mixed... looks kinda dirty but will do for now. its only about 1" thick so would just thrwing another inch of white sand in there not cover it up?
You can, but you will trap a all of that crap in your sandbed, and without a good sand bed crew, it will just decompose and become a problem later on. Also, you will see where the new sand and old sand meet. I did that one time before I really knew what I was doing and it was extremely obvious.
also the volitan is awesome! he eats frozen food which (from what i have heard) is almost impossible. nice purple algea. great setup. needs a little more lr but that will come with time.
it has a four socket power compact fixture. is that good enough for most corals? could i just add tha MH to it and that would work fine?
PC lighting will suffice for LPS and softies. Going to a MH isnt an real issue so long as you watch the existing corals and make sure that they dont roast from the drastic increase in intensity of lighting. The purple coraline growth might bleach as well.
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No biggie on the help. I am a mass properties engineer, so I deal with volumes and weights all day. Sand is just more problematic because grain size varies so much and it greatly impacts the density, along with percentage moisture content.
 
wow dude. you are one fart smeller :D oh i mean smart feller
thats is incredible that you can account for grian size and moisture content!
 
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