A discussion about sand

[NexusCore]

Hey,
I still have the sand from my freshwater tank that I'm planning to use in this 72 gallon setup. So here's the thing - I'm thinking of keeping the one inch base of play sand and adding some chopped coflake on top of it, then topping it off with fine sand from the Bahamas. Would the layers mix together or would it be okay? Should I be worried about it or is this a decent setup?

[fleeton]

I'd advise against mixing sand and crushed coflake - it's a recipe for disaster when it comes to keeping the sandbed clean. You'll be fighting a constant battle against detritus. Have you taken the time to test your playsand? I'm talking about determining whether it's silica-based or calcium carbonate-based. Just add a teaspoon of the sand to a bowl, cover it with vinegar, and observe. If it bubbles or fizzes for over a minute, it's calcium carbonate - if not, it's silica.

If you still decide to mix sands, just be aware that it's doable. Just keep in mind you really don't need that much sand. My 65g tank is doing just fine with only 20lbs of sand.

[NexusCore]

Thanks for the advice. I've always thought having a base of chopped coflake was beneficial as it acts like a pH buffer.

[fleeton]

Hey,
I still have the sand from my freshwater tank that I'm planning to use in this 72 gallon setup. So here's the thing - I'm thinking of keeping the one inch base of play sand and adding some chopped coflake on top of it, then topping it off with fine sand from the Bahamas. Would the layers mix together or would it be okay? Should I be worried about it or is this a decent setup?

The same thing can be done using calcium carbonate sand, it's essentially just crushed coflake that's been ground down even smaller.

[brunobear]

I'd advise against mixing sand and crushed coflake - it's a recipe for disaster when it comes to keeping the sandbed clean. You'll be fighting a constant battle against detritus. Have you taken the time to test your playsand? I'm talking about determining whether it's silica-based or calcium carbonate-based. Just add a teaspoon of the sand to a bowl, cover it with vinegar, and observe. If it bubbles or fizzes for over a minute, it's calcium carbonate - if not, it's silica.

If you still decide to mix sands, just be aware that it's doable. Just keep in mind you really don't need that much sand. My 65g tank is doing just fine with only 20lbs of sand.

Just curious about burrowing creatures like pistol shrimp or gobies - what's the best option for them? I've seen people suggest a mix of fine to medium grain sand and crushed coflake, but I can see how that'd be a real pain to keep clean. Crushed coflake can be a detritus trap, right?

[fleeton]

Large grain coflake "sand" with grain sizes around 3mm or so, like peanut chips, is probably the way to go for a goby/shrimp pair. It's big enough for burrowing but small enough to minimize the detritus trap issue.

[brunobear]

Good to know, I appreciate the info.