substrate question

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Just interested on what type and size of substrate is everyone using?

For my tank i have always used caribsea mix of 0.3 up to 1 with a water flow of 8000glns/hr

[daniella3d]

Very fine livesand.

If I could go back in time, I would maybe use black sand instead. White sand is hard to keep clean looking.

Just interested on what type and size of substrate is everyone using?

For my tank i have always used caribsea mix of 0.3 up to 1 with a water flow of 8000glns/hr

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Very fine livesand.

If I could go back in time, I would maybe use black sand instead. White sand is hard to keep clean looking.

I am not sure about black as i never used it,i could imagine the look would be nice maybe crisp, i am thinking pitch black (different though)
Never had a problem keeping my white sand clean maybe the high water flow or maybe the sand sifters in my reef.

[daniella3d]

Mine is white but not pure white. What ever bits fall on it looks dirthy. It does not look clean as black sand. I saw black sand when I went to someone's home not long ago and thought it was really nice looking. It would make the coral pop.

I like white too but I guess I will just have to get more sand snails. I have a few conch on order.

I am not sure about black as i never used it,i could imagine the look would be nice maybe crisp, i am thinking pitch black (different though)
Never had a problem keeping my white sand clean maybe the high water flow or maybe the sand sifters in my reef.

[mark]

none

[Aquattro]

My current tank is using sugar sand, and mostly I'm happy with it. I probably should have washed it first, so I have a bit of dust still floating around

[monocus]

sugar sand for my wrasses-cleaned by snails,sand dollar,orange striped gobies.i have used black sand in my berghia tanks-it's a pain to keep clean as the detirus keeps accumilating

[daniella3d]

Why is black sand a pain to keep clean?

i have used black sand in my berghia tanks-it's a pain to keep clean as the detirus keeps accumilating

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Why is black sand a pain to keep clean?
I think most of dirt in the tank is either witish or grey on black sand it will glow nicely.lol

[monocus]

black sand is crushed basalt(volcanic)-white sand is crushed coral(calcium)

[Delphinus]

Black sand is WAY worse to keep clean looking. It's like a car, black is the worst colour to keep clean, every little speck of dirt sticks out like a lighthouse beacon.

When it's clean though it does look sharp. I have black fluorite in my FW tank and I like the look. Tough choice, I almost went and bought some myself for my new FOWLR tank but think I've let myself be talked out of it for the time being (have heard a few stories about sand sticking to pump impellers because it has metallic content).

As for particle size I find sugar sand gets hard to stay in one spot once we start getting into higher flow .. I like the 0.3 to 1.0 mm sand I'm using now (mix of Caribsea Fiji Pink and Seachem) but it's far too easily shifted around by the flow patterns, I almost wish I went with something larger even.

I don't need any denitrification function out of my sand bed.. I just want it to cover up the bottom silicone seams.