[Jeremy0322]

I am ordering sand tonight but i dont know what i should do. I really like the CaribSea sand but i think i want a mix of the 2 grain sizes. I dont know if will want a Jawfish or anything like that in the future so i am just going to mix it up a little. I will be getting a bag of each i think..

Aragamax Aquarium Sand

Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand

Any thoughts. Should i just get 2 bags of one kind?

[e_baer]

Aquarium supplies for your tropical fish tank, saltwater fish tank, saltwater aquarium fish, freshwater aquarium fish & reef aquarium. Aquarium filters, aquarium lighting, aquarium tanks, protein skimmers & more for your reef tank. will have better priced.....but I am not sure about shipping costs.

Also, if you dont mind, how much is it to ship the sand?

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by Jeremy0322

Should i just get 2 bags of one kind?

How deep do you want the bed? I have 60lbs and have around 1.5" all over on average. Do, 70 wont be much more.

[Jeremy0322]

I know that from liveaquaria, the site that i showed, it was 9.99 for 7 day shipping. I saw the marine depot prices and they are cheaper, but liveaquaria had better pictures and i dont know what the depot shipping is yet, so i dont know who i am going with yet, it all depends on shipping.

[Jeremy0322]

Really? I used a sand bed calculator and wiht the dimensions of 48x13 with a 3 inch bed it told me i would need exactly 76 pounds. The other things that i will have working for me is I am going to cut up some old under gravel filters and then place the rock on that so i dont scratch the bottom of the tank, and then stack the rock before i even put the sand in. So some of the space wont need filled. Here is the link for the Sand Bed Calculator that i used.

Sand Bed Calculator

[e_baer]

Well, some calculators are off, and I am just telling you what I have. But you could be right, maybe I need to messure with a ruler instead of eyeballing it.

[Jeremy0322]

Is that the sand over the bar on the bottom of your tank, or is it off the bottom total

[e_baer]

I am not quite sure what you are asking, but if you go to the totm you can see a photo.

[Jeremy0322]

There is usually a bar that runs along the bottom of the tank, i think it is a border. I dont really know what it does, but i didnt know if you were tanking about above the border/trim or from the actual bottom of the tank.

[e_baer]

OOOO I know what you mean now. From the actual bottom of the tank.

[Jeremy0322]

Well, i will probably just get the 80 lbs and then if i need more i will buy more. I am really hoping that will all the space the live rock and stacking plates will be taking up i will be able to get away with less sand, but if i need more i will just buy more. I still have not decided what size i am going with, or if i am doing a bag of each.

[R-e-D]

i would not put the undergravel filter in jeremy .. if you do what ever waste and stuff gets under it wont be able to be reached by the cuc...

[e_baer]

That is what I was thinking also. Try to get some extra LR and put it under there instead of an underground filter.

[Jeremy0322]

I just wanted something to protect the bottom of the tank from getting al scratched up. I was not planning on actually running it as a filter. Maybe i will just get some pvc pipe and make a few platforms, that may be the better alternative. Anyone have any suggestions on mixing up the sand size or just going with one size? And i didnt think the clean up crew went that deap in the bed?

[e_baer]

I dont think the CUC will either. You can try to get some egg crate for the bottom, that will be a lot better.

As for sand, I have always ready and heard that the smaller the better.

Me personally, I am going to get sand anywhere from .5-1.5mm.

[lynnvangsnes]

This was where I got my sand:
CaribSea Aragamax Sugar Sized Saltwater Sand 30 lb Substrate

[e_baer]

That place seems to be about the same price as marine depot, maybe a little more expensive, even with the free shipping.

[Jeremy0322]

I can order 60 pounds off of Liveaquaria for a total(with shipping) of 57 dollars, and on marine depot it comes out to 71.97 with shipping, so i know where i will be ordering from. LiveAquaria also has my bulbs that i need and carries the Stealth heaters, and marine depot does not carry that brand of heater. I can get the heater, the bulb i need, and 60 lbs of sand for 102 dollars off of liveaquaria, i will be placing an order tonight.

[sgarron]

I would stick with the smaller grain sand. If you mix the two sizes the smaller one will over time settle to the bottom and you will only see the coarser one.