Should I use this stuff mixed with LS?

[floppyfish]

I have 10lbs of this stuff http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=...&tab=3&subtab=1 and was wondering if I should use it with half LS. It says its calcium carbonate(I think?) calcium something and says its a good buffer. It isn't very fine, its pretty coarse. I was wondering since I already opened the bag, should i use it with LS or should I just use LS? It will go in my 20gal.

Thanks Matt.

[NanoReefer53]

There's no problem with doing that. You'll just make the new stuff live over time.

[Mr_Spam]

if u want better live filtration, getting a sand thats particle size is around .5mm is ideal. southdown is exactly that.

[Guest LudavicoTechnique]

Playsand would probably be better, because it looks more or less identical to live sand, but that will work.

[cmoreash]

You do not want silicon based sand, as that is not natural. Aragonite based only IMO.

[floppyfish]

Mr_Spam "if u want better live filtration, getting a sand thats particle size is around .5mm is ideal. southdown is exactly that."

But I thought in a nano without the dsb there really isn't too much filtration. I dunno, but I thought I read that somewhere. I know you obviously want LS for filtration but how much better would it be with just the .5mm or the .5mm and some larger peices pieces of CC mixed with it?

[Mr_Spam]

The exact amount of filtration you have would depend on the surface area of the objects within the tank such as LR and LS. Sand with an aproximate size of .5mm provides maxium amount of surface area for the bacteria and other organisms to live. Mixing in the crushed coral sertainly wont hurt anything, but wont provide as much surface area for those organisms to live.

 

Sillica sand is no different from argonite sand other than appearance and calcium buffering ablity.

[tyoberg]

That is simply crushed coral. You would be better off not using it. It is simply too coarse for a sandbed. Dr. Ron Shimek says "about 60 percent of the sediment is between 0.5mm and 0.062 mm in diameter (coarse sand to very fine sand)." The stuff that you are talking about is closer to gravel than sand.

 

The buffering affects of aragonite or crushed coral are pretty small--if I didn't add buffer to my tank, my alk would go to zero in short order.

 

Rob Toonen on silica sand:

"I can't remember who said it anymore, and I don't really want to single anyone out, but the statement that buying cheap sand that contains quartz will ruin your tank is plain-and-simple bunk. I'm not sure where the idea that silica sand is dangerous to a reef tank came from, but typically silica sand is 99.0-99.9% SiO2 (depending on the source and grade), which is about the exact same chemical composition as the glass of your aquarium. If the addition of pure quartz sand is somehow dangerous to keeping a reef tank, we'd better all get our animals out of glass aquaria..."

 

Ty

[floppyfish]

Mr_Spam, thanks for clearing that up for me. I will just go with the smaller LS and just throw the CC in the closet.

Thanks again, Matt

[Sahin]

I wouldnt bother adding it. I had a look at the site and the grain size is too too big. I have 0.5mm and smaller sized sand in my tank.