DSB requirements

[Jeff_S]

What size sand is required for a DSB? Are layers of different size needed or acceptable? I recently saw some nice Fiki pink crushed coral (coarse), could this be used as the top surface or would it just promote the trapping of waste?

Thanks

Jeff

 

[wombat1]

Southdown brand sand is ideal if you can get it, any Florida reefers know how to get it?? purearagonite.com is also a very good product, virtually the same stuff as southdown. Ditto on not using crushed coral anywhere in your sandbed.

 

[wombat1]

Check out these articles by Rob Toonen: http://www.seabay.org/art_plenums_part1.htm http://www.seabay.org/art_plenums_part2.htm
He explains the necessity of very fine sediments in DSBs and much more.

 

[Jeff_S]

Picked up a copy of Goemans book Live Sand Secrets today at a LFS.
Its an excellent reference, well worth the 8 bucks.

 

[ChrisRD]

Picked up a copy of Goemans book Live Sand Secrets today at a LFS.
Its an excellent reference, well worth the 8 bucks.

If you want information on plenums I'd say Goemans would be a good reference. If you're looking for information on DSBs (which is how I interpreted this post) read the references you've been given authored by Rob Toonen and Ron Shimek.

 

[Reefguide]

Wombat: Us Florida guys can't get it.... Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, Mom & pops, checked them all !!!! I was told that we couldn't get it but I figured someone must have it... Nope they dont !!

If you happen to find it, PLEASE PLEASE, PLEASE let me know... But I doubt it...

 

[wombat1]

REEFGUIDE We can't get it in CA, although Rob Toonen has a half a bag just sitting on a shelf in one of his old fish rooms at the university. I think you have to get it by the pallet out here. I just used purearagonite.com. Apparently it's from the same supplier but they rinse it a little first. The seller told me that southdown brand is picked up off a concrete slab where they also pick up all sorts of other junk (gypsum, wood chips, etc.) that might contaminate the tank. Southdown makes it for playboxes not aquariums so they don't worry about this kind of thing. However, purearagonite is made purely for aquariums and is treated as such. Like I said this is just what he told me so I'd take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Reefguide]

Sweet ! Thanks man, I will for sure look into it...