Tank upgrade, sand question

[NW Fish Dude]

I'm just about ready to move from my 65g Red Sea Max to my newly built 100g (+40g sump/refugium) tank. I currently have about a 100 pounds live rock in the RSM that I will move over. It also has a 1-2" aragonite based sand bed that I am not going to move over, as I don't like the look of it, and want something easier for sand sifting creatures. Any recommendations on finer white sands out there? And should I buy new "live" sand, or is that not needed if I'm moving this much rock? I really would like to minimize an ammonia spike and new cycle as much as possible as I make the transfer, but that much live sand for a 1-2" bed gets pretty pricey. I would like to transfer has much of the tank's corals, fish and inverts as possible within a 24 hr period. Thanks.

 

[trido]

Careful what you wish for.
I just put 60 pounds of Nature's ocean #0 marine white sand into my 65 and its real pretty and very fine. So fine in fact that my 45x turnover lifts it right off the bottom of the tank and keeps a small amount suspended in the water column and then it settle onto the corals and LR then ends up in the sump.
My last tank had sugar sizes aragonite sand and it was so fine that every time you would disturb it the water would get cloudy even after a year of the tank being set up. It was also too fine to vacuum while cleaning the tank.

I've had it with fine pretty sand. At this point I'd be happier with crushed coral. LOL

 

[trido]

Oh FWIW, As long as you keep your LR submerged, circulated and warm, you should be able to use any sand or gravel you want without there being a noticeable cycle.

 

[eww]

+1 on what Duane said...

On the sand we used the dry aragonite sand from a LFS. It is the prefect size and it doesn't cloud when you touch it or get suspended in the water easily. If I can find it online or remember the brand I will post it here.

 

[NW Fish Dude]

Thanks. I'll visit a couple LFS and get a sense of sand densities. I would have to think a lot has to do with power head placement and flow as well. I wont be placing corals back in until sand has settled as well.

 

[pandora32]

My wife and I have fine white sand in our 215g mixed reef. Lets just say the above statements about this sand are very tue! I am in the process of removing it all and rplacng it wth 1mm-2mm argonite. I am hoping that be a better sand for my sifters...lmao

 

[NC2WA]

I have Carbisea sugar size sand in my home tank, but used Direct Live argaonite sand in my 36g bow tank at work..I also like it...

 

[NW Fish Dude]

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate it, and very helpful. Picked up 4, 40# bags of CaribSea's Ocean Direct Carribean live sand. Pretty small particular aragonite mixture, but not a super "fine" sand. Was surprised to see that the live sand was actually cheaper than the "dead" sand, from the same company. Gotta like that. Made that part of the decision pretty easy. Secondary question: would this be a good sand to place in my under the dt refugium as well? How much sand goes in there? Just enough to cover the bottom?

 

[pandora32]

In my fuge I have a mixture of large pieces of crushed coral, some of the fine white sand from my dt, and some aragonite from my old 55g tank to make up a 4" or 5" deep sand bed. Seems to work really good. I mixed it all together in a bucket by hand then put it in my fuge while I was setting up my system.:bounce: