AquaPod 24G Sand Choice?

[NUBIANTANGLOVER]

Okay,

I am in the process of setting up my new AquaPod 24G, but I need some advice from my RC members here...
For those of you who have the AquaPod 24G, what kind/brand of sand are you using. Also, how deep is your sandbed. Additionally, are you happy with your sand choice...why or why not? Thanks!

 

[schristi69]

I picked up a fine, white sand at PetCo that seems to be working out. I used #30 silica mortar sand in my main tank

 

[spshal1]

If I could do it again I would not have used the Aquapod brand stand. I found it to be of very poor quality and construction. I ended up having to glue and nail it together to reinforce it. It also has very little storage or room for expansion. I have seen a few others use rolling kitchen carts from Target and other big box stores. I think the next time I get a chance I will move to a stand like that.

 

[Brandon's Reef]

they fit on the oceanic 30 gallon stands nicely.

 

[smy168]

Re: AquaPod 24G Sand Choice?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7522634#post7522634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NUBIANTANGLOVER
Okay,

I am in the process of setting up my new AquaPod 24G, but I need some advice from my RC members here...
For those of you who have the AquaPod 24G, what kind/brand of sand are you using. Also, how deep is your sandbed. Additionally, are you happy with your sand choice...why or why not? Thanks!

I have a 24 pod and I'm using the Pod stand, I wouldn't recommend it, may be better to find other options.

I'm running the tank on a 5 inch sandbed using layers of Caribsea sand...first layer CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand(40lbs, about 3 inches), second layer CaribSea Seaflor Fiji Pink Reef Sand (15lbs, about 1 inch) and top layer CaribSea Seaflor Super Reef Sand (25lbs, 1.5 inches).

I'm use to DSB in my other systems and since I'm a fan of the Jawfish (have one in all 4 of my systems) I can say that I'm happy with my DSB. My gallery has some pics of the 24 Pod for reference, have you decided on mods you might make on your system? I would suggest changing the return pump to a maxijet 1200 and watch out for temp issues.

good luck

 

[Kennyboy1984]

What else could you possibly think of using other than live sand or aragonite??? Anything else would just look funny. I use caribsea reef floor with some crushed coral mixed in, but not too much. I have a 4 inch deep sandbed on my nano. If you plan on keeping gobies or jawfish a deep sand bed will come in handy. Are blue dot jawfish good candidates for a nano tank?

 

[smy168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7526119#post7526119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kennyboy1984
What else could you possibly think of using other than live sand or aragonite??? Anything else would just look funny.

DO NOT BUY BAGS of LIVE SAND!, I used only dry sand in my systems with a handful of sand from my other systems. the livesand you find in a bag are complete garbage, absolutely nothin live about them. Here's the thought, how does sand stay alive on a shelf, with no oxygen, temp. control and food? It doesn't, I sent a 10 lbs bag to my friend who is a chemist and he did a battery of tests and came back with a positive "0" in life forms. Microbial means nothing. Nothing in the bags are beneficial to any system, the only reason the water clears quicker is because the sand is wet so there are no dust particles to clean out. trust me, I bought 200lbs of this crap for my 120 and it was absolutely garbage. Your best best is to cycle normally and get a handful of livesand from your lfs or friends and seed the tank.

A Blue Spot Jaw would do ok in a nano system but they do tend to be more territorial, I had one in my 26 Bow but ended up placing him into the 54 because he would keep everything else away from his area.

 

[Kennyboy1984]

I am talking about the real stuff from the ocean not arag live

 

[smy168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7526219#post7526219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kennyboy1984
I am talking about the real stuff from the ocean not arag live

That would be ok, if I lived near the shore i would probably do that myself but I'm in NYC so any sand I find here would be coated in oil! lol

 

[Kennyboy1984]

A lot of online retailers e.g. marine depot live have live sand you can buy although that is a lot of money to spend just for sand for a nano tank.

 

[smy168]

easier to just get a handful from somewhere.

 

[maxcab]

I used the dry Aragamax aragonite, it's okay. If I could do it again I would get a sand of mixed grain sizes. My MJ 1200 with a hydor piles up mountains of it and makes big holes in the middle of my tank, so it's not that heavy, and I plan on keeping a Yellowheaded Jawfish, and would like a better building material.

IMO/E get mixed grade substrate.

 

[KMP]

I would suggest changing the return pump to a maxijet 1200 and watch out for temp issues.

the maxijet 1200 is rated at 295gph and 20w. the stock pump is 290gph...anyone know what the wattage is?

 

[smy168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7526462#post7526462 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KMP
the maxijet 1200 is rated at 295gph and 20w. the stock pump is 290gph...anyone know what the wattage is?

the key for switching to a maxijet 1200 for me was more about the temp issue, the maxi runs cooler, i did a test in a 5 gallon bucket of water running for 3 hours and the stock pump bought the temp to an average of 84.3 degrees while the maxi topped out at 81.7, as far as the wattage goes, can't be sure but I spoke with customer service at Current USA and the woman said it runs on 32 watts, but she may not be accurate.

 

[KMP]

thanks sy.

i've been asking the question for a while and nobody seemed to know. 32w would explain the extra heat and i have been hitting the 83 range in my tank. finally, i'm inclined to swap out pumps.

also, the maxijet has a 1/2" tube correct? did you just place it within the stock outlet leading into the tank?

 

[smy168]

I use a eheim 1/2" tube, but I would say you should keep it at about 8 inches because the 1200 pushes pretty hard and the Flo head will push water a little high when it rotates upward(if you're using a Flo).

i'm running a 1200 on the return and a 900 in the tank(may swap out for the 600) and my water flow is pretty high (I have 2 gorgonians) but it helps keep my sandbed clean.

good luck

 

[KMP]

are the maxijets quiet?

i do have a flo and other than the stock pump, i have a rio 600 inside the tank now which has nice waterflow, but it's noisy. i would like to scrap the stock pump and the rio.

 

[smy168]

maxijets are quiet for me but everyones sensitivity level to noise is their own. What are you leeping? I'm doing a zoa tank so I need mid to high water movement. here's some pics....

full tank

my orange gorg

zoa garden

 

[KMP]

understand on the noise level.

i'm still getting set up, no real plans now although i recenty picked up a frogspawn and would like to get a hammer or anchor coral.

 

[smy168]

staying with the stock light?