Budget substrate

J

jmccown

Active member
OK guys, no one bought my tank I had for sale, the 135 gallon unit. So, I am going to keep it and set it up as a FOWLR tank. For starters, this is going to be a budget project. I need your ideas and input on what to use as a substrate. I was leaning towards a combination of play sand and crushed coral or even just play sand (sterilized of course). This is not something that is going to happen overnight, mainly because the wife won't turn me loose with any $$ and the other reason is that I am going to modify the stand, basically build an all new one and build a canopy as well to match. I am going to raise the stand up to 36" so that the tank will be up closer near eye level. I hate looking down to look at a display, so I am raising it up. I have another tank that is built into my wall that is directly eye level and it is really pleasing to look at. Anyhow, with all my other tanks I can't afford to fill a 6 foot tank with live sand, maybe get 1 bag for starters is a thought to seed the others. Do any of you guys have any recommendations as to what a good substrate may be...budget minded.

Jason
 
I don't know about your substrate, but I have heard that play sand is good, and the idea of a bag of live sand mixed with it would be good. I just wanted to comment on you setting your tank up to 36", my stand is homemade with a 120gal tall on it, it is 36" tall and I am so glad. It is eye level and tall enough to have a taller skimmer in the sump. When I need to work in the tank, I have a step ladder I use and it does great. You will really be gald you raised it.
 
The Old Castle/Down South sand they have at Wal Mart would be the route to go. It's pretty cheap and then just seed the sand with a cup of sand from another tank. Don't bother with buying live sand.
 
The playsand you need is Old Castle or Yardright. Walmart had some this spring. It's a Caribbean aragonite. Most playsand contain all kinds of nasties that you don't want in your tank.

The bagged live sand is just sand with bacteria. The bacteria will develop during the cycle. You should just add a cup of sand from an established tank. That will add the critters you need
 
So 1 cup of sand would be enough to seed a tank of this size? I just want a really shallow sand bed, maybe 100 lbs of sand for about a 1 inch SB. I checked my local Wal mart and they didn't have the Old Castle or Yardright. Do any of you guys know of a Wal Mart that currently has this brand? My wal mart carried it early in the spring, but doesn't have it any longer.
 
Yeah one cup would seed a tank that size. Walmart in Nitro has a whole pallet full. I just drove up there and saw it for myself. $2.44 a bag.
 
I just need to go ahead and get 5-6 bags and put it back, even though I dont' need that much. We might not have it at our dispose next year.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7721645#post7721645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmccown
I just need to go ahead and get 5-6 bags and put it back, even though I dont' need that much. We might not have it at our dispose next year.
Click to expand...
y do you say that?
 
Okay now I'm throughly confused as to if the Old Castle can be used or not. I found this article about it.

Sand study

So what's your guys take on it? Yes it's okay to use. No it's not okay to use?
 
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I don't know i really would not trust any of that stuff every bag could be different even if they are made in the same factory.

Why risk 100's of $ in costs and live stock because of somthing as cheep as sand!
 
Ahh ha! I found a thread in the filtration forum that will give us the answer. If you put the sand in Vinegar and it disolves totally then it's Calcium sand like the sand sold as aquarium sand. If it doesn't disolve it's silica based sand. As soon as I get off work I will have a bag and be testing it!
 
I read about this for 3 weeks befor setting up my tank i think i looked over 40 thread and some people have good results and others lose everything.

That test is not entirly accurate! People have mixed results.


What you have to remember is when this stuff is prepaired they are not thinking about some one using it for an aquarium and you don't know what it has been treated with or where it has been sitting!
 
Okay did some more research and it turns out there are TWO types of YardRight play sand. There is what they have at Walmart and then they have a second one that Tropical Play sand which is Carribbean sand which is sterilized at high temps before being bagged.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7730610#post7730610 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LtPiper
Okay did some more research and it turns out there are TWO types of YardRight play sand. There is what they have at Walmart and then they have a second one that Tropical Play sand which is Carribbean sand which is sterilized at high temps before being bagged.
Click to expand...
What you're looking for should say this on the front
Tropical
Play Sand
Soft Textured*Sterilized*Silica Free
From the Caribbean
Old Castle Products
From a bag I have in the basement.

This sand is 100% argonite, passes the vinegar test etc. etc. I have some mixed with Carribsea and there is no difference in the two.
Old Castle/Yardright makes a lot of different products. The "Tropical" Play sand was always the argonite/oolitic version.
fwiw I've read their source for Caribbean sand dried up awhile back. The bag I have is about 3 years old.
 
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