starting up my 46 bow

[li_newb]

Hello all,

I have a few questions for you guys, I am up to the point in starting that I am looking around at rock and sand substrate.

First question is aragonite. is it considered sand if you get the fine stuff? and will a goby do well in aragonite or do i need sand.

second. base rock. where do i get some? i went to aqua hut the other day and all i saw was man made dry rock and not much live rock except in the coral tanks. i think i want to have more dead than live rock and let it just grow.

edit: oh i forgot. does anyone still try to do the home depot crushed limestone for substrate or is that a no no

 

[quagmire]

CaribSea Aragamax Select or Fiji pink dry sand makes a good bed for display tanks in my opinion. They are both crushed aragonite as for as i know as is most sand sold for reef systems. They are farely uniform in size, fine enough for gobies to sift and heavy enough not to blow away.
There is some decent dry rock available online if you can't find what you need locally. Our club also had some previously owned dry rock last time i checked. It will need some curing though. Check with qy7400 for availability if you want to go that route.

 

[li_newb]

Would i have to be a dued member to check in for the club owned rock? and so a finer aragonite is good? ok.

the dry rock i have found online is quite pricey. what should i be looking to pay for dry versus live. and would you suggest buying like rock from a lfs if i dont know how to identify pests. (to seed the dry)

 

[quagmire]

You will have to check with qy7400 or Vinny Kreyling about the rock. Thought you were a new member. Worth joining if you're not.
I don't know what you are comparing "finer sand" to, so it's hard for me to give you an answer. I'm suggesting a grain about the size of the sand that you find on the south shore of long island, no bigger. The two sands that i mentioned above will work fine. There are other brands as well that are all similar.
Live rock is going to cost 5-10 $ per pound or more depending on where it was harvested from. It can get pricey whether you buy it online or local fish store. It's wet and heavy. No matter where you get live rock there is always the chance of an unwanted hitchhicker. I've seen dry rock going for $1.50 per pound online in the past. I suggest looking at bulk reef supply or marco rocks for cured dry rock. If you watch the local reef club boards you can often find people selling live or dry for 1-3 $ per pound. Used dry rock will have to go through a curing phase to flush the dead organic matter out. That can add 1-3 months to your plans before you start to cycle the rock.
There are some good suggestions about rock and cycling in the thread below.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2270932