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Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:59 pm
by xrayjeeper83
You can get pool filter sand from any pool store(though dont know how many of those you have in canada lol)
Thats what im going to go do for my next tank
Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:37 pm
by JRC3
^
A place that sells pools and hot tubs will have it. I've also heard of people ordering it from mom and pop hardware stores.
Good luck.
*edit*
I didn't see that this started a second page.
Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:07 am
by RTR
FYI, I would bet that my tanks have better and more flow than yours for all fish which like such, as I seriously over-filter.
As has already been said, and is beyond dispute, MTS cannot and will not dig into anoxic areas. Surface flow over the sand bed is good, but penetration to the depths is purely diffusion in sand. Sand does require routine upkeep. In SW DSB can be operated successfully, but unmaintained sand >1" deep is a time bomb.in FW or BW.
Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 12:10 pm
by Pufferpunk
I keep DSB in my 3 SW tanks. You should see all the micro-creatures in there, turning it over! No such creatures in FW, I'm afraid & the MTS only work on the top 1".
Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:11 pm
by ramcharger1979
If left untouched how long would it take for the toxic gases to hurt your fish?
Re: Sand or Gravel?
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:20 am
by RTR
That is highly variable. The big hazard is that once it goes anoxic, You cannot clean it with anything live in the tank. It is a high risk situation which is never worth the risk.
DSBs are a radically different thing they do work to denitrify and generate a huge variety of generally beneficial critters, ditto plenum tanks w/less sand depth than a DSB. Properly set plenums can work in FW and BW also, but DSB are best SW only.
Shallow sand beds, with upkeep, are fine.