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Re: Sand For Substrate.



Walter wrote:
 
> Does anyone out there use fine sand (silica) for substrate? If so, please
> tell me about your setup. Any additatives to the sand? Depth? Type of
> plants, etc.? Did you encounter any difficulties with anaerobic activity?
> Thanks.

I've used it, off and on, for years. I have it as part of the mix (with
peat, clay balls and coarser gravel)in my 55G that grows plants as
explosively as I can stand, with 80W (Daylight and Schedule 50) and no
CO2. I used 30 mesh sand-blasting sand from Silica Resources, Inc. as I
recall. No deliberate circulation in the substrate, but it is not extra
deep, either.

My favorite is to use it with an UGF. I place fiberglass woven mat over
the UGF plates so it can't run through. 

Alternatively, I have fabricated a tubular UGF system, like they sold
years ago in green plastic, but used CPVC 1/2" pipe for the tubes. Works
great with pure sand substrate. Plants seem to love it, and catfish
adore it. Fine holes drilled underneath about 45 degrees from the
vertical seem to move water without getting sand in the tubes.

It seems to work best for me with MTS or burrowing cats like banjos to
keep it from compacting. I have both in a 20G Long that has done quite
well for the few rooted plants I have put in there. I wanted smaller
plants, but the veggie eaters I had in it ate all of them. :-( Big
*Echinodorus* reproduce nicely, tho.

I should point out that my tanks are smaller, and I don't value the
stability that George Booth demands from his tanks. I tear mine down to
change them around every 4 or 5 years, whether they really need it or
not. :^)

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntley1 at home dot com
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