Advice on sand for a RDSB (Upstate NY please read!!)

Hello everyone, I'm trying to work out a RDSB (remote deep sand bucket) for a 65 gallon reef tank that I hope to be able to setup in the next couple weeks while I'm on break from school. I've done a lot of research on these beds but I'd like to hear everyones opinion on the ideal way to set up my RDSB, and in particular, what sand to use in my bucket.

In short, heres what I'd like to have. I would like a remote container of sand who's sole purpose is just to remove nitrates in an anaerobic environment. This sand bed will be kept dark and there will be no infauna of any kind living in it. Hopefully there will be little or no maintenance to be preformed on the sand bed itself.

I'm imagining a large but sturdy and inexpensive Rubbermaid type container with maybe 200 lbs of sand for a depth of at least 12 inches. A bulkhead on each side of the container near the top, and water will run over the top of the sand bed at about a 2" or 3" depth. The planned flow rate is just fast enough to keep detritus from settling and no faster.

The $100,000 question I have is, "What kind of sand should I use?"!!

I have a friend who is more experienced then myself, he has been running a RDSB on his 55 for 18 months and he basically used cheap silica play sand from the local Mega-Lo-Mart. He is strongly encouraging me to use play sand in my RDSB as its so inexpensive.

After a lot of reading and research, I believe I am opposed to using silica play sand in my aquarium. I am concerned it may harm the gills of any sand loving fish if it gets into the display tank. There are many other widely talked about dangers of using silica sand in reef aquariums as well so I'd like to avoid it if possible.

However, I am not a rich man. I don't see how I can afford to setup my RDSB using aragonite at even $1 to $2 per pound. Does anyone know of a lower cost solution. Anyone in Upstate New York specifically know of a local source?

I have heard tale of very inexpensive aragonite play sand, sold under a couple names such as Southdown, Yardright and/or Old Castle play sand. At one time, the savvy reef keeper could find high quality, 100% aragonite sand at their local building supply super store for around $5 for a 50 pound bag!! Does anyone know if this sand still exists online or local to the Upstate New York area?

Could someone please recommend a reasonably priced sand or blend of sands to load my RDSB!! Other questions would be, where in my system should my bucket go? Before the sump, after, separate, etc. How can I keep "bucket sand" from entering the main display tank?

The bucket will be attached to my soon to be started 65 gallon reef-ready (drilled) tank. I have a sump with 100 micron poly filter socks, a Reef Octopus Xtreme 200 skimmer, a small chemical reactor, and I'm planing on a small fuge as well, with some rock, rubble and Chaetomorpha. I looking to buy about 40 lbs of cured Timora rock from Premium Aquatics for the display tank, I have not decided on sand for my display tank as yet. The display tank will be circulated by two Koralia #3's. Hopefully the remote sand bucket will be just to remove nitrates, at least, thats the plan.

I'd appreciate any other suggestions or advice on how I should up my bucket!! This is pretty much my last consideration before I can start to assemble my aquarium. Thanks in advance!!

RCF

 

Use play sand.

If a fish gets in there, use a net and throw it back in the tank.

You want fairly slow flow in the RDSB so the sand isn't going to make it back to the tank.

 

Thank you for the reply, inwall75. Do you really feel that the play sand is safe enough? Any particular type of play sand?

 

I don't know the various brands and which are cleaner.

WEAR A MASK WHEN POURING THE SAND INTO THE RINSING CONTAINER....SILICOSIS IS SERIOUS. I used to use sandblasting sand but I had a friend who would give it to me for free.

 

: : : : Indo-Pacific Sea Farms : : : :

you can use this site to stock your sand

 

Thank you for the reply, reef guru!! I followed the link, but I don't see sand specifically for sale. I do see sand activators and detritivores but I'm hoping not to have to stock any "critters" in this kind of sand bed. Does Indo-Pacific Sea Farms offer a good but inexpensive sand to use in my sand bucket? I appreciate the help!!

 

the finer the better for the rdsb. aragonite will clump over time. my ? to you, wouldnt a fuge work better in the long run?

 

I'm not sure, do you think so?

I was planning to have a small fuge in addition to the RDSB as a way to grow some 'pods, etc. I was also planning to have a clump of Cheatomorpha in there as well. Would a fuge remove as many nitrates as a RDSB? How do I accomplish this? Do I basically go with a larger fuge and do I set up a "true" deep sand bed in the fuge, complete with infauna and all?

 

im looking at the longterm of things here. which one is less of a headache, more beneficial, and so on. both are meant to produce the same results. im partial to a fuge so i cant answer your ? without a biases opinion. but if your wanting a fuge there are many forums on here to set you up correctly. my fuge is a swamp of alot of different types of macro algae not to name the micro critters with a dsb.

 

I'm not opposed to a fuge and I will do a lot more research on them in the forums here. I'm just trying to understand how even a relatively big fuge is going to pull the same amount of nitrates as a huge bucket of sand.

So how about the type of sand if I try the RDSB? You said aragonite will clump over time, I'm still not 100% confident on the silica play sand so whats left?