Suitable Gravel?

[yijing55]

Could anyone please enlighten me whether this type of gravel is ok for sand bed?

Thanks.

[Achilles Tang]

What's that? Talcum powder? Heroin? Flour? joking!

Seriously... you have to describe it a bit better or have a close up of the sand grains if you want advice/faster response.

[yijing55]

Its very fine, powder like.

Bought from LFS, LFS also not sure if its powdered coral chips.

Sorry, no sharp cam to take nice close up.

But when touch the gravel, feels a bit like very fine sugar.

Anyone has seen or used this type of gravel for sandbed before?

Thanks.

[Achilles Tang]

It looks super fine to me. But its definitely sand right?

[SharkBait]

really looks like flour, you better make sure its not silicate based

[yijing55]

Well, i tasted before, taste like sand.

Got one time take wrongly and tried using it to mix sea water.

But no matter how i stir also wun dissolve so i thought the salt something wrong so went to taste....only to realise its the gravel....

How to know if silicate based or not?

Got any simple ways to find out?

Thanks.

[Achilles Tang]

really looks like flour, you better make sure its not silicate based

Well, silicate sand is ok to use... but you may have to deal with perpetual diatom blooms?

[yijing55]

That means the diatoms will forever be there even with tank maturity?

[Achilles Tang]

Not too sure.. but as long as there is a silica source (diatom's main food)... they will be there!

[SharkBait]

Best bet is not to use it at all.unless you like the planted tank look

[yazid]

IMO, If you ask Dr Ron, I think he will say go ahead and use it for DSB.

[blacknails]

But it's so fine.. wouldn't it like cloud the water instead of settling down?

[yijing55]

IMO, If you ask Dr Ron, I think he will say go ahead and use it for DSB.

Erm, who's Dr Ron?

[yijing55]

But it's so fine.. wouldn't it like cloud the water instead of settling down?

They do settle down and get compact.

But if you got stir, can easily create sand storm.

[yijing55]

Any more advice or opinions from anyone?

Actually i have been using this gravel for my sandbed for quite a few months until recently i transfer everything to fibretank in order to change stand.

Prior to transfer, fishes ok, corals ok, got nitrifying (dunno correct spelling anot).

But i dunno if its the cause of my diatom problem.

Can anyone kindly tell me how do i know if its silicate sand?

And also where can i get more white coral sand?

The coral sand i seen so far quite yellowish.

Thanks.

[MalaysiaBoleh]

Erm, who's Dr Ron?

Dr Ron is a very intelligent professor. He spent years advocating the use of DSB, telling everyone that it works, then only to have his marine tank crash because his dsb failed after several years. Dun play play!

[FuEl]

Erm...definitely looks like sand you can get on the beach.