Second Annual Coast to Coast Sand Trade!
 

[i]update per James request[/i]

[b][size=large]Sand trade extended: Last day to ship sand is 2/15
[/b][/size]

As many of you know, last year I put together a sand trade across the country.

Approximately 100 people participated - and apart from a few very leaky packages...:o it was a great success.

I like to think we have figured out the method that works the best - and can make this trade even more of a success!!

Here's the deal:

I have a 50 gallon oceanic tank that I will set up with a 50 lb bag of southdown. I'll put a few scoops of established sand in there with a few lbs of liverock rubble. When it is done cycling (in a few weeks) we'll start the trade.

We should plan on [SIZE=3]February 7th[/SIZE] as the day to send the sand.

Here is the method: Use thick bags (the kind you get from the LFS). Place 2 cups of sand in the bag (sand should be moist but extra water should be drained). close the bag with some air in the top and seal it tight with rubberbands. Double bag it and rubberband it again.

Place the sand inside a VCR type shipping box (post office has them for free at the location OR online at [url]www.usps.com[/url]) Then squeeze this box into a "flat rate" envelope. These envelopes will carry ANY amount of weight to anywhere in the United States for $3.85 Make a check out to me for return postage and after 1 month of stewing in the tank, you will get 2 cups of VERY diverse sand.

Who's in (again)?

:D

Is it ok to send aragonite sand that isn't sugar fine?

Also, please discourage people from sending silica sand.

It's fine to send aragonite of any grain size, crushed coral, and I'm not so sure there's a problem with silica sand. Any diatom concerns you have would be heavily diluted. I would say the experience is that most people have southdown style oolitic sand.

Sounds like a plan....Thank you for managing all of this. I can't imagine having to send out 100+ packages at the end of the 2 months.

Count me in for 2 portions (4 cups).

I'm in! Sounds good.

Mike

Im in!

3000th post . Huh. :)

Just as another side note: If you have flatworms or red bugs, PLEASE bow out and do not participate. I will be watching very carefully for them but I would hope you do too.

And if you don't know what flatworms or redbugs are I would ask you to please do some extensive research on the matter prior to sending your sand. The last trade was 100% flatworm free and I'd like to keep this one the same! Thanks!!

I have some more questions. Would you recommend that we quarrantine the new sand that we receive since there are some members here that have active ich in their tanks?

Also, how can you assure us of safety, that someone won't play a cruel joke and do something like send some wet playground sand with cat turds in it or worse poison? I'm not implying that RC members are unscrupulous, but there might be a couple of bad sea apples that might do something like that.

Maybe you could put a damsel in the tank, sort of like a canary in a coal mine.

The sand will sit for 1 month - ich should be pretty much gone with no host for a month - and any poison would effect the macrofauna populations.

That - and I'm pretty sure there's nobody on here that would hold a grudge with the entire population of reef central. If there is - they're likely to be banned anyway. How about I only allow members in good standing - ie: at least 90 days on board.

Sound safe enough?

That'll work.

I'll sticky this one for a while.

Thanks Mike!

Deal me in!!!!! I'll send red bugs, flatworms, ick, hair algae and cyano to Mike first and then send you my clean sand!!!

What is the main goal?

Just curious since I would not be permitted to participate until next season anyhow.

~R

The goal is to diversify our sand beds at a reasonable cost.

The main goal is to upset my mail carrier. ;)

Basically, if you trade sand locally you get some good diversity. The more diverse (read lots of different critters) a sandbed is, the more effective it is in doing what it's supposed to do - ie: process wastes.

By taking that local sand trade and making it coast to coast, you substantially increase the diversity. And sorry you can't participate - it's nothing personal. If you can find a few people that I know to vouch for you I'll include you. Far be it from me to cut people out that could really contribute or benefit from this.

As everyone should know, this is about sharing your diversity with everyone as well as getting more for yourself...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ostrow [/i]
[B]Deal me in!!!!! I'll send red bugs, flatworms, ick, hair algae and cyano to Mike first and then send you my clean sand!!! [/B][/QUOTE]

[i][size=1]note to self, save bag of flatworm infested sand for Joel for the January swap meet[/i][/size]

[IMG]http://hjem.get2net.dk/petermad4/music/music_an.gif[/IMG]
"And in the end, the sand you take
Is greater than the sand... you make"

[IMG]http://hjem.get2net.dk/petermad4/music/music_an.gif[/IMG]

Yeah! I've been waiting for this again! Will you PM the address to participate to me please?

Jamesurq, will you PM us the address or are you going to post it?

I am in this time. I won't be putting it directly into my display tank though. It is definitely going to go through a couple months in a quarantine tank after I get it though. There are just too many people out there that think ich is always present in peoples tanks.

I'm in. Sounds like fun.

Sounds like a great idea.

Well honestly my tank is fairly new so I wouldn't have much in the way of a contribution this year anyhow.

Good luck and I would be interested in seeing ppls reactions to the sand once received back.

~R

I'd love to participate! My tank is 18 months old and doing well. I tried to set one of these up locally for the very same reason, but everyone was worried about "stuff" getting in their tanks.

dot
Cincinnati, OH

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Saltz Creep [/i]
[B]Jamesurq, will you PM us the address or are you going to post it? [/B][/QUOTE]

Right before the ship date - I'll request that you PM me and I'll send it back. I'd post it (and I did last time) but I'm sure some of my junkmail was associated with the spybots that troll for e-mail and home addresses.. :)