Southdown or Other Agg for 150 reef??

[sesegal99]

I hear that sand like southdown mats aand isn't good for a DSB ??? Is this true?? I like the look of Southdown and have it avail at my local store....I could save alot of $$$ but don't want maintenance.....or future problems....... any thoughts would be helpful!!!!!

[sesegal99]

Anyone????

[fsa]

I'm not sure what you mean by "mats"? Overgrown by algae or chemically sticks together? Anyway, I haven't heard that. Most people on this forum are all for Southdown sand for a DSB. If you want a dsb for cheap, then the Southdown is probably the way to go. (I don't have SD out here where I live and have never used it, but I would if I could have gotten it).

Use of detritivore kits (worms, snails, etc that live in the sand) should keep it from "matting", I think. I do know that if you use an aragonite based small gravel, that the gravel would stick/clump together if Kalk wasn't used properly. You would have to go in and physically crush the pieces that stuck/clumped together. The same might could happen to the finer sand. I don't know, but possible, I guess.

Anyway, IMO, I would go for it. Good Luck.

regards, fsa