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
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