How a marine aquarium is created- Part 9: Substrate - sand - comes into the aquarium. Which is the right one?

12.08.2018

The substrate has an enormous influence on the aquarium. This concerns the grain size of the sand, the layer height, but also the sand itself. We strongly advocate natural substrate here.

Fine Sand, Living Sand, White Sand, or normal Coral Sand? ... yes, that is the question here.

Here you can see the installation of the substrate for our 400 litre mini-reef.

We have consciously decided to use natural substrate and thus clearly against the so-called white sand types also offered in the trade. These are usually offered with nice-sounding names from some island or other.  They are not artificial, as they are also mined, but anyone who has ever had the material in their fingers and looks at their fingers ......

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the most widespread compounds, especially in the form of sedimentary rocks. Calcium carbonate occurs mainly in the form of calcite and aragonite. Calcium carbonate is the main component of sedimentary limestone and metamorphic marble.

It is important to remember:

When phosphate combines with calcium carbonate in seawater, calcium phosphate is formed on the surface, which is hardly soluble. For this reason alone, the choice was clear: a natural sand should be used. Of course, it has to be washed so that no residues get into the pool. As a rule, 3 glasses of water are sufficient.

As you can see in the video, we first had pure fine sand, but in the meantime, due to drifting of the sand, we have introduced the lowest possible humidity on the right side of the aquarium.

In summary, the brand itself does not matter, of course. It should just be natural substrate.

Summarising the brand itself, of course, doesn't matter.

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