Sand from Marco Rocks

Bump for me

I'm on the fence with ordering Sand & Rock from Marco soon as well.
I plan on doing a 4" DSB so it looks like I may need 80 pounds in my 30" 29 gal. Even his course sand look very fine.
Does anyone have the course stuff from him and find it still gets blown around by an askew power head or when it's physically disturbed a bit?

 

I used the coarse in my mantis tank, check my very outdated link in my sig for some pictures. Its plenty fine sand. Out of the 6 months I have had my mantis did she dig it up enough to make a mess and that was when she for whatever reason dug up like 1/4 of the tank. Once it settles unless you have some crazy extreme turnover rate it will just fine.

 

I have their sand in my 150 and I must say, it looks good, but moves around like a sandstorm at any slight disturbance. If you're even slightly considering coral on the sand, you can hang that idea up. My acans are constantly covered in sand. More often than not, my filter socks become clogged with sand rather than detritus. It would be highly unlikely that I would purchase from them in the future.

 

really? With the coarse? Well yeah I guess that is right I did use a little caribsea I had mixed in, I forgot to add that.

 

I just put it in my tank about 2 weeks ago, and while i don't find it to blow around nearly as bad as nvizn, it does blow around when physically disturbed and I rinsed the heck out of it. I got the coarse and it looks great, but there is a TON of fine particulate in it. IDK though, I have my scans and clams in the SB and I'm not having an issue with them getting covered unless you're moving anything around, then everything will get covered.

Edit, its only been a few weeks, so maybe it will settle down with a little time.

 

No. When I purchased sand from Marco, coarse wasn't available. Only what they're calling their "fine" now.

 

thanks for the input guys.
maybe I'll try and pick up the bulk of it in cheap stuff locally at the big box type stores and then get a bag of live sand at the LFS

 

UH OH, getting a little worried. Just got the 40lb fine last week and I'm a bit concerned. I am planning on starting totally dry rock/dry sand with Dr. Tim's one and only. I see people saying to add coarser sand with the fine Marco. Glad I read this

 

I really like my sand ... when it comes to looks. But, I would not get the fine again. It stirs up to easily. However I did not rinse it. THIS IS NOT A STEP TO SKIP YOU WILL INSTANTLY REGRET NOT DOING IT!!! that just how I felt about rinsing. Rinse your sand, and get course. After you get the course tell me how it is because im thinking about adding 40lbs Also, I have a lot of flow and not a real deep tank(limited height to put mp 40's), so consider that factor heavily when determining substrate. just my thoughts about it

 

I've had Marco's fine sand for approximately 15-16 months in the 150. Rinsing doesn't do anything but remove the dust particles. As long as it's a top layer of sand, it'll always stir up a sand storm. If you are going to use it, layer a coarser sand on top of Marco's. I have an extra 40 lbs. that I've had since setting up the 150, that I've refused to use. I setup the 75 since, and now a 125. I will not use it.