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Hello everyone.
Here is the link to the page that gives directions to the Oolitic sand. You may be surprised to learn that the same freeway exit leads to Seabase to the south.
http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/utahgeo/rockmineral/collecting/oolitic.htm"> color=#800080http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/utahgeo/rockmineral/collecting/oolitic.htm
Contrary to the directions there is no stop sign at the intersection. The intersction where the stop sign is supposed to be is just before the point of the mountain. A short distance after turning left (west), look on the left for a low rise where you might see a plywood sheet cut in the shape of Utah state. It's used for target practice so there is a lot of copper and lead in that spot! Go up over the top to the right and back toward some telephone poles lying on the ground. There is a depression where I have been collecting much cleaner sand than out front.
Wash the sand to remove sticks and dust then put it in your tank about an inch on the bottom with another one to two inches of CaribSea special grade Reef sand with a little live sand for innoculation.
If your tank is already set up, that�s no problem. If you spread a thin layer over the top of existing substrate, it will sift down to the bottom as the sand is disturbed by the benthic organisms. Do this three times and you will have a good anoxic layer of Oolitic sand. This allows you to use some of your existing DSB (Deep Sand Bed) to start another tank or to give to someone else to start up their tank.
I dislike how a DSB takes up water space and looking at three or more inches of substrate against the glass is also a wasted view unless you like watching worms and various "�pods". This fine sized Oolitic sand allows a shallower sand bed because of it�s increased amount of surface area per volume of sand. This is one reason why I like RDP Refugia sumps. I usually keep a DSB in the sump and a shallower bed in the main tank
Last night at the meeting I was asked how to deal with a plenum and this Oolitic sand. The answer is to discard the plenum before adding Oolitic. I used plenums for about four years. After removal about four years ago, I could see no deterioration in tank health.
Another question was a concern about packing. The sand is not at all dense and impenetrable to small organisms as it is to our fingers. I have been using Oolitic sand for years and it�s cool to see the tiny worm trails all through it.
About six months ago I helped my brother set up a tank. Last night at the meeting he asked me what the tiny red things were that he saw in the sand. He described them as tiny red plant roots taking irregular paths all through the sand! This is where a magnifying glass opens up a new world to you and your family and the roots become living creatures!
Hope this helps,
Mark
P.S. Here a tip when moving live rock: Keep it submerged when moving from one tank to another. Or if you cannot move it in a small bucket of water from one tank to another, move it as quickly as possible and before setting it in place in the new tank, turn it all around and shake it good. This allows most air to escape thereby reducing death of the organisms living within the large and small cavities and pores in the rock.
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