Any DRCers interested in joining the RAF sand trade? http://www.reefaquariumforum.com/raf-sand-trade-t4625.html
I’d be i for that – now to create yet another user id for yet another forum :GEEK:
Whut if someone has undesirable organisms in their sand? Known or unknown? Is there a sanitary test, or level of purity standard to participate in a Substrate Trading Decoupage. AKA an STD trading event?
Although the prospects of collecting benificial biodiversity seem rewarding.
I would hate to get something harmful or pestulent I don’t want!
It seems to me one would have to have a firm conviction they have only benign or benificial critters, and plants in their sand systems before doing the trade.
ken, the results of the same basic concern from reef aquarium forum:
well, my wife, who has no real knowledge of sw tanks, posed this interesting question. What if someone has an undetected disease or predator eggs in their sand? doesn't it spread to everyone? any answers?Thats a great question moliken and im glad you brought it up :good: First let me start with what this is all about.
Anyone that runs a sand bed of any type(SSB, DSB,remote ect…) will benefit from a sand trade. As we run our tanks some animals/organisms will thrive, and others will be out competed and die off. The longer our systems run the more the biodiversity will drop. By exchanging and mixing the sand we have and then redistributing it again we repopulate the fauna that we lost or never had in the first place.
Now to the meat of the question.
What if someone has an undetected disease or predator eggs in their sand? doesn't it spread to everyone? any answers?Most predators, diseases and parasites are very specific on what they feed or attack. By mixing everything at one time and allowing the sand to be in a tank all by its self without corals, fish or anything else like that for 8 to 12 weeks, any predators, diseases or parasites of fish or corals will have run out their life cycle and will not be an issue. There is a chance that a predator, disease or parasite of something that lives in the sand bed can be introduced into your tank but IMO it’s minimal and i cant think of anything that i would be worried about.
Redbugs, AEFW, Monti nudies, Ich or anything else like that will not live for 8 to 12 weeks without a host. If this is a big concern for people then we can bump up the cook time to 16 weeks but IMO its not necessary.
Just to expand on Ken and molikens question.
This really depends on what organisms your worried about introducing and what their life cycle is. Fish and coral predators and parasites will not survive 8 to 12 weeks without a host, they will simply die off. The only potential predators, parasites or disease that will make it 8 to 12 weeks in nothing but sand will be something that only feeds/attacks sand bed fauna. Has anyone ever heard of a sand bed parasite or disease? I dont think ive ever heard of anything like that. Im sure there are things out there that fit the bill but ive never heard of a problem like that.
Think of the 8 to 12 weeks the sand is mixing as a QT for everyone involved.
Im a big proponent of QTing everything you put in your tank and IMO doing this properly the risk is extremely low. You are much more likely to introduce something bad to your tank by adding a fish or coral even if you QT your fish or coral for 2 or 4 weeks.
No more takers on the sand trade? Its basically free ???
I might jump in Chris, I’ll take a little from each of my 4 sand bottom tanks. I have had monti eating nudis before and I would hate to give them to anyone.
What about flat worms? How long can they live?
Without a host none of these predators will make it through this. This is why you allow it to sit for so long (along with allowing the bugs to grow).
The more people that join in the better it is. We already have people from Washington State, California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, so jump on and tell your reefer friends while your at it PBJ!.
Chris_Barb,
This would be a great topic of conversation for our meeting Monday night. Any chance you’d be able to attend to discuss and help alleviate any concerns and explain the benefits?
Any maybe pick up my cup of sand?
I would like to do this. Where and when should we send our sand? What is the best way to package it?
Ill let you know on the meeting
I dont want to start this right away. I hoping people will tell their friends and we can get a good group together so im going to get it a few weeks.
I may do the sand myself depending on where the majority of the people are from. Once we figure out where its going to be done we can nail down the shipping part but it will work something like this.
If you are local to where its being done and can drop the sand off and pick it up then its basically free, A few georges might help offset salt, water, electric or what ever else but we will work that out later. If your not local then you can get a small bubble wrap envelope from the post office, double bag the sand (no zip lock bags for the sand) stick it in the envelope along will a $5 bill and an index card with your screen name, real name and return address and mail it regular snail mail.
[quote=“Chris_Barb, post:11, topic:1664”]
(no zip lock bags for the sand)[/quote]
Ok I am going to assume it’s an oxygen thing - right?
Its a leak thing ;D
So no more interest in this? I want to get this started in the next two weeks and i thought it would be nice to have locals join in because it basically free for locals.
All i ask is that everyone post once in the above linked thread so i have all info in one place. I dont want to have to track PMs and such all over the place is all
Skinz just sweetened the deal up here. He just offered to add a bag of his awesome plating coralline algae to be mixed into the sand mix. Still on the fence? check out this photo of the coralline algae you will get with this
http://www.reefaquariumforum.com/raf-sand-trade-t4625-30.html#p41799
Going to kick this off in about a week, dont miss out. Reed Mariculture is now sponsoring the trade PBJ!
ill see if any guys from hrrc will wanna try it, see if i can get a party started. BoNg
Woo!
It looks like the pot has just gotten sweeter YahoO
I cant give all the details just yet because everything hasent been worked out but i just got an e-mail from a collector that said they would sent 10 pounds of live sand right from the ocean
When everything is all worked out ill give you more details
Damn Chris - looks like this is really progressing along - should be really cool when it’s all said and done.