Can I add Live sand now?

[yoki32]

OK I added 30 pounds of live semi-cured rock last Wednesday the 4th in my tank. I was pretty sure I had to wait before putting in the sand but now I'm reading that most people put sand and rocks at the same time when cycling. Can I insert my sand now or will this cause trouble? I havent done the landscape yet either. I piled up the rocks but didnt bother with the look since I was planning on doing it later once the tank is completely cycled.

What u guys think?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Yes you can add sand now but don't waste your money on "live" sand. It's not worth double the price when your dry sand will be live in a few weeks. Save your money for critters you'll be buying.

FYI, make sure you rinse the sand you buy in RODI water until the water comes clear before putting it in your tank. Use a tube to dump it in to the bottom or use a plastic container to bring it to the bottom if your tank has water in it already. If not just dump and spread it.

 

[shifty51008]

Yes you can add sand now but don't waste your money on "live" sand. It's not worth double the price when your dry sand will be live in a few weeks. Save your money for critters you'll be buying.

FYI, make sure you rinse the sand you buy in RODI water until the water comes clear before putting it in your tank. Use a tube to dump it in to the bottom or use a plastic container to bring it to the bottom if your tank has water in it already. If not just dump and spread it.

+1

all the bags of live sand just consist of bacteria (and who knows how much bacteria is still alive in a sealed bag sitting on a shelf for who knows how long) you will get the same bacteria on the sand from the cycle and what comes in on LR.

 

[splix]

Do yourself a favor if it's not too late. Put your sand in right after your rock, but without water. If it's past that point, use the 2 liter bottle method. Trust me, if you just pour it in like I did, you'll have sand everywhere. You'll wait days for it to settle and then it'll be all over the rocks. You'll wipe it off then wait days for settling, repeat, etc. It sucks lol.

 

[yoki32]

Well I finally filled up my display thank with a 2.5" oolite bahamas sand bed. Nice texture to the sand. It made a mess with my water. Blurred it like crazy even though I used the pvc tube technique. My skimmer pretty much picked up all the dust. Water is clear now.

I noticed some small tiny copepods climbing up on my glass this morning. I guess the Arag-Alive! "live sand" is really live since it introduced them in my system.

Well still another 3 weeks to cycle this tank!!! :fish1:

 

[SeedlessOne]

Well I finally filled up my display thank with a 2.5" oolite bahamas sand bed. Nice texture to the sand. It made a mess with my water. Blurred it like crazy even though I used the pvc tube technique. My skimmer pretty much picked up all the dust. Water is clear now.

I noticed some small tiny copepods climbing up on my glass this morning. I guess the Arag-Alive! "live sand" is really live since it introduced them in my system.

Well still another 3 weeks to cycle this tank!!! :fish1:

Its sealed, not heated in a plastic bag. Dead sand and a waste. Sorry.

Goodluck!!!

 

[heathlindner25]

I have used "live sand" in new set-ups using fake coral inserts with no live rock ,and had a pod explosion.
I always use "live sand" and I never rinse it.

 

[JaihWill]

Live sand has been a plus for me, makes things so much easier. But just like a lot of other things in this hobby, it comes down to personal preference.

 

[ca1ore]

I noticed some small tiny copepods climbing up on my glass this morning. I guess the Arag-Alive! "live sand" is really live since it introduced them in my system.

Oh, I doubt that! Probably from the rocks don't you think

Am a big anti-ponent of 'live' sand. Have examined more than my fair share of sealed bags and never spotted anything alive. People want to waste their money, fine; big boondoggle though.

 

[heathlindner25]

I have set up many systems with live sand and coral inserts with copepods appearing

 

[davocean]

You will probably notice most experienced people on here do not buy into the live sand, and I agree, pods most likely from your rock.
If anything you may have actually slowed down or backset your cycling, and your skimmer does not pick up the dust from sand, at least not to a noticeable amount or enough to clear the water from new sand dust.

 

[SeedlessOne]

I have set up many systems with live sand and coral inserts with copepods appearing

Those copepods were not from the "live sand" but rather rock/coral

 

[yoki32]

Yeah it could be from my rocks as well...I just never noticed them before inserting my sand in. I had noticed some amphipods running around on my rocks at night though but never copepods. Anyways just happy I got both. :spin1:

 

[samchag]

+1 what seedless one said

 

[yoki32]

Well Im attaching three photos. One to show you that my skimmer picked up a gooey beige stuff....I had none of this when I cycled my rocks for two weeks. Right after inserting my sand it accumulated. I had to clean up my sump as best as i could. I should have inserted a sock. Anyways its all cleaned up now and water is clear.

Ammonia is @ 0
Nitrite are around 0.001 - 0.002
Nitrate between 1 and 2
Alkalinity: 11.2

I'm in no hurry regarding the cycle process...I do a water change every two days. My rocks used to smell alot in the first week. The odor has fainted alot.

I started noticing some white stuff growing out of my live rocks. I have no clue what it is. There are two other pictures you guys can check. I'd appreciate if someone could tell me what these white things are.

 

[skp]

Oh, I doubt that! Probably from the rocks don't you think

Am a big anti-ponent of 'live' sand. Have examined more than my fair share of sealed bags and never spotted anything alive. People want to waste their money, fine; big boondoggle though.

I always just used the live sand because I didn't want to bother rinsing. Just put the rock in, put the sand in, then put the water in gently as to not stir the sand. I never bought it for it's 'live' component.....but...
I recently setup a new system with dead rock that has been out of water in a plastic bin for over 3 years and live sand. I got diatoms and then I got pods. It was either in the sand as eggs, in the salt mix, or in the rock out of water (the rocks were still humid if that makes sense).

 

[heathlindner25]

Those copepods were not from the "live sand" but rather rock/coral

believe what you want but these are fish only systems with fake coral inserts and live sand,there was no way for them to be introduced except for the sand
I worked at Pure Reef for a few years and setup many systems.....

 

[ca1ore]

I have no idea how the copepod lifecycle works. Perhaps a few 'cysts' persist in the live sand bags, dunno. Some folks even report live copepods in their frozen foods (hmmmmn!). I just think it's far more likely that they came from the rocks. I will always view live sand as a waste of time and money. At the end of the day, it's simply my opinion.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Those are pineapple sponges and it looks like you have a few vermetid snails. Picture is still a bit blurry or my eyes are messing up :lmao:

 

[Arkayne Reefer]

I wouldn't figure pods would survive in the bagged "live sand" but you never know