Live Sand Help

[Chago09]

OK please tell me what the actual benefits are of dishing out money for the live sand???

I am not planning on doing a DSB and I have read that you can even go bare bottom. Well I don't want to go barebottom because I don't like the look although I would like to perhaps make it very thin layer of sand like half inch or something. This way i get the look of sand plus I get the buffering power. Would putting only a half inch of live sand be able to do what its supposed to do????

 

[Dholmblad]

I would go atleast an inch, if you went as small as 1/2 inch your ph would often blow "holes" in the sand and you could see the bottom of the tank.

 

[Chago09]

ok so what are the benefits from buying live sand to normal sand to crushed coral???

whats the best brand for live sand or sand

 

[drummereef]

I would save your money and do dry sand. The sand will become 'live' after some time in the tank. You won't get much if any buffering power from the sand. That's kind of a myth, imo. If you do a shallow sand bed, I'd do under an inch. 1/2" would be fine.

 

[Chago09]

drummer thats interesting because my tap water is 7.0 and I currently use Crushed Coral and my tank ph is 8.3??? is CC better for buffering??? I don't add any buffers unless my salt is buffering??? should I just stick to CC ???