Live Sand vs Dead and

[Wsantos]

Im about to purchase 190lbs. of Ocean Direct Live Oolite sand. Can I do half live and half..................??? Or does it have to be all live sand? I have cured rock already.

 

[Cymonous]

Live sand is overrated. You can do half live and half non-live sand or just go all non-live. The sand will eventually become live on its own.

 

[gone fishin]

I agree, I believe live sand is a marketing gimmick. I would save yourself a few dollars and just go with dry sand. As stated above it will become live as the tank cycles and matures. just my 2 cents

 

[vaporized]

You can do half and half. The sand that isn't live will become live sand very quickly.

 

[Jpruitt546]

Half and half is fine. I always spend the extra on good live rock. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jdnidle]

I would just state that whatever dry sand you use, make sure it has been rinsed or is clean., meaning you are not going out to your kids play sand area and just grabbing it and throwing it into your tank.

 

[leveldrummer]

use dry dead sand, and rinse it, the live rock will populate the sand just fine, save your money.

 

[Fizz71]

Our concept of "live sand" and bagged sand vendor's concept of "live sand" are two different things. The stuff we want living in our sand will not survive in the bag.

IMO get 0 bags of live sand and all dry aragonite (or better). Toss some live rock on it and eventually you have live sand. You can also ask a local reefer with a good clean tank to scoop out a cup of sand from their sand bed to help seed yours.

 

[longdangler]

our concept of "live sand" and bagged sand vendor's concept of "live sand" are two different things. The stuff we want living in our sand will not survive in the bag.

Imo get 0 bags of live sand and all dry aragonite (or better). Toss some live rock on it and eventually you have live sand. You can also ask a local reefer with a good clean tank to scoop out a cup of sand from their sand bed to help seed yours.

+1

 

[Rembee]

I agree with Fizz71, just buy all aragonite sand like Caribsea aragonite. You can then seed it with live rock. You can also help it along with a Detririvores/Starter Kit or a MicroVert Starter Culture from Inland Aquatics. I bought one of each from Inland Aquatics after I cycled my tank over a year ago and I still have all kinds of neat lil critters in my sand bed and refugium. I also started with all dry rock from BRS and a few pieces of live rock from my LFS. These kits seeded my base rock also.

Hope this helps,
Happy Reefing