Live sand, yes or no? Sand before or after cycling?

[roper512]

Should I purchase Live Sand? Or just use regular caribsea sand?

Should live sand be added with live rock to cycle? Or should live rock just be used to cycle on eggcrate allowing easy access to vaccum up detritus and undesireables?

After cycling should I add base sand or live sand? Is it okay to add live sand after live rock has been used to cycle?


Thanks

 

[Blown 346]

I wouldnt buy the livesand as you are only buying bacteria in a bag. I would buy normal base sand.
The sand can be added with the rock, it is better to add the sand after the rock is already in the tank, the sand will help stabilize the rock.
The base sand you add at first will become livefrom te rock, it would be pointless to spend all that money on livesand when you wil have it eventually.

 

[roper512]

Gotcha... Yeah I was thinking that if I put the live rock in the tank on lets say eggcrate suspended higher up via PVC I could vaccum out the crud that falls out of the rocks much easier..

I will just do that and let the tank cycle, then just take out the rocks momentarily, put in the sand, and then put the rocks back in.. Then give the tank some more time for the live rock to feed the sand and for parameters to level, then I'll pop in a cleanup crew.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6509750#post6509750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Blown 346
I wouldnt buy the livesand as you are only buying bacteria in a bag. I would buy normal base sand.
The sand can be added with the rock, it is better to add the sand after the rock is already in the tank, the sand will help stabilize the rock.
The base sand you add at first will become livefrom te rock, it would be pointless to spend all that money on livesand when you wil have it eventually.