sand

Its a trap

Its a trap

I too was fooled into buying live sand. Just get some fine aragonite and try to get someone with a well established tank to hook you up on a cup of their sand to seed your new stuff. Trust me.... don't waste the money.
 
so what do u recommend me doing?
a friend of mind got in on a group buy in miami and bought a 30 lb bag of dry live sand for $11 i figured if i can get a deal like that would be great.
 
I agree that live sand is a total waste of your money. Just get a good calcium based sand. Even if you don't end up with a cup of live sand to seed it with, every time you place a new rock in the tank you are seeding it. $11 for 30# isn't too bad a price though if it is calcuim based sand.
 
By the way, the sand in my tank came from clearwater beach. It was hauled all the way to Oklahoma in buckets several years ago, and brought back here with me when i moved to Florida. I never had any issues with it at all. If i were to start another tank, clearwater beach will be short a few more buckets lol.
 
lmao!!! thats funny,is that legal? if so ima do that.what salt are you useing? i was useing io cause i was getting a box of 200 gallons for $35. but the hook up is not there anymore.
 
Dunno about legalities, but a friend of mine's dad brought it to me probly 10 years ago.

I use IO. I always catch petsmart one thier free shipping and it ends up $35 per bucket, but you have to buy two at a time.
 
sweet,thatnks for all your help dugg. i will let u know how it goes for me. are you adding anything for your cal,or alk? to help the colo. alg. grow?
 
I use Randy's 3 part diy cal/alk/mag solution from his article in the RC reef chemistry forum.
 
I would check on legalities before you just go and get sand from the beach lol. The penalties may be pretty steap if it isn't legal. I'm pretty sure his dad lived on beach front property in the area.
 
You could just put a bucket in the car and play frisbee. Every time your shoes fill with sand go to the car and empty them in the bucket lol. It is beautiful white fine grain sand though.
 
Isn't sand from the beach silica sand? :)

Either way, silica sand from Home Depot / Lowes is fine as well. The buffering abilities of aragonite sand is minimal and shown to not account to much. I've used that sand in my 180.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11816586#post11816586 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jay24k
Isn't sand from the beach silica sand? :)

Either way, silica sand from Home Depot / Lowes is fine as well. The buffering abilities of aragonite sand is minimal and shown to not account to much. I've used that sand in my 180.

ditto here,

after seeing his tank, my doubts went away, and no issues in over a year in our 180! i used the quickcrete brand at Lowes.
 
The silica sand at lowes or HD is just fine IMO, but the beach sand has lots of small shells and shark teeth and such that make it look more natural.
 
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