LIVE SAND

[Zayetsfoot]

ok, here is the deal.

I called flying fish, also checked marine depot as well as a few other sites. They want to charge me almost $400 for 75 pounds of live sand. I understand that a lot of that is the shipping charges.


My LFS has some bags of live sand that would run me a little over $100 for 80 pounds. The owner said he runs it in his tank and it has worked for his other customers as well. It is the sand that is in the heavy plastic bags with water in it.

I know the Quality of the online sand is most likely better because it has not been out of the water as long as the stuff at the LFS.

What does everyone here think?

I have read a lot about the Southdown (sp?) that people are using. This live sand from the LFS must be just as good or better right?

Thanks!
Jason

[ssgibby]

Your best bet is to get some south down, and trade a cup or two of live sand with a friend that has an established aquarium.... OR just get 1 bag of live and the rest southdown.

[Pineapple House]

Southdown is a calcium carbonate based play sand, which does exelent in aquariums, and used as a substiture for live sand. This sand isn't live, but can become live if live sand, or live rock is added on top of it.

I would recommend getting a good 130lbs of live sand, or however much it takes to get a 3" sand bed, and add it to the bottom of the tank. Many people say you shouldn't wash it, as you will want the smaller sized particles. If you don't wash it, just note your aquarium is going to be quite cloudy for a while.

I would then add a 1" layer of live sand over the southdown sand. You would have exelent results having a 4-5" DSB :)

PH =)

[Zayetsfoot]

PH

I was only going to go with 1 inch or less sand because of what the Eco Sysytem web site said. My DSB will be below my tank.

Thanks again guys for the help. Everyone here has saved me quite a bit of money so far.

Jason

[phistio]

jason...i would just buy the "carrib-sea" type stuff your LFS has...it's not really "live" sand (at least not yet...it was live) but it has plenty of bacteria to promote rapid colonization of fauna and infauna.

and then ask your LFS, or someone in your area with a reef for a few cups of their sand...you'll gladly return it once your sand bed has matured some. :)

[Zack]

yes that is a great idea, my reef club has a sand swap which is also good for diversity

[sebae0]

hey jason if you really want to get southdown i know of a place in kalamazzo that has it called reeftopia or reeffanatic cant remeber now. its actually in a town called portage on the west side of the state. i tried to find southdown locally in michigan at the home depots but none have it. this place sells it for 9.99 a bag 40lbs. look it up on the web.

[Zayetsfoot]

ok i now have 80 lbs of the "carrib-sea" sand. This should get me around an inch deep sand bed for my 135. With the 150 lbs of live rock I am sure that sand will become live soon enough.

sebae0....where in michigan do you live?

Jason

[ssgibby]

the place portage is the reef shop. Thats where I got my SD 1000lbs
http://www.thereefshop.com