Novice question indeed!!!

[daniella3d]

Don't use silica sand unless you want to have some major algae bloom! A lot of bad algae don't need much trace of this stuff to bloom. Also it is VERY VERY abrasive! I had some in my freshwater tank and just the fact that my frontosas were digging it near the glass was enough to scratch it all over. It was totaly ruined at the bottom because of that. This sand is very hard and will scratch the tank no doubt.

Use only good marine salt and if you use dead sand and dead rock, it will be best to put some live rock with it and it will take much longer that way to cycle and be fully cycled.

If you have a 60g saltwater tank then get some liverock from there and some sand to seed the new aquarium.

Originally Posted by Strickland_673

So, my freshwater tank has crashed, complete loss. I have no clue why.

now i have a 25g tank thats just sitting there, and i'm pretty sure it screamed "PUT SALT IN ME" yesterday, well thats what I told the girlfriend anyways.

But i have a question about sand.

Will any sand become "live" sand if you seed the tank with live rock. i have a bunch of dry base rock because my 60g saltwater had a blowout a year ago.

So can I use any sand? silica sand?
or does it have to be aragonite? can that be dry?