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Old 11-10-2011, 05:09 PM
RGS88 RGS88 is offline
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Default Live Sand - Good... or waste of money?
I'm setting up a new 65gal reef tank and have been looking at sand/substrate. I've heard and read pros/cons to using live sand for a new tank (vs regular or dry sand). Pros: live sand is "suppose" to cycle the new tank quicker. But I've also heard that live sand serves no purpose because the cycle process of ammonia/nitrites will kill most everything in the live sand anyway... thereby making the "live" sand useless.

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Old 11-10-2011, 05:22 PM
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lots of people buy dry and and the seed it with a cup from an established reef.
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Old 11-10-2011, 05:28 PM
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depending on what's in your live rock that can seed the sand with bacteria at a minimum and most likely a lot of other critters too.
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Old 11-10-2011, 05:53 PM
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I have used the live sand many times... just add once cycle is complete. Or use dry from the get go... have done this too! I think it is just personnel preference.
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Old 11-10-2011, 06:14 PM
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Use dry well-washed sand. Buying bags of live sand IMO & IME is a waste of $$. Get a cup of sand from someone's tank (non-medicated) or just wait for the bacteria in the LR to seed it (as others have stated).
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Old 11-10-2011, 06:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic View Post
Use dry well-washed sand. Buying bags of live sand IMO & IME is a waste of $$. Get a cup of sand from someone's tank (non-medicated) or just wait for the bacteria in the LR to seed it (as others have stated).
We pay for our water
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Old 11-10-2011, 07:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic View Post
Use dry well-washed sand. Buying bags of live sand IMO & IME is a waste of $$. Get a cup of sand from someone's tank (non-medicated) or just wait for the bacteria in the LR to seed it (as others have stated).
Someone's sand has a lot Phospho. I don't think it is a good idea to put in the new tank.
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Old 11-10-2011, 08:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leah View Post
I have used the live sand many times... just add once cycle is complete. Or use dry from the get go... have done this too! I think it is just personnel preference.
Best advice in thread. You're cycling the rock, why add sand? It makes it harder to clean if you have a diatom bloom or other algae
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Old 11-10-2011, 08:44 PM
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Not to mention rock can shed an incredible amount of crap while it cycles...
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