Any Real Benefit to Live Sand?

[livinlifeinBKK]

So I have access to live sand at a reasonable price with actual strains of marine bacteria (unlike a lot of brands I've heard) but I could also just save some money and go with dry sand since I'm gonna be using some beautiful live rock fresh out of the ocean so I don't really know if the live sand will benefit me much or at all....what do you guys think?

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

Personally I think that you should save some cash and use dry sand. The rock will be enough.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Big live sand fan. It’s cleaner when you place it your tank, far less dust than dry.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

If it’s available, id use it. Go live sand. Especially if u are adding the stars.

 

[ReefEco]

more live = more better in my opinion. I'd QT the rock for a while to take care of pests and aptasia before adding it to the tank...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

If it’s available, id use it. Go live sand. Especially if u are adding the stars.

For the study I haven't decided whether to use live or dry yet because the live will possibly add an additional food source which may make the study less valid (although it's only a pilot study anyway)

 

[AydenLincoln]

Live sand all the way! For multiple reasons including cycling, beneficial bacteria, food for my goby, etc.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I haven't watched this series but I've seen others they've(BRS) done and I feel it may be worth watching.
Meet the 12 Tanks. Each a Totally Different Approach to Beating the Uglies and Cycling a Tank.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

For the study I haven't decided whether to use live or dry yet because the live will possibly add an additional food source which may make the study less valid (although it's only a pilot study anyway)

See you should start off with "its for the study"....
Then, yes you are right, it could add another denominator to the study.
So I would do a dry sand with a Dr.Tims added. or a commercially available live sand that has bacteria added.
But if it was for setting up a new tank, Live ocean sand is the way to go.

 

[WheatToast]

See you should start off with "its for the study"....
Then, yes you are right, it could add another denominator to the study.
So I would do a dry sand with a Dr.Tims added. or a commercially available live sand that has bacteria added.
But if it was for setting up a new tank, Live ocean sand is the way to go.

+1
Watching what came out of my live sand from Gulf Live Rock (https://gulfliverock.com/live-sand) was pretty fun too, such as juvenile Cerith snails and Halimeda. However, I am pretty sure this amount of macro-life is only possible with live sand from this source and Live Rock N Reef (https://www.liverocknreef.com/catal...florida-live-sand-sold-by-the-pound-7929.html), at least when it comes to sources readily available to hobbyists.

 

[Moray_SC17]

Lot's more surface area for nitrifying and heterotrophic bacteria and something like sea chem grey coast (calcite based sand) can help buffer you pH to around 8.1 (way better than aragonite.)

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

See you should start off with "its for the study"....
Then, yes you are right, it could add another denominator to the study.
So I would do a dry sand with a Dr.Tims added. or a commercially available live sand that has bacteria added.
But if it was for setting up a new tank, Live ocean sand is the way to go.

I'ts not necessarily for the study since I'm also thinking about rescaping my 20 gallon with new sand (take all the rocks and water out first) since the detritus buildup and some gases released when the sand was disturbed actually killed the one fish that was in there (I wasn't thinking about it and removed a bowlful of sand to QT a wrasse...lesson learned). The only reason I mentioned the study in this post is because @HudsonReefer2.0 mentioned adding stars so I assumed he was referring to the study. I was already 99% sure dry was the way to go with the study tanks. The original question was really with the 20 gallon in mind.