Is live sand really alive?

[homersimpsonlikesfish]

I am planning my saltwater tank and does anybody have experience with live sand in a sealed bag? Is it just as good as live rock?

 

[fishface NJ]

No it is not. Just buy dry sand

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I am planning my saltwater tank and does anybody have experience with live sand in a sealed bag? Is it just as good as live rock?

It is dry sifted sand with bacteria added. Ocean direct is live sand. You may be better off with ocean direct or even better Tampa Bay Salt Water.

 

[homersimpsonlikesfish]

No it is not. Just buy dry sand

Can I use play sand from Home Depot for a saltwater tank?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Can I use play sand from Home Depot for a saltwater tank?

No, not if you want to have coral

 

[KrisReef]

I am planning my saltwater tank and does anybody have experience with live sand in a sealed bag? Is it just as good as live rock?

Thank you for asking this question.

Technically, sand is not a living thing but we talk about live rock and live sand to indicate that the dead material was taken from the reef where it was the foundation for lots of living organisms, microorganisms especially.

Wet sand in a bag can have some of the reef microbes alive in it when it was dumped into the bag but the majority of the living stuff was probably washed off or else the bags would stink up the store shelves.

If you can get freshly harvested rock or sand from the ocean it will have way more living things than a store bought bag of sand.

 

[littlefoxx]

I am planning my saltwater tank and does anybody have experience with live sand in a sealed bag? Is it just as good as live rock?

I used this brand in both my tanks and I like it, tank cycled well

 

[homersimpsonlikesfish]

How many pounds of sand do I need for a 10 gallon tank?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

1 pound per gallon

 

[littlefoxx]

How many pounds of sand do I need for a 10 gallon tank?

Depends on the fish you want to keep, burrowing fish I would probably do 10 pounds, others maybe 5. You can always take and add sand if you get it in there and decide its too much

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Tampabay or kp. Their sand is alive.