Raising live sand?

[Reefltx]

I have to do my move tomorrow finally setting up my reefer 350.

I plan to transfer all live rock and stock right over. I have about 80 gallons of saltwater ready, but will be using as much as I can from my old setup.

My question, is it okay to raise live sand? Since, I already have about 20-30lbs of dry sand left over. I was planning on buying 2x 20lb bags of live sand tomorrow. My nearest LFS I know for a fact only have live sand. Or, do you guys think it'll be okay just to add the raised dry sand then mix in live sand. I'm just scared it's going to have more impact on my already stressed live stock.

 

[Cory]

Yes you can seed dead sand with live sand. Personally i think live sand is kind of a gimmick

 

[Reefltx]

Yes you can seed dead sand with live sand. Personally i think live sand is kind of a gimmick

Yeah, I was thinking raising them both in ro water before using.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Personally i think live sand is kind of a gimmick

I mixed "seeded" my tank with dry and some old rinsed sand. Caused issues for months. The big deal is the dry sand is not cured at all. You can take live rock with your corals and add bagged live sand and drop it in no problem. One day tank transfer. Dry sand not so much.
With the dry sand I got immediate snail death coral loss. The dry sand I believe is buffering the water too much too fast. so you basically wind up curing the new sand in the tank. At the time I tested the ph was 8ish. I thought that was ok, but it was a dead empty tank, so in fact it high. when I put the snails in they raced off the sand and onto the rock an up the glass.
I think its the same problem one of our friends had here with a rock that was not completely cured and nuked his tank with an alk spike. His was a 14g I believe.

So bagged live sand isn't a gimmick its actually cured and will process ammoina.

 

[Cory]

I mixed "seeded" my tank with dry and some old rinsed sand. Caused issues for months. The big deal is the dry sand is not cured at all. You can take live rock with your corals and add bagged live sand and drop it in no problem. One day tank transfer. Dry sand not so much.
With the dry sand I got immediate snail death coral loss. The dry sand I believe is buffering the water too much too fast. so you basically wind up curing the new sand in the tank. At the time I tested the ph was 8ish. I thought that was ok, but it was a dead empty tank, so in fact it high. when I put the snails in they raced off the sand and onto the rock an up the glass.
I think its the same problem one of our friends had here with a rock that was not completely cured and nuked his tank with an alk spike. His was a 14g I believe.

So bagged live sand isn't a gimmick its actually cured and will process ammoina.

Sound like some sort of toxicity going on. Maybe it was leeching something. Yeah i agree live sand is much better for ammonia reduction, than dry sand. Infact dry sand has zero bacteria to reduce ammonia.

Preferably on a new setup, i prefer to add live bacteria and live rock. But this still isnt an instant cycle imo. Fish are very sensitive to ammonia, even small amounts.

Sorry that happened to your livestock!