Best Live Sand?

[titoav15]

Hello again!
Im debating what live sand I should use: I would like 80 pounds in my 55g

either caribsea original 2 x 40lbs:
Marine Substrates: Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand at Drs. Foster & Smith

or 3 x 20lbs Nature's Ocean Bio-Active Reef Sand:
Aquarium Substrates: Nature's Ocean Bio-Active Reef Sand and Reef Substrate
P.S. I have fish and some pretty hardy corals (bubble coral, green mushroom, green star polyps, and green + brown polyps) and would want to take current bed out and put the sand right in with out removing anything from the tank.
Thanks!

 

[thincat]

If you leave a cupful of the old sand you would be in no need for any "live sand". the cupful would seed the new sand. I am afraid that sand removal is a messy job. You could syphon out the old sand but the new sand would make your tank cloudy. You can make a funnel out of newpaper and slowly pour the well rinsed new sand into the bottom of your tank. I would only do a third of your tank at a time. How much LR do you have in there as sand removal will more then likely cause a landslide or sorts.

 

[titoav15]

well I dont have any live sand in there now, only dolomite (looks like white gravel). I want to upgrade to live sand because I want more bio filtration and also because my blue spot jawfish will love it and it will look much better. I dont plan to take all of the dolomite out just around the rocks so some dolomite will remain under rocks. I have about 25 lbs of LR and another 35-45 of reef bone (I plan to add more LR, I buy a peice here and there when I go to my lfs).

 

[titoav15]

so with wich sand do you think I should go with?

 

[melosu58]

I would get neither. Just get some dry arragonite sand. It will become live over time.

 

[thincat]

That's what I would do also. +1

 

[titoav15]

Ok, dry arragonite it is! Came down to two of these: Which do you think my blue spot jawfish would like better?
CaribSea Aragamax Oolitic Select Sand 30 lb
or
Aragamax Aquarium Sand
Thank you so much for all your help guys, you are awesome!

 

[ryshark]

I also agree to just get the dry sand. I doubt the "live" sand in a bag is very lively and is just a waste of extra money in my opinion. Out of your two choices above, both would be good. I went with your first choice for my tank and I like it.

 

[ccCapt]

I agree with the others. I used the dry oolitic sand in my tank.

 

[Sadielynn]

Just remember when adding dry sand to any tank try and pre wet it in RO/DI or salt water this will help it sink down just adding dry sand to a tank will cause cloudiness and also cause impellers to grind and seize up

 

[melosu58]

Sadielynn makes a good point. When I said dry sand I meant rinse it out first.

 

[ryshark]

That Caribsea Oolitic is pretty clean. I didn't even rinse it and my tank was only cloudy for a few hours. However, I added the sand before the water, so this may make a big difference. If I were to add more sand to my tank which already has water in it, I would get the Caribsea Oolitic again and guide it to the bottom with a piece of pvc... I'd probably try to do away with rinsing it again, but definitely keep my powerheads and pump off until I was done pouring it in. I haver purchased other sand in the past which was much dirtier than the Caribsea and that stuff for sure needed to be rinsed first. This is just my opinion and what I would do, of course rinsing the Caribsea won't hurt

 

[titoav15]

Just wanted to let you guys know that you are all awesome, love the people and love the site!
Oh and by the way I just ordered CaribSea Aragamax Oolitic Select Sand! 3x30lbs of sand for about $68 total incl. shipping @ Marine Depot, they price matched for me!

 

[melosu58]

Good to Know.

 

[thincat]

rinsing will cut down on the dust that might have formed by the sand rubbing during shipping and will cut down on the cloudiness in the water.

 

[Doug01]

"Oh and by the way I just ordered CaribSea Aragamax Oolitic Select Sand! 3x30lbs of sand for about $68 total incl. shipping @ Marine Depot, they price matched for me!"

Can you tell me where the price match was from so I can get them to price match the same?

 

[cmor1701d]

There's going to be a sand storm from any sand no matter carefully you place it. If it's cured LS then the sand storm will be short. It it's new aragonite that's been wetted with new sw mix then the sand storm will be longer. If it's just dry sand (regardless of type) then the sand storm could be weeks.

I would turn this into a project and cure the dry aragonite in a tub then add it to the main tank.

 

[Krypt]

Definitely shut off your PH's when you add it to the tank, or you could be in for a PH replacement like some other guy I know

 

[CaptainAhab]

Never much had a use for bagged 'live' sand. Could never get my head around something that needs oxygen to survive being bagged in an airtight bag for months on end.. hmmmmm..

Never cured sand either.. Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse and then slowly add to the tank. I use a tupperware sandwich container.. pack it in tight.. pop the lid on... in the tank .. tip upside down and pop the brick out.. Then SLOWLY .. break it up and move it around..

Regular dechlor'd tap water tooo