Live Rock only or add Live Sand too

[newfishhobbyist]

Ok...my husband and I are going to start a saltwater tank but not anytime soon. We are slowly getting the equipment and want to get as knowledgeable as possible. (We just started a freshwater about 3 months.)

Do ya'll (I'm a Texan) suggest using only Live Rock to cycle the tank or include Live Sand, as well?

Thanks!

[CaptainAhab]

IMO live sand is a waste of money. Use reg argonite dry sand. It will become live in time. I don't buy that live aerobic bacteria can survive in a seal plastic bag that is shipped around the country, stored and thrown on a lfs shelf for resale. Good quality live rock is the way to go or base rock for that matter.. Or a mixture. Or to completely blow your mind.. you don't really NEED either. You can run a successful tank on nothing but a HOB filter (to some degree), or just sand. The possibilities are many and varied.

The typical being Live Rock with a argonite sand bottom and a skimmer (HOB or coupled with a sump).

[melosu58]

IMO just put the LR and sand in the tank and cycle the tank and cure the LR and sand at the same time. You could do a combination of LR and BR to save money.

[roka64]

WOW, lots of IMOs!!!!
IMO, live sand is a waste, you can save quite a bit of money by using about 75% base rock to LR. I also use 1 raw, unseasoned jumbo shrimp per 30 gallons of water for an ammonia source to kick off my cycle (I have found this to be one of the most cost effective ways).
Make sure you get the liquid test kits. API makes a decent saltmaster's kit. Invest in a refractometer and RO/DI.

[mtlion]

I agree, if you use dry sand with LR it will eventually become live also.

[Justin1989]

Originally Posted by roka64

WOW, lots of IMOs!!!!
IMO, live sand is a waste, you can save quite a bit of money by using about 75% base rock to LR. I also use 1 raw, unseasoned jumbo shrimp per 30 gallons of water for an ammonia source to kick off my cycle (I have found this to be one of the most cost effective ways).
Make sure you get the liquid test kits. API makes a decent saltmaster's kit. Invest in a refractometer and RO/DI.

Or the LFS messed up and only rings up 1 out of the 4 bags of live sand you buy haha :P

[roka64]

LOL! Unfortunately, I'm too honest and would end up saying something when I found out.

[newfishhobbyist]

Thanks for your IMOs. Now it's just convincing my husband that live sand is not necessary. He's so convinced something will be missed if we don't use the live sand. Arrrrgh!

[roka64]

Ok, explain it to him this way.
The company goes to the beach to harvest the sand. They ship it in a hot/cold truck to the packaging plant (hot/cold) in there too. Then it sits on a shelf in the ware house (hot/cold) there too, then it gets put on another truck (you get the point here) and shipped to a distribution point or even the LFS, then it sits on the shelf (remember this part?) until some one decides to purchase it.....
Oh, I think I forgot to add something about Oxygen and circulation....just add that to the ().....LOL.
Think you can convince him now?

[CaptainAhab]

Or show him the expiration date on the bag. If YOU can find it

[newfishhobbyist]

Originally Posted by roka64

Ok, explain it to him this way.
The company goes to the beach to harvest the sand. They ship it in a hot/cold truck to the packaging plant (hot/cold) in there too. Then it sits on a shelf in the ware house (hot/cold) there too, then it gets put on another truck (you get the point here) and shipped to a distribution point or even the LFS, then it sits on the shelf (remember this part?) until some one decides to purchase it.....
Oh, I think I forgot to add something about Oxygen and circulation....just add that to the ().....LOL.
Think you can convince him now?

LOL. That may do the trick...I was already convinced but just in case I wasn't, I definitely am now. :p

[roka64]

I have even heard of a member getting LS and when she opened it she could smell ammonia from the die-off.

[newfishhobbyist]

I forgot to mention that he thinks it's possible that even if it's all dried, when you add water...stuff could come back alive.

[Justin1989]

Originally Posted by newfishhobbyist

I forgot to mention that he thinks it's possible that even if it's all dried, when you add water...stuff could come back alive.

uhm.. hmm... lol..

Ask him if you can kill him in hopes he will come back to life.

[newfishhobbyist]

Originally Posted by Justin1989

uhm.. hmm... lol..

Ask him if you can kill him in hopes he will come back to life.

lol. Welllll.....His argument is like the idea of say a pleco living outside of water for several hours. What if there are species in the sand that can dry out per say and it's only a temporary thing. Their bodies compensate for not having water and then when they get water...they are ok. I don't know how else to explain that. It sounds like it could be possible and I don't really have a 'leg to stand on' to say that's not possible at all, ever. Since we are both newbies...we don't have strong arguments for either of us to be proven wrong or right. Add that to the fact that we are both skeptics and voila...you're where we are about this live sand.

[roka64]

I would say it isn't impossible, but improbable....Live, in this case is not really the critters that live in the sand, but "live" in hosting the beneficial bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrItes to nitrAtes.
Trust me, you will have an amazing time finding plenty of critters on your live rock to even worry about what might revive out of the sand....

[newfishhobbyist]

Originally Posted by roka64

I would say it isn't impossible, but improbable....Live, in this case is not really the critters that live in the sand, but "live" in hosting the beneficial bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrItes to nitrAtes.
Trust me, you will have an amazing time finding plenty of critters on your live rock to even worry about what might revive out of the sand....

Awesome! Thanks so much.

Thank you everyone! :p

[Kurt_Nelson]

Also... let your husband know that he's right in one sense - that there are many things that can lie dormant and appear dead, and then come back to life, days... months... years later. There are tons of things in nature that work this way. Unfortunately... the nitrifying bacteria that our tanks use are not one of them.

[newfishhobbyist]

Originally Posted by Kurt_Nelson

Also... let your husband know that he's right in one sense - that there are many things that can lie dormant and appear dead, and then come back to life, days... months... years later. There are tons of things in nature that work this way. Unfortunately... the nitrifying bacteria that our tanks use are not one of them.

Thank you.

[Saltwater newbie]

I personally bought 200lbs of live sand for my 150 gallon tank, along with my live rock and my tank cycled very quickly. I was lucky enough to be able to order it whole sale. Because of where a family member worked and got it for 60% cheaper than what it went for at the store. I used Caribsea brand; theres comes with a expiration date. I personally thought it worked very well. But thats just me