sand

Looking for a place to get some live sand. I would really like that pretty white sand that I see at the LFS. Can someone help?

 

Do you have a Petco or Petsmart? That is where I get mine. Also, knowing where you are from would help as well. Did you ask your LFS if they could order some for you?

 

I wouldn't buy live sand, you are buying water and can get much more dry sand for the same price. See if you can get a local reefer or your LFS to give you a couple of cups of live sand to see your dry sand.

 

I agree with 2in10, buying "Live sand" is iffy at best. Better to find and meet your local reef club members, many of them will be happy to give you cup or 2 from their tanks to seed your new setup.

You get a fine white sand at MarcoRocks

 

I purchased my live sand after a trip to Siesta Key where although the sand was beautiful, you still never know what contaminents ie. oil, ich, parasites, degraded pieces of cigarrettes.

When I added my "wet" live sand, I noticed instant pod populations growing and it really gave my tank a nice feel to it. I was at Petco last night and the dry sand is rocky and does not contain the 10,000,000 types of beneficial bacteria per pound. It's less than $20 a bag, unless your tank is massive just go for it

 

+1 with 2in 10

 

"Contains live marine autotrophic bacteria to provide a proper inorganic balance.
Contains live chemolithotrophic bacteria.
Contains more than 10,000,000 hetertrophic bacteria per pound."

You don't get that with dry sand, my argument is why not spend a little extra cash to add more biodiversity to your expensive reef tank

 

Looks like some jerk Bahamian selling the sand from his backyard

 

The bacteria in a sealed bag is all dead by the time you get it. Bacteria can not survive in a sealed bag for any period of time regardless of their claims. Most if not all of it will die and degrade into inorganic phosphate, nitrate, etc..., which will pollute your tank. Likely some bacterial spores will survive and feed off of this decay producing a bacterial population. However, if you go to a fellow reefer, and get a cup of sand and add it quickly, you'll be adding actual live bacteria, not spores. This will establish the sand faster, as live bacteria multiples exponentially and will do so without the decay.

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I agree but it's not as easy to meet a fellow reefer with sand as you may think, especially when you live in the mtns.