Fake Sand or Live Sand???

I tried explaining already, but when i said fake sand, i meant its just like play sand that you would find at home depot, ****only made for aquariums****

 

Good thread. I'm just starting a tank and was wonder live or dead. Thanks to the thread I understand the differance. Thanks know I just have to figure out a good brand of dead sand to go with. 1 thing though what about sand for a refugium/sump for the startup. Would I want live or dead for that?

 

Go with dead, or dry sand. As stated before, live sand is a scam. Due to the packaging and shipping process almost all, if not all, of the benefitial bacteria will die off. I see it as just being a way to get the unexperienced, mislead fish keeper to spend more money. Go with dry.

 

You want aragonite sand.....dry. If you want to speed up the establishment of bacterial colonies, "seed" it with a couple cups of sand from an established tank. "Play" sand or "Fake" sand comes from anywhere/everywhere: dunes, desert, beaches, gravel pits and it can contain lots of nasty stuff like alkaline dirt, dust, leached salts. Stay away from that stuff.
Agree with the others that the "live" sand at the LFS is not "live" at all!!!

 

i have always use high desert play sand from home depot with out any problems at all

 

Oceanparadise1 has the best deal if you can find that at your local Home Depot, sadly is does seem to be a regional item....
my own personal favorite if that is not available is here Sand

 

I used the high desert play sand in my 125 when i set it up and it looks great. It does have a more chrystaline structure than aragonite or crushed coral but its very white and looks fantastic.

 

Telgar-that stuff looks pretty good. have you had issues with sand storms under circulation? i.e. does it stay put?

 

I'm not sure....I bought half live sand and half "dead" sand for my 37, and before I introduced any live rock, little creatures were coming out of the sand...so obviously there were organisms living in the sand. I can't remember the brand I bought, but my LFS guy said it is the best, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Just putting my experience out there!

 

have not really had any sandstorms, but my koralia's certainly moved it around and made it into dunes until I added my CUC from reefcleaners who promptly sifted and redistributed it, since then it has settled in nice.

PS. do rinse it thuroughly before use or it will cloud up for 3 days before settling