Bio-Activ Live Sand? LS

[jon770]

I put in a couple bags of this sand when I first started my tank and now there are all these larger chunks of broken shells/coral rising to the top of the sandbed. I didn't think I was getting CC, but that's what the top of my sand looks like at this point. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to take everything out of my tank and try to sift out the bigger peices of shells so that I have a nice consistency...
Now I'm thinking about adding some more sand, so should I NOT buy any more of these manufactured bags of LS? What are my other options??? :notsure:

 

[fishdude14]

If you havn't added any fish i would buy play sand from a Home and Garden store. One of my friends bought a 110 and he put play sand in and the sand is better than the live sand you can buy at a fish store.

 

[dskidmore]

Having a few larger chunks will help burrowing critters. They will shore up the sides of thier tunnels with the peices. You might not want to remove it all.

 

[jon770]

Here's a pic of the bag...anyone else use it? What are your thoughts?

 

[vtecbro007]

i sent 60 dollars on that ---- for about i think 30 lbs of sand the sand i like but nothing like real live sand. juss has some micro bacteria but nothing big

 

[dskidmore]

It should help your cycle, but for all the little critters and cool stuff you're better off with the stuff from a live rock collector or getting/buying cups from other aquarists to seed dry sand.

 

[vtecbro007]

yea

 

[guineawhop]

first off you never want to use play sand bad idea, it could have harmful contaminants in it and god knows what else. the live sand you used is good keep it and i would keep the chunks of shell or whatever else was in the bag, but if you want to get rid of it because you don't like the look of it go ahead and take the chunks out. the live sand you bought was a good idea. might have over paid but none the less good. if you decide to add sand but not live sand buy the stuff they sell in the store and you can mix it in. i think eventually itself will turn into live sand but not positive.

 

[jon770]

The bags were on sale: $20 for 20 pounds...did I get ripped off?:notsure:
So when I add more I should ask for live sand that's not manufactured? I'm not sure I can get enough sand by buying cups from other reefers...I'll proably need about 40 pounds.

 

[pensky]

I bought the same stuff 40# of it for $40. It has been in my tank for 3 days and I hope for the best

 

[mwaraxa]

I don't think you got ripped off. Hell, at my fish store they sell dead sand at a dollar a point. Seeing as yours is Live sand i think yer ok.

 

[jlem]

If you want to get rid of all but the finest sand then get a fish net and it will filter out the bigger stuff.

 

[dskidmore]

Keep what you've got. Add the cups of sand from other aquarists to boost your biodiversity, not to try to make up volume. If the large shell bits really annoy you, the fish net idea sounded like a good one, but it might be good to leave some of them in.
As far as play sand, the southcastle stuff everyone around here recomends comes from the same mining operation as caribsea's sand. Caribsea just has an exclusive contract on selling the stuff for aquariums. We're not talking about just any old play sand that came off an iron mine operation or anything.