dead sand
- Thread starter flood
- Start date
broomer5
Active Member
All depends on some terminology.
What is called "dead sand" in normally dry, purchased sand, hopefully collected from the sea and cleaned, dried, packaged and sold for the hobby.
"Live Sand" is basically the same stuff of very recent collection from either the ocean floor or collected and kept in holding vessles for aquaculture. Live sand contains bacteria only, and again is cleaned somewhat, but is packaged wet, and sold for the hobby.
A "Live Sandbed" is what a mature tank sandbed hopefully will become over time. The sandbed has the bacteria, and many small creatures, worms, mini brittlestars, amphipods, copepods, and other critters that live and populate the sandbed. Normally these critters come in on good live rock, and make their way into the sandbed, or they are purchased from suppliers individually or as part of a detritvoir kit.
Dead dry added sand will eventually become "live" with bacteria naturally, but to have a good variety of critters in a "live sandbed" you must add these critters to the tank.
HTH
Brian
What is called "dead sand" in normally dry, purchased sand, hopefully collected from the sea and cleaned, dried, packaged and sold for the hobby.
"Live Sand" is basically the same stuff of very recent collection from either the ocean floor or collected and kept in holding vessles for aquaculture. Live sand contains bacteria only, and again is cleaned somewhat, but is packaged wet, and sold for the hobby.
A "Live Sandbed" is what a mature tank sandbed hopefully will become over time. The sandbed has the bacteria, and many small creatures, worms, mini brittlestars, amphipods, copepods, and other critters that live and populate the sandbed. Normally these critters come in on good live rock, and make their way into the sandbed, or they are purchased from suppliers individually or as part of a detritvoir kit.
Dead dry added sand will eventually become "live" with bacteria naturally, but to have a good variety of critters in a "live sandbed" you must add these critters to the tank.
HTH
Brian
viking
Member
Originally posted by broomer5:
<STRONG>
Dead dry added sand will eventually become "live" with bacteria naturally, but to have a good variety of critters in a "live sandbed" you must add these critters to the tank.
HTH
Brian</STRONG>
can these critters be purchased or do they have to come from live rock??
<STRONG>
Dead dry added sand will eventually become "live" with bacteria naturally, but to have a good variety of critters in a "live sandbed" you must add these critters to the tank.
HTH
Brian</STRONG>
can these critters be purchased or do they have to come from live rock??
broomer5
Active Member
I'd say that most hobbiest find that by adding the live rock - is the easiest and most practical way of gaining these creatures. You can also purchase them online, but they are kind of expensive, and you may lose a lot of them as fish food as soon as you place them in your tank.
Another way to give your sandbed a kick start is to get a few scoops of substrate from an established tank. Someone you trust, that has a really nice, disease free, mature reef tank. A few scoops of his/her established substrate will most likely contain many of the creatures you are wanting to have in your own sandbed.
See ya, Brian
Another way to give your sandbed a kick start is to get a few scoops of substrate from an established tank. Someone you trust, that has a really nice, disease free, mature reef tank. A few scoops of his/her established substrate will most likely contain many of the creatures you are wanting to have in your own sandbed.
See ya, Brian