live sand in a bag? did i make a bad investment?

[jeps]

Hi all,

this is my first post here, but i've been roaming the message board for quite some time now... and i just gotta say that this bb is the best resource for a noob like me.
On with my question... my sister and I decided to try the marine aquarium deal but didn't want to go bankrupt doing it so we've been trying to buy stuff slowly but surely from auction sites. Well, about a month ago, my sister found a very good deal (or so we thought) for some live sand in a bag (dunno if i can post the name here, but its Carribsea Arag-Alive). Then, i read a post here the other day that these live sands in a bag aren't really live sand? Is this true? I was wondering how bacterias could live inside a bag for so long.. i should have followed my gut feeling and not bought those.

So my question is... are the sand in a bag that i purchased pretty much worthless now? Do i need to buy actual live sand when i begin cycling or would live rocks be enough? :help:

 

[coachklm]

these sand in a bag help jump-start a tanks natural biological process...(the expensive way) its fine but IMO I would never think about buying 150lbs of the stuff for a 135g because i'd go bankrupt.
a half and half mixture is great for large tanks on a budget
the bags are just not all there cracked up to be for the price..
if youve already bought te sand use it for the cycle ect.....
put everything in the tank / fill it up and test for cycling....when cycleing is done 0,0,0 you may add fish .

 

[turningtim]

The sand you bought should be fine as lond as it hasn't expired. There should be a exp date on the bag. The reason it can last so long is in the packageing and the water that is in the bag. Dump as much water out of the bag before putting the sand in the tank. Do not rinse the sand.
Reguardless in starting a new tank it will be fine. Add you rock first and place the sand around the rock. What for the cycle.
HTH
Tim

 

[mudplayerx]

I agree. Live sand in bags works great for "seeding" regular sand. Just lay down your layer of aragonite sand, then sprinkle a bag of live sand evenly over the top of it. They have a short shelf life though so may sure that you check the expiration date.
Live rock is also great for jump starting your bacteria population; probably even better than live sand.

 

[tampausmc]

it wasn't a bad choice at all though.....as long as it still had the water in the bag and wasn't left to dry out.......you did good though.......

 

[bang guy]

Bagged live sand isn't really live sand. It's wet sand with bacteria. There's nothing wrong with it but it will not have the critters (worms, pods, etc.) required for a healthy sand bed.

 

[jeps]

thanks for all the replies.

..as for this kind of sand not having helpful critters in them... would live rock eventually "seed" my "dead" sand? Or do I really have to buy honest to goodness live sand to get all the worms, pods, etc?

 

[turningtim]

Yes your rock will seed the sand with all that good stuff. As stated the bagged LS will kick start the bio-filtration but is not nessesary. You can also get some base rock and that will be seeded by the live rock...
HTH
Tim

 

[peedydb]

i have sand in a bag i have 180lbs in a 125 gal.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by jeps
thanks for all the replies.

..as for this kind of sand not having helpful critters in them... would live rock eventually "seed" my "dead" sand? Or do I really have to buy honest to goodness live sand to get all the worms, pods, etc?
Live rock will have some critters that are able to migrate to the sand. For a healthy sand bed you really need to get some honest to goodness live sand to obtain the diversity of live sand animals to keep the sand bed healthy.

 

[jeps]

okay, thanks bang guy (and everyone else), i guess i'll be getting some REAL live sand.

 

[coachklm]

Originally Posted by peedydb
i have sand in a bag i have 180lbs in a 125 gal.
bet that was an expensive project..... :hilarious

:hilarious

 

[sinner's girl]

For a healthy sand bed you really need to get some honest to goodness live sand to obtain the diversity of live sand animals to keep the sand bed healthy.
:notsure: What's real live sand then? I'm about to change over, and I was just going to let the lr seed the sand. How do I get honest to goodness live sand?
(sorry to hijack the thread)

 

[mudplayerx]

I only used bagged live sand and live rock and I eventually got all sorts of beneficial critters: amphipods, copepods, peanut worms, fireworms, limpets, spaghetti worms, and some big nasty worms if I look under the tank.
I think it just takes longer.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
:notsure: What's real live sand then? I'm about to change over, and I was just going to let the lr seed the sand. How do I get honest to goodness live sand?
(sorry to hijack the thread)
You can get sand from a fellow hobbiest that has good sand or you can buy sand freshly harvested from the ocean ---> https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ory=0&x=5&y=14

 

[jonny bolt]

Arag-Alive is fine. I used 50 pounds of regular Aragamax, and 40 pounds of fiji-pink Arag-Alive, and 10 pounds of "real" live sand in my 72 bow, and it is fine. 40 pounds of which was previously in my 38g that I had, so it helped even more with the new tank.