sand

[chance]

is live sand a good idea and why

 

[michaeltx]

youll get vary responces to this but this is the way I see it.
If you get good live rock it will seed the dead sand it will take more time to do it but it will over time. so to me Live sand is a waste of money but thats just my opinon.
Mike

 

[chance]

can it be out of water

 

[dogstar]

Just to be clear, live sand in a tank is recomended because it houses many benificial animals and bacteria that can help clean and feed the system......as to how you get it, up to you,
as TX said, rock will seed the sand with many of these critters or a cup or two added from another established system....but buying wet, so called live sand in a bag from a LFS, does not hurt but does not really give you the organisiums like worms, stars, pods, snails and other micro and macro fauna that truly makes up a live sand bed...

 

[chance]

how do you get those things then do you have too by them then.

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by Chance
how do you get those things then do you have too by them then.
They will be in your live rock or you can seed them from another established tank.

 

[chance]

thanks

 

[1journeyman]

Chance,
You can also buy "live sand" from this site. It comes from the ocean and usually is very "fresh". I got 25 Lbs. recently and was very happy with the amount of life it had.

 

[chance]

how much should you get for a 30 gallon tank?

 

[1journeyman]

Depends on how deep you want your sand. Do a search on this forum for a "deep sand bed" or DSB and see if that is something you are interested in.
A sand bed should be less than 2 inches deep or greater than 4 inches. Avoid the middle area as it can cause problems.
If you click on the left buttom on this site where it says "live rock live sand" it will take you to a page with a sand bed depth calculator that will figure how much sand you need depending on the dimensions of your tank and desired depth.

 

[chance]

thanks