Live Sand and Salt Mixes

Bob1 · 01/19/2009, 11:17 PM

Do you use live sand in a package and what salt do you recommend.

jpkboca · 01/19/2009, 11:27 PM

Live sand in a package is a waste IMO. Just get a cup of a local reefers sand, or the LFS.

Those bags can't be alive, just look at the expiration date they are like 1.5 years in the future, nothing will live like that.

I use Instant Ocean, it works fine, and is cheap.

oppih · 01/20/2009, 10:36 AM

I use Instant Ocean..

kurquhart1 · 01/20/2009, 01:03 PM

instant ocean

IslandCrow · 01/20/2009, 01:21 PM

That bagged "live" sand probably does have plenty of bacteria in there that's still alive, but not much else. Even if you use 100% dry sand, you live rock will seed it in pretty short order. Getting a cup of actual live sand from an established tank should work quite well. As far as salt mixes, that can be a complicated answer. Instant Ocean is a pretty good all around salt, but it's not really designed for a reef tank if you're planning on keeping corals (especially corals with hard skeletons) or clams. The same company that makes Instant Ocean also makes Reef Crystals, which is also a very popular brand. I use a 50/50 mix of Instant Ocean and Oceanic. If you start keeping a lot of corals, you'll probably end up needing to supplement extra calcium, alkalinity and magnesium no matter what you get, so at least initially, I'd go with a name brand (IO, Oceanic, Seachem, etc.) that's not too expensive and readily available.

01/19/2009, 11:17 PM	#1
Bob1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Farmington Mn. Posts: 100	Live Sand and Salt Mixes Do you use live sand in a package and what salt do you recommend.

01/20/2009, 01:21 PM	#5
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	That bagged "live" sand probably does have plenty of bacteria in there that's still alive, but not much else. Even if you use 100% dry sand, you live rock will seed it in pretty short order. Getting a cup of actual live sand from an established tank should work quite well. As far as salt mixes, that can be a complicated answer. Instant Ocean is a pretty good all around salt, but it's not really designed for a reef tank if you're planning on keeping corals (especially corals with hard skeletons) or clams. The same company that makes Instant Ocean also makes Reef Crystals, which is also a very popular brand. I use a 50/50 mix of Instant Ocean and Oceanic. If you start keeping a lot of corals, you'll probably end up needing to supplement extra calcium, alkalinity and magnesium no matter what you get, so at least initially, I'd go with a name brand (IO, Oceanic, Seachem, etc.) that's not too expensive and readily available. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

01/19/2009, 11:27 PM	#2
jpkboca Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boca Raton Posts: 1,279	Live sand in a package is a waste IMO. Just get a cup of a local reefers sand, or the LFS. Those bags can't be alive, just look at the expiration date they are like 1.5 years in the future, nothing will live like that. I use Instant Ocean, it works fine, and is cheap.

01/20/2009, 10:36 AM	#3
oppih Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 62	I use Instant Ocean..

01/20/2009, 01:03 PM	#4
kurquhart1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: hamilton ontario canada Posts: 141	instant ocean