Can LR make dead sand live?

[Isaka]

Hi, I read in one of my many searches that adding LR and dead sand at the beginning will make the dead sand become live eventually. I was just wondering, does this method increase the your tanks cycle time? And how long does it take before your dead sand really gets up to speed and can help the LR work as a filter? Anyone have any experience doing it like this? BTW, was planning on keeping a pretty small sand bed, 1 inch or less. Thanks.

[Crakeur]

yes

[drdrew]

i concur.

[JohnnyMTB]

Triple dat.

[tinyreef]

cycle time shouldn't be any longer.

 

a good way you can tell when the sand's seeded is when you start seeing microfauna against the tank glass on the sandbed.

[MKramer]

As others said, yes it can seed your live sand with life, and it will not increase cycle time at all. Not that the sand will be life-coated by the end of the cycle, though, it'll take months before it's reached the bacteria populations of "live" sand.

 

However, this will make it the equivalent only to the bagged live sand you can find in stores. It'll still be missing the macroscopic lifeforms you find in fresh livesand, which are not commonly found on the rocks.

 

This is really only a big deal if you're running a deeper sand bed in your tank, and need these sand-dwelling creatures to eat ditritus and oxygenate the upper layer of the sandbed. If you have a true DSB, then you'd eb best buying a detrivore kit to provide these critters. If you're using a shallow or medium depth sandbed, and are not as dependent on the macroscopic life in the sand, you can get away with just san sand-stirring animals, like nassarius snails, or the weekly stirring or basting of the sand.

[Isaka]

Thanks guys, I keep seeing 20lb+ live sand bags at the LFS for $30+, and the dead sand bag at the size i need for $4.99.... you do the math...

[JohnnyMTB]

If you can't afford the live sand (fresh, not bagged) I would try to find another reefer in your area that will let you have a few cups of LS to seed your dead sand. Most LFS's will also give/sell a couple cups of established sand. This will help diversify the fauna in your sand bed.