LS options

[Crimper]

My question is, from your guy's experiance, is it better to use mostly dead sand and seed it with several cups of LS

 

or use all LS?

 

I am on somewhat of a budget, and have hear that it would be cheaper to seed it. However would it be more benifical to the tank if you used pure LS

 

you help is appriciated

[DeskJockey]

Ive always used Option #1 and works great. You dont have to but if you can try to get a few cups from different tanks.

 

HTH

[Physh1]

I would say it really depends on your budget. I've gone with both setups before and had great luck both ways. The tanks I've done w/ 100% live sand had more life initially that the seeded ones but they all became very healthy and diverse tanks.

 

I try to use as much live sand as my budget allows:D.

 

Cameron

[WhiteRat]

Additionally, there is 'live sand' and 'LIVE SAND'...

 

I've acquired the following in my time:

30# of Gulf aquacultured LS from Tampa Bay Saltwater

5# of Hawaiian live sand and wondermud from IPSF

5# of GARF grunge from GARF

5# of live sand from my LFS.

 

Of these, the IPSF 'live sand activator' comes as a kit that includes diverse worms, snails, and crabs. Cool beans.

 

The GARF grunge comes highly rated but frankly didn't seem to have any 'macrolife' in it. Lots of microorganisms (copepods, too) but little else.

 

The Gulf LS...WHOAH!!! Tons of tiny reticulated brittle stars, diverse snails, slugs, worms, micro hermits...I swear the whole sandbed seemed to move.

 

So if you're going to get 'just one cup', consider that not all LS is equal. I'd make that 'one cup' (which is a little under a pound) the richest biodiversity I could acquire, and to date the richest I have seen is from TBSW.

[WhiteRat]

The LS from my LFS not only was too fine-grained according to 'Sand Bed Secrets', but it also didn't even have much in the way of microorganisms under a 'scope...It had some, but nothing like the mega-populations in the other three samples.

 

Ratty

Ratty's Reef