# CaribSea



## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

Has anyone tried this stuff?

supposedly live sand in a bag with a 1 year shelf life. Best price I saw today was $35 for a 40 pound bag. I was thinking about using it to make a 'deep sea bed' but if it's crap I'm sure I can find a better way to spend $160

thanks


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## slylie (Oct 21, 2003)

Lahot said:


> Has anyone tried this stuff?
> 
> supposedly live sand in a bag with a 1 year shelf life. Best price I saw today was $35 for a 40 pound bag. I was thinking about using it to make a 'deep sea bed' but if it's crap I'm sure I can find a better way to spend $160
> 
> ...


 meh... the shelf life of that stuff is only in regard to the bacteria cultures. All the fun in dumping cash on livesand is the cool critters u get with it, the pre-bagged stuff has no critters, its just sand sprayed with bacteria cultures - and NOT worth it, imo.

Best thing to do is buy the sand for your needs - then seed it with a few scoops of sand from a fellow reefers tank.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

slylie said:


> p.s. DSB = deep *Sand* bed.


 [/quote]







doodie happens

funny thing about the price is that the caribsea sand is $35 for a 40 lbs bag, the dry sand with nothing special added is $20 for a 20 lbs. bag.


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## slylie (Oct 21, 2003)

Lahot said:


> slylie said:
> 
> 
> > p.s. DSB = deep *Sand* bed.










doodie happens

funny thing about the price is that the caribsea sand is $35 for a 40 lbs bag, the dry sand with nothing special added is $20 for a 20 lbs. bag. [/quote]
thats crazy! go to **** depot and buy some southdown sand, like 10 bucks for a 40 lb bag.

only thing is, i wouldnt use it if u are doing a sps tank, or just a heavy flow tank in general because it does fly up alot.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

slylie said:


> go to **** depot and buy some southdown sand, like 10 bucks for a 40 lb bag.


 the only 2 types of sand that the Home Depot had today was some kind of color stuff for sandboxes and some sandbox sand that specifically said not to use in an aquarium

is southtown sand a brand name?


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## slylie (Oct 21, 2003)

Lahot said:


> slylie said:
> 
> 
> > go to **** depot and buy some southdown sand, like 10 bucks for a 40 lb bag.
> ...


 the stuff that says not to use in your aquarium is the stuff u should use in your aquarium.

lol

southdown is the brand name.. but another brand sells it as well.. forgot the name..

.. the fact ive had a bottle of wine and 6 beers doesnt help.. but it will come to me.


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

I used natures way live arag sand, It had pod's and little shrimp in it. Besides the nitrospira's. I seen the little critters the first day i added the sand. I believe carrib sea owns them. I dunno for sure though.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

Raptor said:


> I used natures way live arag sand, It had pod's and little shrimp in it. Besides the nitrospira's. I seen the little critters the first day i added the sand. I believe carrib sea owns them. I dunno for sure though.


 would you say it was worth the money?


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

slylie said:


> the stuff that says not to use in your aquarium is the stuff u should use in your aquarium.
> 
> lol
> 
> southdown is the brand name.. but another brand sells it as well.. forgot the name..


 well I went to 3 Home Depots today, besides the sand that says "not for aquarium use" the only sand I found was by Quikrete (sp?) and was listed as fine, but had a decent grain size to it, at least bigger than the play sand kind.


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## Andrew (Mar 3, 2003)

This is what the bags should look like:
Note: I have heard that they may have changed the packaging.
Yard Right is the other name you can find it bagged under.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

Lahot said:


> Quikrete (sp?)


 quikrete kinda sound like concrete dosnt it







cause it most likly is unless it sys that it is actual sand but it may be for mixing it with rocks and water for a home made type

dont really understand why if it says not to use in an aquarium you should use it :rock:


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

Andrew said:


> This is what the bags should look like:
> Note: I have heard that they may have changed the packaging.
> Yard Right is the other name you can find it bagged under.


 same artwork on the bag somewhat, but definitely doesn't ahve a blue background to it anymore

thanks!

but can I use that type of sand for a DSB?


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## Andrew (Mar 3, 2003)

Lahot said:


> but can I use that type of sand for a DSB?


Yes, it has the perfect grain size for a DSB.

After you get the sand and rock in your tank and it has done cycling, purchase a detritivore kit from inland aquatics. While getting the kit you should get some spaghetti worms too.

Between the rock and the kit, your dead sand will become "live sand".

inland aquatics


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## slylie (Oct 21, 2003)

damn.. i threw out all my bags but im pretty sure it was 'yardright' or whatever.

same stuff.


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## Andrew (Mar 3, 2003)

It is also sold in this package.

I have a picture somewhere of both bags side by side, but I can't seem to locate it.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

i will have to look for it, thanks


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## slylie (Oct 21, 2003)

Andrew said:


> It is also sold in this package.
> 
> I have a picture somewhere of both bags side by side, but I can't seem to locate it.


 thats it. got 3 bags of that in my 65


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

My question is do those sands have the same buffering capacity and calcium that some of the reef sands do?...


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Not that i am aware of. Just pure sand.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

acestro said:


> My question is do those sands have the same buffering capacity and calcium that some of the reef sands do?...


 Slylie and Andrew -- I bought 150 pounds of the Southdown sand, but now how would you suggest I go about buffering my ph in a 75 gallon tank?

thanks


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## Andrew (Mar 3, 2003)

You may not need to do anything to keep your pH between 8.0 and 8.4.
Use a good synthetic salt mix. I highly suggest the new salt made by Oceanic. I have did my own little comparison between the Oceanic brand and Instant Ocean. Three times in a row, the IO mixed to a 8.0 pH,(this is common) while the oceanic was between 8.2-8.3. I used a Ph monitor to check the pH.
If your pH keeps falling below 8.0, then I would use Seachem Marine buffer.
Use it in moderation. It says that it is formulated to not let the pH get over 8.4. This statement is false, trust me.

If you will be adding Calcium either via Kalkwater or a two part additive, these will raise yor pH. If you use b-ionic it comes in two "flavors" one will not raise your pH at all, the other which is the "original formula" will raise your pH.
Over time dosing B-ionic will raise your salinity, so keep an eye on that if you plan on using it.
There are alot of people that keep their pH around 8.0 to 8.1. Just because it stays consistant at that reading without messing with buffers, and it leave a little room for it to rise when they dose kalkwater.
Nothing wrong with that at all. My pH stays between 8.1 to 8.2, sometimes getting to 8.3 maybe one day out the whole week.

You will want to check your pH in the evening, at the same time. This is when it will be at it's highest.
When your lights are out your pH will drop. Mine drops to about 7.5 after the lights have been out for several hours.

HTH


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

I was mistaken Southdown is aragonite
Just seen that you asked if it was worth it? For the cost of a detrevore kit, The driving to a home depot 35 miles away, And the time. I guess it was. I only payed 22.99 for a 20 lb bag. 
I do add stronium, carbonate, iodine, calcium, And plankton bi weekly .

You can also use balls pickling lime to drip like kalkwasser. It is the same thing chemical wise. It is 1.69 a can at meijer, And it will last about 6 mos or more.
You can also use calcium chloride (ice melter) usually at a hardware store.
arm and hammer washing soda works also.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Bringing this back up. I got some quikrete play sand (50 lbs) but it doesn't quite fit into any of the previous descriptions exactly. I'm guessing it's okay but how do I know?.....other than fish not dying!


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

sweet lu said:


> Lahot said:
> 
> 
> > Quikrete (sp?)
> ...


 no, its sand, i have it in 4 out of my 5 tanks, quickrete medium commercial grade sand


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Maybe I should look at the bag. I don't remember any grain size or commercial aspect...


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

I believe tit contains silica, A big algea bomb.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

:laugh: funny typo :laugh:

seriously, thanks for the info. Is silica as bad for algae with freshwater? Maybe I just need to make a sandbox to play in.


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