Week 12: Proof: Live Sand Isn’t as Dull as You Thought! | 52 Weeks of Reefing

We're a dozen weeks into the #BRS160, and we're making a ton of progress! This week were weighing all of our options for sand, and choosing which is best for us. Follow along with us and discover which sand is best for you and your system!
In the reef tank sand provides surface area for beneficial bacteria to populate and filter your tank. However, If you have enough live rock or filtration media in the sump it's not required for that purpose. The main reason reefers use sand is purely for aesthetic appeal. Everyone has a different idea of what looks nice, but most of us prefer the tank to have sand of some type. The biggest difference between the different sands is size of the grains and to some degree the color.
So how much sand should you use, and at what depth? To be honest this depends on personal preference, but the most common range is anywhere from a half inch to two inches. For the most part this is really just a balance between aesthetics and trying to prevent the sand bed becoming a nutrient sink. Shallow sand beds a low as half an inch are popular because it is really easy to maintain the sand and keep it clean. A couple of sand sifting fish like diamond gobies might even be enough. However, it’s a lot easier for bare spots to appear in these shallow sand beds from flow. Sand beds as deep as two inches sometimes look nicer and are much more difficult to create bare spots from strong flow, however most reefers find sand to be a huge nutrient sink and the reason most would never go beyond two inches.
Personally, I think a one inch sand bed is a pretty good compromise. It’s fairly easy to keep clean and will likely keep the bottom of the tank covered. If not you can always adjust the flow or add more sand later.
On the BRS160 we narrowed it down to two options. We like the oceans direct original grade because I can appreciate the concept of natural ocean bacteria, but we ultimately selected the Caribsea Special Grade reef because I like the more uniform grain sizes and lack of huge six millimeter particles.
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[@jeremymore451]

Just wanted to thank you for the series! I just decided one day I wanted to learn everything about salt water tanks and.... I found this!

[@shathetripper5067]

great video my friend thanks for sharing

[@sibm8791]

Great vid like always. The most complete and informative series on reefing ever on the net. Thanks Ryan and BRS team. We owe you... Have a great weekend...

[@davethomas5905]

BRS creates these videos as a marketing tool to increase brand awareness and sales and does a wonderful job. But it's comments like this... "Your local fish store probably has about the same prices as online stores and might even be less." ...that reflect the company's culture and type of relationship they want to have with their customers. I don't even have a tank setup yet, but when I do, I'm going to be making purchases with them.

[@LJsReef]

That's because LFSs are going out of business due to online shopping. It'll really suck when they go out of business and you gotta pay the shipping cost when you wanna buy livestock for your aquarium. Shipping is ridiculously high.

[@ernestcortez4049]

Tank is going to look awesome, thanks for the videos. look foward to the next video.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Excellent job ..... the tank looks awesome! Keep the videos coming! Always something to learn, even if it minor.

[@BNoble315]

I look forward to these every week. Great video as always!

[@fuffoon]

I just used 8 bags of special grade 1-2 mm a few weeks ago. It looks great and stays in place. It is the cleanest of the live sands I have used. I rinse. The one time I did not rinse the live sand I made up for the saved time by tearing down the mechanics to clean the tank of a muddy mess. This new tank completed the basic N cycle in 20 days with its dead live rock, rinsed live sand, a filter sponge squeeze from my established tank and Prodobio bacteria and nutrient.

[@muckcityog8985]

i never thought of tumbling my sand bed with a gravel cleaner. i usually stir it up with my turkey baster then i suck it out. That's why i love these vids! learn something new almost every time. Thanks again Guys, Great job as always!

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

Just get a sand sifter goby, or a few nassarius snails

[@chriscoakley9738]

N knn b uh chi 2:51

[@kevinr621]

Ryan - You are Awesome - love your personality - love your honesty and love these educational videos! Simply Awesome!

[@chriscoakley9738]

Liha

[@chriscoakley9738]

Liha

[@chriscoakley9738]

Tsjhsnbd KB d boo KB bhh v we whh bhh k sh e oh B Sjvsjd

[@bsterling9]

This helped me tremendously. I just used the Ocean Direct sand in a 40 gallon new set-up and the excessive cloudy water had me worried. Now I know I don't have to do a water change. Thanks!

[@Krispykashew]

Another great video Ryan. Keep up the good work.

[@bradsimpson8724]

Just a couple quick notes. 1) Black sand is often magnetic, something to test and be aware of if you've got a magnetic glass cleaner - you might end up scratching your glass/acrylic pretty badly. 2) If you're on the fence about bare-bottom tanks but hate the idea of cleaning a sand bed, consider ceramic tile. It wipes clean, doesn't harbour waste, blocks reflections off the bottom pane, and it's relatively cheap and customizable.

[@Furfeatherandclaw]

Nice one Dave!

[@michaelmaltese939]

Awesome video. I wish there was info like this out when I was constructing my reefs.

[@seangibbs6936]

Awesome videos Ryan. I have a 450 Gal setup and i'm about three weeks ahead of your tank but I use your weekly videos to validate i'm doing things correctly. I've tweaked a few things based on your videos. Huge kudos to you and your BRS Team...couldn't be happier. Keep up the phenomenal work and thanks.

[@Hero101010]

Hey man, how's your tank doing?

[@sigururorvaldsson1560]

Thanks a lot, really educational. Keep up the good work.

[@LJsReef]

I love when you smirked when you said " how much and how deep" lol.

[@skuby.]

love this series , Im re building my 80g tank been out of the hobby like 5 years but always learning and knowing new tecnology Im a bit nerd myself haha . keep the good work

[@briansfishtanks]

Another great video! I'm from MN and I've never heard of the LFS you went into. I'll have to go give it a try. Looks like it's in Bloomington.

[@shawnriv9]

Great video Ryan! I just received three 20 pound bags of CaribSea Fiji Pink and will be starting a four foot long 65G shallow rimless build. I'm just waiting for the new Kessil AP700 to hit the market before starting :)

[@tunefully1792]

Guys I bought a python years ago, but it made sense in my apartment. Now I use hygger's gun looking syphon. It uses the trigger for suction, and it's 40 something inches long so my hands aren't in the tank breaking my no hands in streak 😅👋

[@rudyb3194]

Another nice video. I am at the same place that you are at with my new 150g build. All I am waiting for is another 30 pounds of base rock and I can add the sand. Keep up the great videos.

[@Hopkins-up2tn]

Have you ever noticed extremely fine sand beds eventually settling down, even with high 75x turn over rate for an sps tank over the course of one to two years. If not I've lucked out! It almost seems like each individual 1/4 mm grain has gained a coating of weight via bacteria or slime. I sift and clean with relative ease, and though it was a pain the first six months or so Im visually (and nitrite wise) really happy I chose it over A higher grain size. Nothing seems to get past the first half inch layer and Ive learned about anaerobic bacteria qualities from you guys ;) great benifits!

[@marktaylor3243]

Your videos are awesome

[@Justthemow]

My sand bed is 6-8" and I never vacuumed it just let the micro fauna do there thing starfishes worms snails and such like and gobies my tank is 4 years old and running strong

[@mimicmage]

Deep sand bed closes the natural cycle . Anaerobic bacteria is present in your tank . I too have deep sand bed no water changes all I do is top off

[@SethEssington]

Somehow some starfish ended up in my bag of Ocean Direct live sand.

[@LJsReef]

That's pretty cool. I guess it is directly from the ocean.

[@goodall1bay]

With bare bottom it's difficult for hermits to even walk on the glass bottom. Like watching scooby doo

[@prestonhoover4412]

Great vid Ryan, as always. One thing you didn't touch on was the practice of Deep Sand Bed keeping. With the oolite sand the possibilities of a well working nitrogen cycle are so beneficial it boggles my mind that most reefers keep away from it. I have been using a DSB for almost three years now and although I have had two bouts of cyanobacteria, I have never detected Nitrates. Can you briefly explain why the practice of DSB'ing is such a scary thought for modern day reef tanks(besides hydrogen sulfide toxin)?

[@prestonhoover4412]

+BulkReefSupplyCom thanks so much for the response and informative explanation. I have always felt solo in keeping the dsb and find myself constantly seeking the opinions of others without much success. Again, loved the video and series, you guys do amazing work and truly help to make reefing easier!

[@inachu]

I think for some who do not do DSB is the fear of trapping gasses that if released will kill everything in the tank

[@mimicmage]

I also keep deep 4" sand bend. It creates an area where anaerobic bacteria that can only live in layers where there is no oxygen present. Because there's is no oxygen the consume nitrate . They close the loop cycle that is present in nature. Because of this you won't ever need water changes you just top off. I have success with both fresh water and saltwater using this method. I don't understand why this knowledge is not passed down either.... Now that being said if you disturb the sand bed significantly you cause gases that can be toxic but gases will build and come up on there own just don't vacuum or disturb it pass 3"...

[@seangibbs6936]

Hey BRS, sorry i missed your note. I don't have a tank build as of yet. Haven't joined a forum. Just retired from the Air Force and getting back into the hobby. I'm working on wire management and system control (Apex Install) right now. Half of the stuff for my build I bought from you guys. I'll start a webpage dedicated to the tank project soon...it's called "The Cambridge Reef". Thanks again...looking forward to tomorrow's video.

[@My5780ta]

Ryan your rock

[@menkalos]

Another excellent video. I especially like the advice on how to clean it with the siphon by folding the tube to control water flow. I haven't done this nearly enough, and my sand is now a nitrate generator. I'm reducing the amount of sand i have (down to around 3/4") and I'm stepping up the cleaning frequency. Is the larger grain sand bad for the snails and stars? I have those, but none of the gobies (my only one jumped out of the aquarium some time back). You only mentioned the gobies when you talked about the larger grain stuff. Now that I bought the Neptune WAV pumps from you with their ridiculous flow, I'm getting bare spots that I'd like to cover with heavier sand, but I don't want to make my critters unhappy. Any advice there? Thanks again!!!

[@mrbigshot29]

really good this time. tank you very much. ill never do sand again. bare bottom looks just as good if not better because you never get cyno on the sand. paint the bottom of the tank black and its perfect. the only downfall is sand living critters like gobys, nassarius snails and some anemones are not suitable without using a cup of sand somewhere

[@tsurro8086]

I used the larger my first time, second time around I used figi pink., smaller but much easier to sift when cleaning the sand bed, it moves a little more but not that noticeable, looks like an ocean bottom

[@atmyworkshop8385]

Great video as always. Do have a list of the sands from​ course to fine?

[@1MissEllyLove]

I have a 40 gallon breeder freshwater tank with black sand. The tank got overrun with algae and has been just sitting there being ignored and half empty. We're moving in 6 months and I'm planning on converting it into a saltwater tank at our new home. What's the best way to prep the sand from going from freshwater to saltwater to ensure anything it's absorbed is removed? I'm planning on rinsing it like crazy and drying it out on a tarp (hopefully in the sun to help bleach off anything that shouldn't be there), but what's the likelyhood of any residual ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/etc leeching into the saltwater tank? I'd really like to avoid having to buy all new sand since the stuff I have is exactly what I want for my reef tank. Thank you SO MUCH FOR this series! I've been out of the hobby for 5 years and everything has changed so much that I'm watching your videos to catch up. They've also been very helpful at getting my husband interested in the hobby.

[@gs6810]

I bought my sand at home depot. I live near the beach and a cement company here harvests sand from the ocean that spills into a pit they made. They sell some of it to home depot. 50 lbs of local beach sand cost me 3$. I suppose i could have just gone down to the beach and filled up a bucket but the sand was sifted and cleaned for only 3$ plus I didn't have to dig or hike out 50 lbs of sand from the beach.

[@michaelmcelroy9846]

great

[@adrianalob4698]

Very informational video. Which sand you prefer most?

[@tomengland5082]

hi have you guys used tropic eden sand, I saw a video on KZbin showing how it literally requires no rincing and it's really uniformed, would be great if you guys could do a review on it.

[@vidextreme]

Great video. Several things I like to comment on though. Discussing about the 'aragonite' that can help for buffering could have been a good additional topic. Also, I'm not a fan and even a believer that you should be siphoning sand your tank(except for fresh water tanks). I think it's even detrimental. In my opinion, sand beds need time to mature, and once it does, you don't have to worry about organics getting stuck under sand because it will less likely happen. This can be applied to hydogen sulfide worries.

[@vidextreme]

+BulkReefSupplyCom Hi. I was referring to the main purpose why some commercial substrate uses aragonite infused sand like the products you've just reviewed, hence why they say 'arag'-live. The main idea is to prevent immediate drop in pH. Though, aragonite form of calcified carbons needs a substantially lower pH(like in calcium reactors) compare to average salt water aquarium to dissolve, pockets of low pH can dissolve aragonite and in essence 'neutralized'. It's not the low pH that kills the tank, it's the spikes. Btw technically speaking, I think we will get even higher pH if we sample on areas near rocks and sands because of higher possibilty of having decaying matter which decomposes to ammonia. And we know ammonia has a high pH. The old understanding that aragonite is ONLY useful with a calcium reactor which we artificially lower the pH via pumping in carbon dioxide is...well an old understanding. Carribsea knows about this, which is why they advertise their sand are aragonite infused sand and some with live bacteria. Two birds with one stone.

[@vidextreme]

***** (clicked on post too soon) This is why what you've said about sand bed is for aesthetic purposes only, I think, is an understatement. Another purpose for sand beds, which has only a few amount of articles about this, greatly contribute to establish a safe sulfur cycle in tanks. This time, it's not just about surface area but one attribute that other media is lacking that sand do...sift-ability. Decaying matter also includes compound of sulfur. And having hydrogen sulfide, a rather toxic material even for us humans, is safely released(as gas) and exits the tank via the surface. This is of course in the context of a 'matured' sand bed....worms and critters going about sifting and munching along and burrowing the sand. Siphoning the sand will definitely affect these vital creatures and the maturity of the sand bed. Just to share my experience, I had one tank that I did not change water, like zero water change for two years. It was a fish only tank, saltwater, of course, with a bunch of delicate fish like a spotted eel. It only crashed when I accidentally poured lemonade which I thought was distilled water. *sniff* This tank does not have any artificial filtration other than a DIY skimmer. This was my first saltwater tank. And knowing what I know now, I can only attribute its success to the tank's sand bed doing its underrated job.

[@niallstruthers2184]

Will you guys ever ship to the UK?

[@andrewr022488]

Could you elaborate about the buffing capabilities of the Hawaiian Black sand vs the calcium carbonate based sands? Also, If I were to sift the Hawaiian Black through a mesh sifter with 2.5mm "#60 MESH" and used only the smaller grains that are 2.5mm or smaller, would it be better suited for sand sifting goby rather than using the whole bag with the larger granules included? I like the look of the Black sand pretty well and I'm tired of the Fiji pink, which seems generic now.

[@Dognormousllc]

I"m just starting in the reefing hobby, since my 55 gal was free. I would like to have crabs in my tank, which sand would work best for them?

[@RoboNarples-et6ky]

What if I have a fish that requires a deeper sand bed such as a jawfish?

[@myopinion6328]

Can sand be added months down the road if you decide you don't like a bare bottom tank?

[@bane1607]

why the heck do people dislike these videos?

[@joseCalderon1976]

+jraker I was just thinking the same exact thing! BRS and Ryan are very cool and are always making nice informative videos.

[@i.c.b.m6376]

+jraker they might have mental problems

[@KoRnifyable]

Maybe cause he sounds like he's yelling... like the sham-wow guy. It's hard to get past his delivery, but once you can focus on the content there is a lot of great info.

[@raymondrossetti5693]

sygy wsssssss11111@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

[@sommersarme5613]

syg

[@hansi98]

The King of diy occasionally uses Tiling his freshwater Tanks, is that an Option for reef tanks as well Or are there any issues eg small animals getting behind The tiles? Very good videos!

[@gputec3]

should be receiving my 2.1 tomorrow.. I can't wait to scape it and ad sand, then saltwater.. guess I'm right on time

[@solidusrock1]

In regards to the Clarifiers included in the sand bags. If my tank is already set up with reef and fish, Is the clarifier safe to use while i have fish swimming around in there?

[@TheFernalfer]

I have a question about the order you did everything. I have a empty tank. It looks like you filled the empty BRS160 with RODI water and salt and mixed in tank. But then you show adding rocks but there was no water. Then you show The rock and just water in tank. Then you did the Sand video and you show the rock down first then sand with no water then have water in it. Question is in what order do you put what in first? Water and salt and mix it? Or rock first then water then sand. What order did you add the Water, salt, rock, and sand in the BRS 160?

[@samanthabell6138]

that very cool I want one for my doughter one day she has a baby red ear slider

[@bguzio]

is it common, beneficial or advisable to mix crushed coral and sand combined. are there any draw backs if I use both together

[@evaneversole8546]

could you guide me a direction on cleaning sand every time I do it there is tons of sand that go down the drain

[@Chub4Chevy]

Is it good practice to have egg crate on the bottom to protect the glass?

[@lukejo45]

how is the zeovit system working with using live sand were there any issues

[@Jeff-ik9zj]

So i am maybe gonna turn my old empty 30 gallon fw tank into sw, It has normal sand in there can i use that? Or do i have to get new sand

[@alejandrosaavedra301]

question?? I'm planning to move my current tank to a new tank but I'm thinking to be bare bottom which the sand of my old tank is too old and dirty and is getting algae problems. so my inquiry is if is possible to move my tank without sand?? or i can use new live sand but it will break down my current cycle or it will affect all my livestock?? thanks

[@drdrdator]

I think BB tanks looks just as good if not even better as soon as coralline is covering the bottom. Which shouldn't take too long.

[@j.6623]

I thought a deep sand bed would promote anaerobic bacteria growth?? if not how do I maintain them in my tank??? thanks!

[@goldenpondrvpark1637]

My live sand had no where near as much water as what is showed here in the video. The sand was damp but no excess water. One bag was almost dry. I bought the Carib Sea Fiji Pink. Should I be worried?

[@johnatella8498]

Also, if your home is on a septic system, don't put your dirty salt water (or any salt water) into your septic system.

[@jrturtle-xf2lp]

any tips for cleaning sand beds with small particles? my siphone just sucks my sand up, but not algea, and i constantly find myself having to replace the sand.

[@kakam458]

Get a bunch of nassarius snails and you will never need to siphon again ;)

[@DDL954]

how much and what kind of sand would you recommend in a 32 gal biocube?

[@shlorp3976]

Do you know what size bag will fill a ten gallon with a nice 1-2 inch layer?

[@shlorp3976]

***** Okay, thanks!

[@abh3960]

guys i dont have to much money but is there a cheap sand pool or other i can put into my reef tank?

[@blenderheado2424]

Can you do some fresh water tank that will be helpful.

[@robertsouthard1878]

hi will the special grade be ok for sand sifting fish?

[@reallysleeper]

Can we mix and use Ocean Direct and Arag alive in one tank?

[@mapcraft1]

Can i use Water from the ocean? i lieve in Germany near the Baltic sea and if i were to take the natural sand, wouldnt i be then getting all the natural bacteria with it?

[@jamesmorrison1166]

Looks way better with the sand. That is coming from a bare bottom fan.

[@oxiac6006]

Do if I leave sand in the bag it will suffocate?

[@xXxXemohaiRXxXx]

Is there merit to not siphoning the sand directly as shown in the video? I can still mix up the sand bed before doing a water change. What I'm concerned with are all the little copepods and living bugs in that inhabit the sand. I have a 4-5ish year old 25g aquarium and I see them all over the glass walls and only assume they're hiding in the sand too. If I siphon the sand, won't they just be sucked up and eventually lead to rapid decline of copepod population, which my fish would not like to happen. The live and abundant reproducing food is great for them. Also side question. I've been keeping away from Mandarin Gobies because I know their diet is pretty specific. If I put one in my 25g, would the pod population eventually die off and lead to me having to buy more to feed the Mandarin Goby? Thank you for any reply.

[@xXxXemohaiRXxXx]

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll definitely take your advice mixed along with my personal experience. I think I'll keep holding off on the beautiful Dragonets until I know I have a more than suitable environment for them. :D

[@i.c.b.m6376]

I planned to buy caribsea bimini pink, any tips on that

[@scprepper2672]

could you start a tank bare and add sand later.0?

[@istandwithisreal8883]

Do I need to maintenance my sand if I run an ultra low nutrient system in my reef end it works “too well“

[@BRStv]

We usually like to siphon out our sand during our water changes to siphon out the buildup of detritus. If you're having a hard time with keeping nitrates and phosphates up, you could consider doing smaller or less frequent water changes, or feeding more.

[@leahfiish]

Hi BRS, I plan on using live sand for my new tank. I already have my dry rock in place, and my plan is to add live sand and then fill it with RO, and once it's full mix in the salt. Will adding RO to the live sand defeat the purpose of it being live? It might take 1 or 2 days of filling with RO before it's full.

[@nanibanaant6141]

as long as the RO has salt mixed in it you're fine, otherwise all the benefitial bacteria would die.

[@leahfiish]

BulkReefSupplyCom i ended up using dry sand. :)

[@josephwzr]

Whats the best type of sand that doesnt get blown around easily and still suitable for sand wrasses?

[@josephwzr]

hmm thanks alot! How do i go about changing sand in my current tank? My current one is too fine and theres always an empty spot at the corner.

[@GoLeafs03]

Would 20lbs of CaribSea Fiji Pink be good enough for a jbj 30g tank??? And a goby should be fine with that grain size right??

[@GoLeafs03]

The dimension are 23.6-inch X 19.7-inch X 16.5-inch

[@72jmunoz]

why add it after the watter is in the tank why not put it in before use a bowl to fill whont that keep the cloud dust down ?

[@worldtravelin]

How do I have a beer with this guy?

[@CruzArias_ElegantCorals]

Go to MACNA 2018... LOL

[@ephemeralzeal7264]

he's a "reefer"

[@dubsydabster]

What kind of pests occur in live sand?

[@NYsmk]

How many inches of sand did you end up with at 6 20lb bags?

[@BensCanyonAT4]

hey I've had a 40lb bag of CaribSea Ocean Direct live sand for a little under a year I'd say and I can't find an expiration date, would this still be safe to use? Thanks

[@BensCanyonAT4]

+BulkReefSupplyCom Okay thank you so much for the speedy reply, you guys are awesome that you respond to almost every question a lot of places don't. Keep it up BRS!

[@rbosco2112]

How is the Caribsea Special grade reef sand for sand sifting fish?

[@rbosco2112]

Thank you

[@rusliyiable]

I have algae growing in my sand..how i can clear my sand?do we have a fish that can do it and safe for all coral?

[@BRStv]

Manually removing as much algae as possible is where I'd start. From there, consider using something like Vibrant. It's a bacterial supplement where the bacteria literally eat algae. We actually did a video on Vibrant not too long ago that you might find helpful and interesting. I'll post a link below. www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/brstv-investigates-vibrant-aquarium-cleaner/

[@rusliyiable]

@@BRStv do you have any suggestion besides vibrant?cause in my place no provides vibrant yet

[@2008MrsKim]

I bought this sand and the lady at the fish store told me to rinse it a few times to rid of dead bacteria. I now have the worst algae outbreak to date. Don't know how to rid of it.

[@Pontiuspilate666]

can i get a sand sifting goby with original grade sand, ocean direct.

[@elijahfaas]

+Bulk Reef Supply are you based out of Minneapolis, I saw you walked into saltwater empire?

[@kelleyballard6679]

BulkReefSupplyCom What will it take to get you guys to sell Tropic Eden Reef Flakes? By FAR the best substrate out there in my opinion.

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

Could bristle worms show up in live or dry sand?

[@BRStv]

Very little to no chance. Live sand is typically dried out, sorted for grain size, then packaged with water and dormant bacteria, so most living creatures die off in the process. Dry sand is completely dry, so no chance for bristle worms. The only exception would be sand like the Ocean Direct type that isn't dried out before packaging.

[@shellyjones341]

How about all the opinions that say not to vacuum or disturb your sand bed? Aren't there beneficial organisms like spaghetti worms etc that could be inadvertently removed by vacuuming the sand? How about using only a turkey baster to tumble the sand, pushing the detritus into the water column then removing it with via the filter socks? Is this a viable way to "clean" the sand of excess nutrients?

[@mrbigshot29]

+Shelly Jones if its under 4" you have to vacuum. it isn't until 4"+ that denitrification begins from anaerobic bacteria. anything less than 4" is a detritus trap and absolutely will crash the tank over time. depends on the size of the tank but a large 100g+ tan will get old sand syndrome in 4 years or less from this.

[@shellyjones341]

Thank you both for the advice. My 60G DT has a sand bed that is nominally 1" deep and is ultra fine. Besides blowing with a turkey baster and the sand sifters moving it about, the sand has not been cleaned since I put it in 10 months ago. I vacuumed it today by routing the outlet of the siphon to double layered felt filter sock plus mesh filter bag combo which I placed in the sump. This way I could vacuum slowly without worrying about draining too much water. I captured a lot of dark green mucky gunk and my sand bed looks beautiful. I did a 10% water change after. All the livestock are happy except maybe my pistol shrimp since I buried many of his burrows!

[@marcusmischievous]

You say black sand is not good for buffering? What is buffering?

[@marcusmischievous]

Thank you! Would it be possible to receive the same effect of appropriate levels simply by dosing if I DO decide to go with the black sand? ~Thank you!

[@kylesmith9048]

Does vacuuming the sand also remove/impact beneficial bacteria?

[@BRStv]

Since most of the good nitrifying bacteria live on surfaces like rock and sand, vacuuming the sand will inevitably have a negative effect on the bacteria population. That said, in a mature system, the benefits of vacuuming the sand usually outweigh the negatives. If you're concerned, consider only vacuuming sections of the sand bed during each water change.

[@sjuicehockey]

How do you add sand to an existing reef tank? Every couple months my siphon removes some sand. I need to add sand. I don't want that huge cloud in my reef. I put new sand in a bucket and rinse a couple times to get rid of cloud and and large pieces that clog siphon tube. I do use live sand but sounds like I'm killing it by rinsing it. With existing live sand in tank will it seed after time? Should I start using dry sand if adding to existing tank? I'm assuming that a think cloud would hurt corals and add stress to fish. True? Thanks for videos. Very helpful.

[@kinglyzard]

I mixed a bag of Arag-Alive with sand in my 55g brackish tank. I have yet to find any measurable nitrates, even after cycling successfully. No ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates. It looks like a complete nitrogen cycle

[@inachu]

I got out of the salt tank hobby. my gobbies kept chocking on the sand and dying.

[@inachu]

@@WoofyMcDoodle I used regular ocean sand

[@shanethereefer9428]

Any tips on adding fresh sand to an existing sand bed?

[@shanethereefer9428]

+BulkReefSupplyCom great, 1st cup will go in tomorrow morning then. Thanks :)

[@polyscient]

Just FYI, the term is "moot point" not "mute point". It means a debatable question, an issue open to argument; also, an irrelevant question, or a matter of no importance. www.dictionary.com/browse/moot-point

[@polyscient]

Nice videos by the way! If I ever decided to dive into the complex hobby of saltwater tanks, I would definitely use your videos as a guide.

[@markarmstrong147]

I let my tank completely die the fish died months ago and as far as I can figure out the live rock died had the same sort of time that was 2 years ago is my sand worth anything as could I restart my tank with that live sand in it

[@BRStv]

With that much death in the tank, you're probably going to be best served by replacing the sand. The rock can be salvaged, but we'd probably suggest drying out and re-curing the rock based on your description of the situation here.