Live Sand for aquariums is what dishwashers, washing machines and vacuum cleaners are for the home.  Live Sand provides an army of micro cleaning organisms.  Like the fish, corals and invertebrates you can see, these micro organisms must eat as well.  So what EXACTLY do they eat?  Live Sand worms and other micro organisms eat everything that was left behind from the larger organisms. 

Many companies produce live sand by collecting and cultivating the microbes within the live sand which give the live sand the properties reef keepers have come to love.  CaribSea produces Bahama Oolite sand which is a sugar fine aragonite.  Bahama Oolite is my choice for Deep Live Sand Beds.

Q:    I heard that live sand can be a Deep Sand Bed or a Shallow Sand Bed- what's the difference?

A:     A deep sand bed is a bed of sand which is 3+ inches deep.  This creates an anaerobic environment in which anaerobic bacteria can thrive.  A shallow sand bed is less than 1 inch in depth.  This creates an aerobic environment.   Problems in sand beds occur when sand depth is between the two depths, preventing aerobic or anaerobic biological filtration to occur. 

Q:    Why is a Deep Sand Bed important? 

         A:     Deep Sand Beds (DSB) provide several things:

 1.   Recycle bin for detritus, animal feces, leftover food changing to usable forms

 2.   Process and Export dissolved nutrients

 3.  Food for the reef

Q:     How does Live Sand do all of that? 

A:     In the Live Sand live bacteria that EAT the leftover nutrients- they are the BEST biological filters!

 

Q:     There are so many kinds of sand- which one should I choose?

A:     The usable bacterial surface area increases significantly as the average particle size decreases.  Can you fit more small dishes into the dishwasher or large pots?  The same applies here- BUT you want as MUCH denitrifying bacteria as you can get in your sand bed- so use the sand, which is approximately .125mm in diameter.

Q:    How deep should my DEEP SAND BED be??

         A:     Good denitrification is less likely to occur in beds, which are less than 3 inches.  Smaller systems (less than 75 gallons) should employ at least 3” where as larger systems will benefit significantly from beds as deep as 6 inches.

Q:    I heard there are benefits to using crushed coral.  What do you think?

           A:    Coarser sediments have problems in that they greatly reduce the usable surface area but also having rough edges, they are abrasive to the small crustaceans that must crawl through to keep the sediment sifted.

Q:     One mans trash is another’s treasure! 

         A:     Ammonium Hydroxide (Ammonia Gas) is the primary byproduct of fish and invertebrate urine.  But Ammonia Gas is HIGHLY toxic to animals!  Yes it is- and bacteria do a FINE job of absorbing it and using it for their own growth and success!

 Q:     What about Phosphates? 

         A:    Phosphates will not KILL fish but they will stunt coral growth.

Q:        So how do you get rid of phosphates? 

         A:     The same bacteria in the sand bed which eat the ammonia gas, also eat the phosphates

Q:     I heard I need other “organisms” in the sand bed- what kind??

         A:     150-200 different organisms are typically found in a healthy sand bed, ranging from bristle worms,round worms, flatworms, small snails, brittle stars, small crustaceans and small sea cucumbers, to name a few. 

Q:     These worms and other things are VERY ugly- what EXACTLY do they do for my reef tank?

           A:        They eat larger pieces of food and then excrete waste which in turn feeds the smaller guys which in turn excrete waste which feeds even smaller guys- It is the circle of LIFE!!  Also animals which burrow in the sand will turn the sediment over which prevents clumping of the sand bed!

Q:     What is clumping? 

            A:      Some bacteria secrete glycocalyx otherwise known as the "sweet husk of the cell", is an exterior covering made of a hard sugar like material resembling rock candy!  By rapid bacterial growth, enough of this material can actually GLUE sediment pieces together.  Some literature states these clumps are caused by a calcium carbonate precipitation, however if that was the case the lump could be placed into bleach and the lump would disintegrate.  Since this is very rarely seen, marine biologists believe the rapid growth of bacteria is a more likely cause. 

Q:     Clumping sounds like a HUGE problem, what should I do?

          A:       Clumping is a disaster for the biological filter, but through the use of afore mentioned Sand Bed Organisms the sand bed is “turned over” and lumps are prevented. 

Q:    I want to change my substrate in my existing aquarium- How should I do it?

          A:      First remove the existing substrate, then slowly and carefully add the sand while keeping the sand as compacted as possible, preventing as much water as possible from mixing with the sand.     *REMEMBER: The GOOD bacteria in the sand are ANAEROBIC.  This means oxygen (water) will KILL the beneficial bacteria!

           Second, place rocks on top of the sand.  Do not disturb the sand bed any more than absolutely necessary

Q:    I am setting up my aquarium- how should I add the live sand?

          A:    First, put the sand into the tank.  Then add one piece of Live Rock, using that piece of rock as a surface for the water to hit to prevent the sand from eroding. 

           Second, place rocks on top of the sand.  Do not disturb the sand bed any more than absolutely necessary

Q:     My water is SOOO cloudy after I added the sand- Why??  Will it ever clear up???

         A:     This is NORMAL- your animals are OK and yes the cloudiness will settle within 12-24 hours.

Q:     My friend says Deep Sand Beds are bad.

         A:      Many people unfamiliar with DSB do not understand the dynamics and chemistry of a deep sand bed.  The two FANTASY problems are as follows:

         1.            Accumulation of Hydrogen Sulfide under the DSB.

                      In the VERY bottom layers of the DSB, hydrogen sulfide will be formed!  HOWEVER- it will not migrate up and poison the tank & LONG before the toxicity level in the tank reaches critical mass, your home would smell like a ROTTEN EGG FACTORY! 

         2.            Detritus build up on the sediment.

If the fauna that live in and on the sediment are thriving, you WILL not have detritus build up.  That would be like saying “I have a classroom of healthy, hungry children and yet a plate of cupcakes has been untouched!”  Just like children, where there is food, the fauna WILL eat!

Q:        I was told I would need to purchase a “Recharge Kit” of beneficial bacteria.  Why?

 A:    Unfortunately all good things do come to an end- and due to the size limitation of the sand bed in your tank; some organisms are unable to properly reproduce to sustain their own lifeline.  Purchasing a recharge kit every 18 months is a wise investment and will bring back two fold for the health of your reef.

Please click here for a more in depth discussion on Live Sand for Aquariums.

Got a question?? 

Email: christina@piece-of-the-reef.com 

Call: Christina at 813 789 5294