CaribSea Arag-Alive claims no rinsing needed and fast clear water - is it legit?

[Theulli]

It depends on your setup I guess…I just dumped the sand into my tank and ran filter floss in the sump overnight. I used that same product. The aquarium was spotless in the morning. Not sure why I would waste RO water rinsing stuff and I am absolutely not using tap water on anything that goes into my tank.

I think there is some classic aquarium snobbery going on here in the sense that there is pressure to acknowledge a ‘right’ way to do things…If you are impatient to get on with the new tank rinse the stuff. If you would rather not rinse it, run some filter floss. Not rocket science.

 

[Spare time]

It doesn't matter. The vast vast majority of people who buy this sand probably don't rinse it since carib sea says to not do so. If you run a mechanical filter, it will be fine. I don't think live sand, outside of speciality live sand and ocean direct, actually use marine bacteria (according to a small clip of ryan from brs mentioning this in one of their very long videos). So either way, it doesn't matter. Just add a bottle of bacteria to get the cycle permanently forward. This doesn't need a 3 page thread to answer the question.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

I am upgrading to a new tank and want to use new sand, the only sand that my LFS had was this CaribSea Arag-Alive https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fiji-pink-arag-alive-live-reef-sand.html . The worker at the LFS claims it doesn't need a rinse and can be thrown in. Anyone have experience with how cloudy this sand is and if whats advertised is legit?

I just added 8 bags of aragalive sand to a 400g and it cleared up within 16 hours. Im at week two and crystal clear with no diatoms

 

[brandon429]

I think a major issue is that the few promise an outcome to all, they don't comment on fifteen links / page one of our thread showing didn't work for quite a few

My first picture here is a cat mesmerized by the brown cloud opaque, we just gloss over it, no mention

The groupthink crowd withholds information from those who want a clear choice set on possible outcomes, they don't know that option of failed settling happens because they don't work with others tanks on file.

We'll call that procedural myopia as the euphemism


the implied harm of rinsing out sand bacteria is completely made up and doesn’t match any of the science shown on the rinse tracking
threads

The only consequence for pre rinsing sand is the water wasted for hours on end in the prep, nothing biological or chemical has any consequences

 

[Sump Crab]

I think a major issue is that the few promise an outcome to all, they don't comment on fifteen links / page one of our thread showing didn't work for quite a few

My first picture here is a cat mesmerized by the brown cloud opaque, we just gloss over it, no mention

The groupthink crowd withholds information from those who want a clear choice set on possible outcomes, they don't know that option of failed settling happens because they don't work with others tanks on file.

We'll call that procedural myopia as the euphemism


the implied harm of rinsing out sand bacteria is completely made up and doesn’t match any of the science shown on the rinse tracking
threads

The only consequence for pre rinsing sand is the water wasted for hours on end in the prep, nothing biological or chemical has any consequences

You are full of hubris dude. I’ve bitten my tongue reading your know it all posts in thread after thread. Everything you say on this forum is always made in a way that you know best. Get off your high horse! By your admission nearly 100% of people will have zero issues if they do not rinse sand yet you call people lucky for not having issues? How can nearly 100% of people just be lucky? And the few promise outcomes to all? Clearly it’s the vast, far and away majority that has zero issues. The only “few (people who) promise an outcome to all” are the insignificant minority who have problems with longterm cloudy water.

 

[Troylee]

I just added 20 pounds to my 60 gal cube and threw some floss in the baffles in my sump and by morning it was spotless… zero issues with a well established tank.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You are full of hubris dude. I’ve bitten my tongue reading your know it all posts in thread after thread. Everything you say on this forum is always made in a way that you know best. Get off your high horse! By your admission nearly 100% of people will have zero issues if they do not rinse sand yet you call people lucky for not having issues? How can nearly 100% of people just be lucky? And the few promise outcomes to all? Clearly it’s the vast, far and away majority that has zero issues. The only “few (people who) promise an outcome to all” are the insignificant minority who have problems with longterm cloudy water.

You have no idea!! Lol!
(Good candidate for the ignore feature )

 

[Jonreefer]

You are full of hubris dude. I’ve bitten my tongue reading your know it all posts in thread after thread. Everything you say on this forum is always made in a way that you know best. Get off your high horse! By your admission nearly 100% of people will have zero issues if they do not rinse sand yet you call people lucky for not having issues? How can nearly 100% of people just be lucky? And the few promise outcomes to all? Clearly it’s the vast, far and away majority that has zero issues. The only “few (people who) promise an outcome to all” are the insignificant minority who have problems with longterm cloudy water.

100%. I have said it before. His post are a pain and I think thats a good idea for ignore so I dont have to scroll past and see the garbage.

I just setup a new tank 2 weeks ago. 15lb on my 20g and I had zero cloudiness and my water has been perfectly clear from min 1. Past tanks I have used I never rinsed my argalive and usually if i get any cloudiness and clears up in 24hr

 

[brandon429]

Linking this thread back to another rinse question one

Folks who do not do work in other's tanks are never going to relent, so calling them for account helps.

Jon, I checked your post history, you have never worked in someone else's tank not one time in your entire post history, so it's amazing you're qualified to remark what works so well for others.



this is a side effect of pure armchair quarterbacking

It would be very humbling if I could send you new build threads, have you comment on them with instructions each time and then we track the outcomes for others. I get those messages every day, and advise them to rinse.


Would you be open to being accountable for a few new start builds if I send them to you to comment live-time? how about some tank transfers, where we move someone's ten thousand dollar sps system into another reef and only use clarifier packets, you feel ok guiding a thread like that with your resolve? lets try it

 

[Dburr1014]

IMO,
I would rinse.

1) how long was that bag sitting on a truck in hot or freezing temperatures and then sitting in a store. Do you think anything is really alive in that bag?

2) if there is anything alive in that bag, rinsing in a tap water will not kill all the bacteria. Some yes, but not all.

3) a bag of clarifier? What do you think that is? Bacteria? Because they know that the sand probably not be alive by the time the consumer gets it?

4) tank is all set up, sand is in, rocks are in, but wait, I want to move my rocks around. Oops another day of cloudy water cuz I didn't rinse.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

One thing I love about this hobby is that there's not much that wont fix itself it you just do nothing and chill. If the tank gets cloudy, just wait a couple days. If a cloudy tank from the sand is bothering you then everything else that happens after that is going to be really painful for you. Just relax and let the tank do its thing.

 

[Sump Crab]

Linking this thread back to another rinse question one

Folks who do not do work in other's tanks are never going to relent, so calling them for account helps.

Jon, I checked your post history, you have never worked in someone else's tank not one time in your entire post history, so it's amazing you're qualified to remark what works so well for others.



this is a side effect of pure armchair quarterbacking

It would be very humbling if I could send you new build threads, have you comment on them with instructions each time and then we track the outcomes for others. I get those messages every day, and advise them to rinse.


Would you be open to being accountable for a few new start builds if I send them to you to comment live-time? how about some tank transfers, where we move someone's ten thousand dollar sps system into another reef and only use clarifier packets, you feel ok guiding a thread like that with your resolve? lets try it

you are bananas dude

 

[Timfish]

It's a lot clearer than dry sand.

 

[Rmckoy]

Imagine a scenario where a fifty page thread on the matter exists for reading, the only one on the internet, and then you consider advice that doesn't come from any work thread and advises polar opposite procedures and says pre rinsing is bad

Examples shown on page one of the thread are numerous for folks who hated skip rinsing, showing opaque muddy tanks but that isn't factored

Following group think has a consequence at times, we show


I would for sure do what the crowd says to do, don't read the thread, don't pre test the sand just dump that stuff right in post pics after pls

There is probably a croc swimming in that swampy water …
The unsuspecting cat is about to become dinner

 

[Garf]

There is probably a croc swimming in that swampy water …
The unsuspecting cat is about to become dinner

Rinse that croc away, cat will be safe

 

[Rmckoy]

Rinse that croc away, cat will be safe

I really wish there was pictures of this seneye reef owned by @brandon429
Its comparable in size to my morning coffee cup

 

[Rmckoy]

You have no idea!! Lol!
(Good candidate for the ignore feature )

Free Entertainment as long as you like reading the same news over and over

 

[Jonreefer]

I really wish there was pictures of this seneye reef owned by @brandon429
Its comparable in size to my morning coffee cup

has he ever posted a picture of the tank that he probably claims he will strip clean every 6weeks cause thats whats good for tanks.

 

[Rmckoy]

has he ever posted a picture of the tank that he probably claims he will strip clean every 6weeks cause thats whats good for tanks.

I’ve never seen it !
I have read its tiny size in reference many times .
that’s where I compared it to my morning coffee cup .


@brandon429 can we see a picture of your rip clean reef ?

 

[Jonreefer]

I’ve never seen it !
I have read its tiny size in reference many times .
that’s where I compared it to my morning coffee cup .


@brandon429 can we see a picture of your rip clean reef ?

it got ripped cleaned down the drain. Its just an empty tank with dry sand and rock.