Cycling new tank with Bacteria in a bottle - Sand Question

[bsdubois00]

Looking to use one of the 'bacteria in a bottle' options (Fritz, Dr Tims, MicroBacter, etc) to cycle the new tank and curious about sand. I will be using dry rock (not live rock) but for sand, is it ok to use live sand?

Thanks!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Looking to use one of the 'bacteria in a bottle' options (Fritz, Dr Tims, MicroBacter, etc) to cycle the new tank and curious about sand. I will be using dry rock (not live rock) but for sand, is it ok to use live sand?

Thanks!

Perfectly ok to use live sand! I used Caribsea live sand and Dr Tim's One and Only when I cycled my tank!

 

[mjszos]

You can use either dry or live sand, it makes functionally no difference. If you go dry sand, make sure you rinse it well.

Regarding bacteria, in the past I've used Dr Tim's One and Only but due to lack of local supply I used Fritz TurboStart on my most recent tank.

 

[exnisstech]

If you can find a couple of pieces of live rock and cup of sand from an established tank it can make a world of difference. I rinse all sand before adding it to my tanks. I made the mistake of not rinsing sand once and even when the tank cleared everytime my dragon wrasse buried itself it was a dust storm.