Want to add Tampa Bay Saltwater live sand

[Johnic]

I have a tank that’s about 1 year and 3 months old that lacks diversity as I started with dead rock and through the year plus I fought dino twice and I’m currently fighting it. In an effort to add some diversity I was thinking of adding live sand to the existing fine sand I have and maybe layering it over the sand I have.
My report from AquaBiomics show very good diverse bacteria but I think I should help with live sand to help fight the dino and any future dino etc.
Thoughts on adding the live sand to existing tank.
I do worry about adding bad stuff or critters.

See attached bacterial report.

 

[TX_REEF]

I did the same thing, dry rock start and aquabiomics test flagged severe lack of bacterial biodiversity. Ordered a “treasure chest” of rubble rock and live sand. Highly recommend. No concerning hitchhikers in the sand, and I used the rubble in my fuge so no concerns with that. Check out my build thread I posted some footage there.

 

[Dan_P]

I have a tank that’s about 1 year and 3 months old that lacks diversity as I started with dead rock and through the year plus I fought dino twice and I’m currently fighting it. In an effort to add some diversity I was thinking of adding live sand to the existing fine sand I have and maybe layering it over the sand I have.
My report from AquaBiomics show very good diverse bacteria but I think I should help with live sand to help fight the dino and any future dino etc.
Thoughts on adding the live sand to existing tank.
I do worry about adding bad stuff or critters.

See attached bacterial report.

“Don’t bother” for an older system is my first thought.

Having stocked it you have potentially added many species of bacteria. The AquaBiomics report apparently supports this notion.

I suspect the fascination with bacteria diversity is a fad that has no hard science to support it. On the other hand, there are no reports of bad things happening when adding live sand to an established aquarium except potentially wasting money.

 

[Johnic]

“Don’t bother” for an older system is my first thought.

Having stocked it you have potentially added many species of bacteria. The AquaBiomics report apparently supports this notion.

I suspect the fascination with bacteria diversity is a fad that has no hard science to support it. On the other hand, there are no reports of bad things happening when adding live sand to an established aquarium except potentially wasting money.

Will it add to the Biodiversity of the tank ?

 

[jda]

There is more than bacteria that matter. Once your tank is mature enough to have film bacteria, algae and a handful of microfauna, I could argue that bacteria goes from very important to not important at all.

I would want the diversity of pods, starfish, worms, good algae, etc. This is the stuff that you want. You can likely get most of the same things from rock or rock rubble if you would rather.

 

[Dan_P]

Will it add to the Biodiversity of the tank ?

It might, but the current system might have enough already and is just not flourishing. Here is a side story.

A major explosion in “visible diversity” in the form of pineapple sponges, tiny fan worms, coralline and other “things” occurred shortly after I started dosing trace elements in the form of Cheatogro for my macro algae. This system was at least four years old and I was generally satisfied with it. Two years later and there is still this luxurious growth that needs regular pruning to keep it from clogging things. It seems my system had diversity but needed the right conditions for it to flourish.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I have a 4 month old reef that starts with tbsw live sand in the display with dry rock and tbsw live rock in the fuge. It has had zero algae issues, full lights and coral from almost day 1 to include acro. Already Coraline covering rocks and looks like its been running for a long time. Live sand came with pods, hermit crab, brittle stars and who knows what micro creatures.

 

[jda]

I forgot about sponges, thanks Dan. I have some really fun ones including some that are bright yellow and live in the crevices and shadows.

If people use dry/dead rock, sand, dip everything and only add pods from bottles, it is hard to get all of this. Fish, coral and invert gut bacteria can give you nearly all of the bacteria that you need.