What Live Sand Is and How It Is Used in a Saltwater Aquarium

Unless you are going to be using the Jaubert/Plenum method of filtration, excessive amounts of live sand should not be used. The sand bed becomes too thick, which allows unwanted DOC's (dissolved organics compounds) to get trapped, that in turn can contribute to the growth of undesirable micro and macro-algae. Here are some suggested amounts of live sand to use:

• As the author of "Simplified Reefkeeping", Robert Metelsky recommends a thickness of approximately 1-3/4 to 2 inches, which calculates to 1.45 pounds of sand per gallon. For a 55 gallon tank, this is 80 pounds.

• The FINS Reefkeeper Live Sand FAQ's says that it is normally used at a rate of 10 pounds per square foot of bottom area, which yields about a 1 inch deep covering.

• In Michael Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium", he suggests a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch.
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Basically, the bottom line here is that anywhere from a 1/2 to a 2 inch layer to cover the bottom of the tank should be sufficent.

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