Rock & Substrates

Quick Overview

Sustainably harvested from various natural sites in the Western Pacific, Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand lets you quickly create a beneficial natural sandbed in your marine or reef aquarium. No rinsing required - simply open the bag and add Live Aragonite Sand to your aquarium! Plus, Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand is packaged with live, naturally occurring nitrifying beneficial bacteria that help establish your aquarium's biological filtration and reduce harmful nitrate in your sand bed. This attractive, fine-grained tan substrate complements any aquarium setup.

Instructions
Store Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand at room temperature and do not open the package until you are ready to put the sand in your aquarium. Do not rinse the sand. Use approx 1 lb per gallon. For deep sand beds, use 2X this amount or more. When starting with an empty aquarium, add approx 1" of seawater to the aquarium, then add the Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand. When filling the aquarium, pour the additional seawater over a plate placed on the sand to prevent the water stream from stirring the sand. The slight cloudiness in the water from freshly added sand will clear after a few hours of water circulation.
Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand dramatically shortens the time required to establish the biological filtration of an aquarium because it includes live naturally occurring nitrifying microorganisms. After the water has cleared, it is safe to add some invertebrates or even one or two fish, but do not exceed 1" of fish per 5 gallons of water for the first few weeks.

Caution
Freshly collected live rock can cause ammonia spikes that harm fish and some invertebrates. When starting a new aquarium with fresh live rock and Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand, it is best to wait until the ammonia reading drops (usually within 7-10 days) before adding fish and invertebrates.

Important tips
Strong currents will move the sand! Fine-grained Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand will get blown out of high-flow areas and deposited to lower-flow areas. It is possible to use heaver, larger gravel sizes to fill in the high-flow areas. When adding Outsanding Selections Live Aragonite Sand to an established aquarium that has an existing sand bed, do not simply add the new sand on top because it could smother animals living there. Carefully mix the new sand into the existing sand bed, stirring it in by hand.

Substrate ordering reference guide
Determining how much substrate to buy for your new aquarium depends on the size and shape of your tank, as well as the depth of the substrate bed you wish to achieve. Other factors include the type of aquascaping structure you're planning, and the grain size of the manufacturer's substrate of choice. While this may sound complicated, don't worry - you won't need to be an algebra whiz to get started! The simplest rule of thumb to use is to plan 1 lb of substrate per gallon to achieve a 1" bed. Or 2 lbs per gallon for a 2" bed. Since aquariums come in a variety of shapes, tall or long, we recommend the following guide for your reference

*Does not apply to bow, hex, or corner-shaped aquariums. Many hobbyists will tell you it's always safer to get more substrate than you think you may need, because then you'll always have some on hand for future renovations or additional setups.

Two Little Fishies OutSanding Selections
Refugite
Live Mineral-Rich Sand for refugiums and seagrass displays, for mangroves, and for LPS corals such as Goniopora, Trachyphyllia, and Acanthophyllia. Refugite promotes natural denitrification, adsorbs phosphate, and can be regenerated. It’s packed live with BioPronto too. Packaged in 6.8 kg (15 lb) bags.