# Petsmart/co/goods/supply live sand question!



## Deku (Aug 24, 2008)

Umm ok well i saw a 20pounds of live sand in petsmart and the rest of the pet places(ussually starting with pet of course) i know these places are bad petstores but umm at petsmart it was like 15$ for a 20pound live sand and there was caribbean and umm i think some black pacific sand(wasnt completely black) it says it includes gastropods and other inverts as in sandsifter crabs (the small ones) and etc...but it was just in a bag like how you would see for other substrates...and it wasnt in water or something...they said its supposed to be good....and that theyre top notch brands...but uhh isnt live sand supposed to be in water? also wouldnt the gastropods and all that stuff die if its in a baggy? where someone could either drop/sit/punch(idk why)/or harm it in some sort of way? what is the best brand for live sand? and should it be in water when they sell it? also i found some sea water salt it was in a tub (a really big tub like the size of three paint tubs or idk it was like big bigger than a normal computer monitor about the size of a medium size tv....and as wide as a tv it was for 46$ would it be worth it buying that? because im just going to use it for like a brackishwater tank also what is the best live sand for green spotted puffers? where should it originate? also im trying out this whole method to like idk confuse the puffer or tricking it into allowing some salt water hermit crabs in the tank like what i was planning is putting alot of empty hermit crab shells in the tank some turned down some upwards like ALOT of them and move em across the tank so like the first few days hell be attacking them and stuff but after a while hell think theres nothing in there and like remove the puffer from the tank for that moment and drop in three small blue legged hermit crabs.... and still keep the shells because ive heard from another source thats what they did and it worked but idk if itll work for me.... he seams to attack anything he sees infront of his face moving like i even drop a few snails and doesnt attack em unless he saw em me dropping them and or the snails sliding upwards(as in climbing) also i know java fern or java moss can be used in a brackish tank....but i really dunno any other kinds of plants ><;;; like i want a plant that can eventually survive full marine environment....also other than the heater the tank the sand and the live rock and filter and plants what else would a green spotted puffer require? will i need to get like a skimmer? and a sump?


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## aquakid (Jun 22, 2008)

*reply*

I wouldn't buy it


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

if the bag has water or is very moist then i'd get it, but if it doesn't then everything is going to be dead in it. still not a bad price for sand though ($15) and i'd just rinse it off to get the dead crits out of it. live sand is great, but non-live sand will work too, just don't add to a up and running tank... it'll be a dark and stormy night... in the tank.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Well most Green Spotted Puffers are in freshwater when you buy them, so the changeover to full marine would have to take place over months. I don't think any of the saltwater creatures in live sand would survive at all during this process, so I wouldn't bother getting live sand. 

I don't think you'll need a protein skimmer for that sort of tank; regular freshwater-style filtration should be fine.

Puffers are very good at eating inverts, so there's absolutely no guarantee that the "trick" you're talking about should work. I definitely recommend avoiding any of the more expensive marine inverts in a tank with a puffer.

There are plants that can survive in full marine, but I'm not sure that java fern or java moss will be able to tolerate salt levels that high. Someone more versed in saltwater tanks will be able to provide more help.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

There are many types of macro algae that you can safely use in a main display tank, but the general rule is to use a refugium for any type of algae. i recammend doing some more research first. Cheatomorpha is good and i don't recammend any Calurpa (grape)... in refugium or in tank (especially not in display tank as it can take over and strangle all in it). check out liveaquaria, they have some good info on macro algae. If see mangroves... well just ask about them if you're interested and i can point you to a thread or a column about it.

BTW i didn't check to see where you're from but if it's cali then Calurpa is illegal anyways.


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