Special Grade Arag-Alive! Live Reef Sand – CaribSea

Why does BRS recommend this?

When we at Bulk Reef Supply set up a tank that we know will have large amounts of flow our instant choice for sand is the Arag-Alive Special Grade Sand from CaribSea.  With its larger particle size, it does not get pushed around like most other smaller grain sand sizes available and is great for all tanks especially those with a lot of water movement.

 

Special Grage Arag-Alive! Live Aragonite Reef Sand contains millions of live bacteria to create a natural biological balance in your reef tank.

• Contains live bacteria to assist with a faster cycle
• Grain size: 1-2mm
• High Surface Area for Bacteria

 

BRS suggests 1 pound of sand per 2 gallons of display tank volume on average

 

Caribsea’s Arag-Alive! Live Reef Sand is a great choice for new aquarists and new reef tank setups. Arag-Alive sands clear quickly and contain millions of live bacteria, speeding up your tanks cycle and leading to less nuisance algae.

 

Selecting the right sand: When choosing the right sand for your tank, it is important to keep a few things in mind.

How much flow will be in the tank?
Aquariums with high amounts of water movement will require sand with a larger grain size. Smaller particles can be blown around easily.

What kind of inhabitants will you be keeping?
Many species do require particular types of sand, like gobies, jawfish, and wrasses. Fish and invertebrates that like to burrow or sift through the sand will do best with smaller particle sizes.

Will it be for a refugium or deep sandbed?
Sand that will be used for filtration or refugium, we suggest using smaller particles that will give bacteria more surface area to grow and thrive on.

How much sand do I need?

Below is a table of common tank sizes and how many pounds of Special Grade Sand is required to achieve a certain depth. Results may vary depending on the aquascaping in your tank, overflow styles, and the specific tank manufacturer. We always recommend getting a little extra sand to make sure you have enough on hand when you are filling your tank. 

 

Gallons	Dimension	1″ Depth	2″ Depth	3″ Depth
10 Gallon	20x10x12	9.7 lbs	19.4 lbs	29.2 lbs
20 Gallon	24x12x16	14.0 lbs	28.0 lbs	42.0 lbs
29 Gallon	30x12x18	17.5 lbs	35.0 lbs	52.5 lbs
30 Gallon	36x13x16	22.8 lbs	45.5 lbs	68.3 lbs
40 Gallon	36x18x16	31.5 lbs	63.0 lbs	94.5 lbs
55 Gallon	48x13x20	29.7 lbs	59.4 lbs	89.1 lbs
75 Gallon	48x18x21	41.1 lbs	82.3 lbs	123.4 lbs
90 Gallon	48x18x24	41.1 lbs	82.3 lbs	123.4 lbs
120 Gallon	48x24x24	54.8 lbs	109.7 lbs	164.5 lbs
180 Gallon	72x24x24	84.0 lbs	168.0 lbs	252.0 lbs
220 Gallon	72x24x30	84.0 lbs	168.0 lbs	252.0 lbs
300 Gallon	72x36x27	126.0 lbs	252.0 lbs	378.0 lbs

 

Sand Type	Grain Sizes (mm)	Average Density
Fiji Pink	0.5 – 1.5	90lbs per cubic foot
Special Grade	1.0 – 2.0	85lbs per cubic foot
Bahamas Oolite	0.25 – 1.0	96lbs per cubic foot
Indo-Pacific Black	0.25 – 5.0	90lbs per cubic foot
West Caribbean Reef	1.0 – 5.0	90lbs per cubic foot
Hawaiian Black	0.25 – 3.5	80lbs per cubic foot
Bimini Pink	0.5 – 5.0	90lbs per cubic foot
Natural Reef	3.0 – 5.5	85lbs per cubic foot
Florida Crushed Coral	3.0 – 5.5	72lbs per cubic foot