Proper substrate for GSP?

[WickedEdges]

So I read somewhere the proper substrate is sand for a GSP. Is this correct? What does everyone here use?

[jus85411]

i have sand, i also have nassarius snails that i replenish and add to every few months. my GSP loves digging and hunting for those snails in the sand. plus its soft on their bellies for when they go to sleep or just rest on the substrate

[Pufferpunk]

Actually, aragonite sand, to keep the pH steady, around 8. 1" will do.

[WickedEdges]

Is aragonite sand something I can get from my LFS?

[RTR]

+1 to Pufferpunk's comment.

And yes, aragonite sand is a standard LFS offereing - it is available in a variety of shades and grain sizes.

[WickedEdges]

Ok I bought some live aragonite. We'll see if it works!

[Pufferpunk]

Nothing live about sand in a bag. Just rinse & use.

[WickedEdges]

Well from my understanding, the "live" part comes from the live bacteria and there's some water that the sand was sealed up with in the bag that claims to have bacteria with a shelf life of 12 months. I dunno. I hope it works...

[Brandon8521]

The bacteria in the sand is long dead before it gets to you and most of the organics have turned to ammonia. Rinse really well and if its already in your tank its best to do some good vacumeing to get out most of the dead stuff. It may still leach ammonia in your tank for a few weeks but that will feed your cycle to help start thing going its just not going to introduce the bacteria needed to start it.

[WickedEdges]

Crap. Figures.

Well I bought a live rock from my LFS as well. We'll see if that can get things started. How do I vaccuum that fine sand without it all being siphoned out of the water?

[SammyDee]

What you want to do is buy an extra hose that fits your syphons mouth, Add the tubbing make it longer than the standard ones. Make sure the hose you buy is the very pliable. So begin syphon as you would with gravel then with your other hand pinch or kink the line just as the sand is about to pass the mouthpeice and enter the tube. When it kinks the flow should stop and the sand will fall. repeat everywhere. Takes a lil practice...

oh yea the similar more pliable hose can be bought by the foot for 32c a foot at lowes and prolly at home depot or any hardware/plumbing store.

[Pufferpunk]

Even easier--stir sand & skim the siphon over the loose debris.

[SammyDee]

YA thats what I do too! but in this case the sand was live and added to FW so It Id go the syphon method to catch more dead debris. Since its adding a ton of ammonia. To remove the ammonia quickest. The once the tank re-stabalizes use the easier method Pufferpunk suggested.

[Pufferpunk]

Ammonia will be removed, as the biological bacteria multiplies.

[WickedEdges]

Any suggestions on how to cycle the tank faster via bio bacteria?