Live sand

[spaulr]

My live rock is in the last stages of the curing process and I almost have my system filled with RO/DI water. I'm looking to buy some live sand for the sump and for the tank. Not a DSB but about an inch or so. I've seen varying prices on the internet and the LSF recommended Caribsea Fiji pink sand. Other places such as Drs Foster and Smith sell live sand for about 3x the price (20lbs = $75 w/out shipping). Why the variation in cost? Is this a quality issue, marketing, or the "bling" bling" factor of having that type of sand?

 

[Anonymous]

Your best bet is to use regular sand, then get a cup full of LS from either a friend or a willing LFS. When I went to Cozumel, I brought home "beach sand" in a cleaned out Gatorade bottle, except it was a little, er, wet.