How much sand?

[Twisted_blenny]

How many lbs of sand should I use for my 55g? And also what is everyone's opinion black sand or normal white live sand?

 

[Bifferwine]

For a 1 to 2 inch sandbed, about 1 to 2 lbs per gallon in a standard 55. You don't need to get live sand -- you can buy dry sand and save yourself some money. As to the color, that's up to you. It's all personal preference. For large tanks, I prefer white sand just because it looks natural. But in my smaller tanks, I have used black sand and liked the way the corals' color stood out.

 

[Smitty]

+1 Biff

 

[SarahSmile]

I didn't like white in my first tank since it didn't stay white, always looked dirty. I did a mix of white and black sand in the tank I have now and really like it. I think of it as getting a multicolor shag carpet for your living room; it doesn't show dirt as easily.....