Play box sand is not acceptable for marine systems. too much silica. you will create a diatom haven and create an impossible situation for your self and system. (the short of it). also play ground sand was not developed for the marine aquarium industry and has a high level of contaminates in it. definitely not recommended for marine systems, even fish only systems. now the substrait you should use is suitable substrait based on what animals you want to keep. i.e. aragonite, crushed coral, coral sand that has been developed for the marine aquarium industry etc. hope this helps and WELCOME TO THE FORUM. IF YOU GET A CHANCE JOIN US MON, WENS, FRI, ON CHAT AT 6PM PACIFIC TIME.
for cycling your system i recommend a bacteria booster, some live sand and and a little bit of live rock to start instead of the frozen shrimp. just my thought.
