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Carib Sea

CaribSea Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand for Aquarium – 5 lb – Sea Breathe Technology – Preserves Live Sand with Beneficial Organisms – Perfect for Saltwater Tanks

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Availability: Only 5 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Feb 26 – Mar 9
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Size: 5lb (Pack of 1)


Color: Original Grade


Features

  • Preserves natural sand with beneficial organisms: Ocean Direct uses Sea Breathe technology to maintain real live sand with its original, healthy microorganisms.
  • High count of beneficial organisms: Contains up to 1000 times more healthy microorganisms than other preservation methods, enhancing your tanks ecosystem.
  • No rinsing required: Ready to use right out of the bag, Ocean Direct eliminates the need for rinsing, saving time during setup.
  • Perfect for saltwater aquariums: Ideal for saltwater aquariums, Ocean Direct helps create a thriving, natural environment for your fish and invertebrates.
  • Encapsulated in real ocean water: Each grain is coated with healthy microorganisms and encapsulated by a thin film of ocean water, ensuring optimal gas exchange.

Description

Different than all other live sand products on the market. This live sand utilizes patent pending Sea Breathe technology; which preserves real live sand with its own original bacteria. Every bag of Ocean Direct is alive and breathing with up to 1000 times more beneficial bacteria than other preservation methods. Every grain of Ocean Direct is coated with bacteria and encapsulated by capillary action in a thin film of real ocean water. The thin film is open to the atmosphere for unparalleled gas exchange. This results in high counts of natural and beneficial bacteria with no noxious buildup of metabolic by-products. Ocean Direct provides you with a thriving, natural aquarium in minutes!

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1 x 1 x 1 inches; 1 Pounds


Item model number ‏ : ‎ 00905


Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 25, 2005


Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ TopDawg Pet Supply


Best Sellers Rank: #137,120 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) #104 in Aquarium Sand


#104 in Aquarium Sand:


Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,256)


Item Weight: 1 pounds


Manufacturer: TopDawg Pet Supply


Item model number: 00905


Date First Available: July 25, 2005


Item Package Dimensions L x W x H: 9.92 x 6.69 x 2.44 inches


Item Dimensions LxWxH: 1 x 1 x 1 inches


Item Weight: 1 Pounds


Brand Name: Carib Sea


Target Audience Keyword: fish


Directions: As Labeled


Warranty Description: As Labeled


Model Name: Carib Sea ACS00905 Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand for Aquarium, 5-Pound


Color: Original Grade


Size: 5lb (Pack of 1)


Material: cotton


Age Range Description: All Life Stages


Number of Items: 1


Included Components: Carib Sea ACS00905 Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand for Aquarium, 5-Pound


Specific Uses for Product: Decorative


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Feb 26 – Mar 9

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Similar Products

Top Amazon Reviews

    • A perfectly cromulent Reef or African Lake Cichlid sand. Yes, it will raise pH and cloud water
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
Review Image by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
Review Image by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
Review Image by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
Review Image by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
Review Image by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
OK, full disclosure... The single bag wasn't enough for my 75 gallon reef setup. This is probably the best value on Amazon for calcium carbonate based aquarium sand from a trusted manufacturer... it was when I bought it anyway. Regardless, this is excellent reef or African Lake Cichlids that require high carbonate hardness and high pH water. Oh, and aquarium husbandry is more about keeping water chemistry consistent with the needs of its inhabitants than anything so don't complain if you just can't seem to keep any Neon Tetras alive in your aquarium with this sand (your neon teras that only thrive in the tannin stained, low-pH environment that the Amazon River is). Yes, like any other calcium based sand that I've used in my 12 years of reef keeping, professional or personal, this sand will definitely cloud your water for about a week (if you actually have flow like you should in a reef tank). You've been informed. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021 by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
    • Bust those 1 Stars
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
Educate yourself, this should be the motto for someone dealing with saltwater. I will bust any 1 star reviews First: buying live sand yes, it has good bacteria but when you ship it NO MATTER what, some bacteria will die. Putting sand in a saltwater bag doesn't mean it will keep all its bacteria, you need light, aeration, water movement and exporting of nutrients (this is what we do in our saltwater tank). Its FALSE to say moist sand or mostly dry sand doesn't have good bacteria. This particular product is Carib Sea Ocean Direct NOT their old version of live sand. This doesn't have liquid water in the bag; this has just moisture or mostly dry sand...which still has bacteria. So my point, you get good bacteria and also lots of dead bacteria which will contain Ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. When adding to the tank it will "crash" your tank (quote from other reviews), it puts ALOT of strain on your already established system. **Note if your adding this sand to a brand new tank (no life) then this is what you want. Long story short, WASH this sand if your adding to an established tank! Lastly: people who complain about cloudiness, this is the nature of the beast when buying any sand. Wash the sand! You will still save some bacteria, especially the live bacteria that's attached to the sand and in the process wash away any dead material not attached. Conclusion, i added this sand to my established tank after washing it for about 5 - 10min and after 1 hour it was clear. 4 hours it was perfect. Over the week i saw zero change in ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and phosphates. *i did attach my filter sock for the 4 hours ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017 by Alex
    • Clean appearance great color amazing quality
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
Love this brand of sand good mix for a good quality sand. The color is really vibrant and natural I can see some whole shells mixed in. It was easy to clean and place in the tank. Only downside as with any sands is waiting for the cloudiness to dissappear. Plenty of good proteins and live bacteria amazing addition to my Caribsea live rock. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023 by Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen
    • Just what I hoped for!
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
Review Image by Big Tree Big Tree
I'm setting up my first saltwater tank and was hoping this sand was worth what I paid for. It came quickly and was just as described. I liked the instruction about using the bag to keep the sand from getting stirred up while filling the tank. So far I'm impressed. It looks really good and was easy to work with. Now to see how the fish like it next! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025 by Big Tree Big Tree
    • Good for kickstarting a tank.
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
This sand is pretty fine and cloudy, so be careful when you add it or stir it up — it can cloud the water for a while. Pros: 1: Good for animals that like to bury themselves, like Nassarius snails, Cerith snails, and sand-sifting sea stars. 2: Probably helps with beneficial bacteria, though I haven’t really checked. 3: Looks natural, especially in reef or beach tanks. Just rinse it well before adding and go slow so you don’t make a big mess. Cons: 1: Clouds the water easily if you mess with it too much, which can stress fish and make the tank look dirty for a bit. 2: If not rinsed well, the fine stuff can clog filters and make cleaning harder. 3: Because it’s so fine, you gotta be careful during water changes so you don’t stir it up and keep the water cloudy longer. All in all, it’s a good product. If you take your time with it, you’ll get good results! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2025 by Kristina
    • Very fine sand
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
I got this sand because I wanted decent cheap argonite sand. I used it in a new tank setup, I did not rinse it because I did not want to kill all the benificial saltwater bacteria with a freshwater rinse.... However my suggestion is to forget the bacteria and rinse it. 2 bags of it in a 55 gallon tank left me a huge mess and 0 visibility for days due to the cloudiness, as well as nasty foam on the top I am still cleaning off nearly a week later. Other than that I am happy with it. It is very fine but that works well for deep sand beds and substrate critters. Overall I would say a good buy, but just make sure to put it in a 5 gallon bucket and rinse it VERY well before it goes in the tank. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2011 by J. Espinoza
    • Not really live but still a descent substrate.
Size: 40 lb Color: Original Grade
It’s a decent deal for the amount of substrate you get but I sincerely doubt it’s as “live” as they claim it is. My bag showed up pretty dry. There was barely any moisture in the sand left and it hasn’t done a thing to introduce nitrifying bacteria to my tank. My initial cycle is actually taking longer than usual which wouldn’t be an issue if I had used dry sand but considering that this was supposed to be live, I don’t think it’s anywhere near as affective as I hoped it would be. Dry or live, this really didn’t make much difference in cycling my tank if any at all. Overall, I do like the look of this sand. It has some course chunks but still fine enough for snails and sand sifting fish. It’s a great color and easy to keep clean. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020 by Lagoon

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