CaribSea Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand – 20 lb – Natural Aragonite Sand for Saltwater Aquariums – Sea Breathe Technology – Short Setup Time
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This item is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt
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Availability:
Only 7 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
May 19 – May 21
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Size: 20lb (Pack of 2)
Color: Original Grade
Features
- Natural aragonite sand: Extracted from the Caribbean, this sand is ideal for reef and marine aquariums seeking a clean and natural look.
- Sea Breathe technology: Specially processed to retain its natural properties, offering excellent gas exchange through capillary action.
- Quick setup support: Designed to reduce the break-in period, helping you establish your saltwater tank setup faster and with minimal effort.
- No rinsing required: Ready to use straight from the bagno preparation needed, saving time and simplifying the aquarium setup process.
- Long shelf life: Packaged to maintain its natural effectiveness over time without unwanted buildup or the need for additional treatments.
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
Product Dimensions : 20 x 13 x 2 inches; 20 Pounds
Item model number : 00920
Date First Available : July 9, 2011
Manufacturer : CaribSea
Best Sellers Rank: #86,085 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) #66 in Aquarium Sand
#66 in Aquarium Sand:
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,246 ratings
Item Weight: 20 pounds
Manufacturer: CaribSea
Item model number: 00920
Date First Available: July 9, 2011
Item Package Dimensions L x W x H: 19 x 10 x 4 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 20 x 13 x 2 inches
Item Weight: 20 Pounds
Brand Name: Carib Sea
Target Audience Keyword: fish
Directions: See product label
Model Name: Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand
Color: Original Grade
Size: 20lb (Pack of 2)
Specific Uses for Product: Decorative
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
May 19 – May 21
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.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
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Similar Products
Top Amazon Reviews
Size: 40 lb
Color: Original Grade
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021 by Tiffany Hoffman Tiffany Hoffman
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
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Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017 by Alex
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023 by Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen
Size: 40 lb
Color: Original Grade
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!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025 by Big Tree Big Tree
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!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2025 by Kristina
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2011 by J. Espinoza
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020 by Lagoon