Aqua Natural Sugar White Sand Bio-Substrate 5lb for Aquariums, Sand seeded with Start up bio-Active nitrifying Bacteria
Original price was: $15.99.$12.99Current price is: $12.99.
Price: $15.99 - $12.99
(as of Mar 19, 2025 04:52:51 UTC – Details)
All Aqua Natural gravel or substrates are 100% natural, sustainably sourced, triple washed and kiln dried. Our meticulously graded gravels and sands are the perfect natural substrates for any aquarium including planted tanks. Our high quality products create natural beauty combined with large surface areas for beneficial bacteria colonies and easy cleaning. Contains bio activated live nitrifying bacteria to either use as a primary substrate or mix with substrate for a healthy aquarium. Contains a patented blend of live nitrosomas and nitrobacter bacteria which break down and convert harmful ammonia, into nitrates.
Product Dimensions : 6 x 4 x 6 inches; 4.98 Pounds
Item model number : BIOFRESH008
Date First Available : May 2, 2023
Manufacturer : Pisces USA
ASIN : B094QKWBF6
Country of Origin : USA
Seeded with bio-active live nitrifying bacteria
Use as a primary substrate or mix with Aqua Natural Sugar White Sand
Cycles aquarium instantly
Great for aquatic plants
Customers say
Customers appreciate the sand’s color, cleanliness, and fish compatibility. They find it looks good in their tanks, keeps plants healthy, and is easy for them to use as an aquarium substrate. The sand comes pre-washed and soaked in aquarium water, making it suitable for starting an aquarium.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
13 reviews for Aqua Natural Sugar White Sand Bio-Substrate 5lb for Aquariums, Sand seeded with Start up bio-Active nitrifying Bacteria
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Original price was: $15.99.$12.99Current price is: $12.99.
Paige Reidhead –
Absolutely. Incredible.
Best substrate Iâve ever had. Comes wet, dumps directly in the tank, and after 5ish minutes of filling it up, all cloudiness gone (WITHOUT A FILTER RUNNING). My plants are thriving, my snails are digging, my goldfish play in it, and my Nitrogen cycle has never been better. Tank âsludgeâ is nonexistent. The white sand does show anything and everything, but a quick vacuum does the trick in my tank. Also the sand sparkles underwater!!!!!!! Never buying anything else!
Angela M –
Beautiful white.
I have a charcoal substance and my fish was knocking my plants loose from playing in them. I poured this substance around my plants because it is finer and more dense than my black substance which keeps my plants in place. While feeding them and keeping my tank healthy. My fish plays hard and rubs his belly into the sand. He doesn’t seem bothered because he keeps playing. Looks great and seems soft because my fish would not be so playful if it hurt him. My tank stays pretty clean. My Cory fish seems to enjoy it as well. Has the functionality of feeding nutrition to the tank and adding a beautiful sugar-white color to the tank.
4 BBBB HOMESTEAD –
Jumpstart your tank
Youâll still need to properly seed a new tank but this speeds up the process. Sand white color and not an artificial color. Fine grain sand that is great for burrowers and diggers or those critters that like to eat things they arenât supposed to (like my ADFs – which this was used for).
Great price and highly recommended.
BRIAN WASIKOWSKI –
No issues at all, and Iâm really happy with how it turned out!
I used the Aqua Natural Sugar White Sand Bio-Substrate for my kids’ aquarium, and it worked out perfectly! We were in a bit of a rush to get the tank set up, and the included nitrifying bacteria did its job right away, which was a huge help. I used RODI water, and after six weeks, there’s been no sign of algae growth, and the fish are thriving. The white sand looks really niceâitâs simple, but it creates a beautiful contrast with the rocks and wood decorations. No issues at all, and Iâm really happy with how it turned out!
Lou –
Small bag/but pretty
The size of the bag kinda surprised me I was expecting it to be a little bigger for the price I paid but I also didn’t pay attention to the size being 5lbs if your adding any substrate like stardum or underneth it I suggest 3 bags for a 10 gallon I did 2 which covered it but I feel like three would have been better just for my substrate not to come thru.. The color is nice I did read the reviews so I kinda knew it was going to be a hit or miss but I like the color it is a creme color and not a white which is kind of a let down but ð¤·ð»ââï¸.. it says to not rinse which obviously you shouldn’t if its supposed to help start your tank up. i didn’t have any problems with dust or anything but i also added the sand first before the water and i slowly added water into another object until half way so there wouldn’t be as bad of a splash (i just did this yesterday so the pictures are recent) The quality is pretty nice will give an update later on
Luci –
Fantastic
Works great and looks good.
Miranda Brown –
So good I was surprised, Still get API quick start.
This was great, when they said instant cycle they were kinda right. I feel there is no way to actually instant cycle, the nitrates and nitrites take time to develop, so unless you are adding additional products you couldn’t house fish in this on the first day But I checked my water parameters after adding the sand and although the water was on the softer side, and of course didn’t have nitrates or nitrite yet, all the other water perimeters were looking good enough that I was tempted to house invertebrate. I think if you used API quick start, and maybe dosed it with some plant fertilizer depending on how soft or hard your water is, you would be good to house fish the same day and as long as you are watching the water perimeters they should be fine!
Although I am still letting my tank cycle, I am very very happy with this product because it had enough of the bacteria where I could get the cycle going with out adding any fish food or any products! I am incredibly happy with this product and will be purchasing again for my other tanks!
Trevor D. –
Excellent!
First of all, I bought both a bag of Sugar White (it’s not really white, more of an “off-white”) and a bag of black for a 10-gallon Fluval Flex that was going to be planted and housing an exotic imported male Betta. Upon opening the bag of black I found it was already very wet so depositing it towards the back half of the tank was no problem and it was easy to “landscape”. I then proceeded to do the same with the white sand which covered the front of the tank.
I added the water VERY carefully and repeatedly by the soda cup full onto a plate that I placed sitting on the sand (took about half an hour by the time the tank was about full, but I didn’t want to risk stirring it up and clouding the water), and sure enough, doing it this way there was absolutely no cloudiness! Will be adding some dragon rock and driftwood and spider wood to which I will have previously superglued anubias petit and then adding my background and foreground plants.
I’ve always shied away from using sand substrate due to the potential of clouding the water when the water is added on top of the sand but using this particular sand and adding water slowly and carefully as described above there was absolutely no clouding! If you want to give your tank a different appearance, so long as you take your time adding the water to the tank, I will definitely recommend this substrate.
If you are aquascaping a 10-gallon tank you will need two bags because 1 bag will only be sufficient for a 5-gallon tank. The photo shows the 2-zone effect that I created – forgive all the air bubbles on the front glass as I had only just added the water; they will dissipate with the next 24 hours.
Iris –
This sand is amazing, it looks good and is easy to clean, I got light sand so it’s easier to see the fish poo to clean out, but there are little black and brown specks which drive me insane xD
I buy Aqua Natural Sugar White sand for all my tanks now, the sand is heavier than other sand so if you suck some up in your gravel vac they don’t get very high, when using a turkey baster it all falls out before reaching the surface leaving only poop and food left in the baster.
I use it with my Kuhli’s and Cories, the Kuhli’s love digging through it and burying themselves in it.
Melissa F. –
Beautiful white sand. Arrives wet in bag as it is apparantly pre cycled which i think really helped to cycle my tank/speed up the process. I would definitely buy again. The sand is pure white but does contain some flecks of something black/brown which reminds me of maybe some wood particles. But it doesn’t matter as alot of it vacuums out and it also makes it so fish poo doesn’t stand out so bad. It’s been in my tank for a few months now i think and i don’t notice any flecks apart from any mess from my fish. It has been my favourite substrate. All my fish love it and they couldn’t be happier. I previously had gravel which i disliked how the food would settle into it aswell as poo. Although i was worried about cleaning sand.. it is actually so much cleaner than gravel as i can run the gravel vac over just the surface of it and i can see that its clean. I previously bought some sand from the petshop which was more of a tan colour and didn’t create the look i was after but this white sand has really brightened up my tank. It is also a heavier grain than traditional sand which means its less likely to go up the gravel vac. I haven’t had a single illness or death from any of my fish so i’m sure that this product is good and safe.
MR. Jem –
If you decide to aid the cycling of your planted fish tank, this will help. I used this as a thin layer between the base soil and the decorative stone to finalise the look. I trick to make your planted fish tank maintain clear water. I would have preferred to order 2 bags rather than 1.
Athanasia Georgoudakis –
I used this in my shrimp tank and my plants have bloomed like crazy. I have tried other methods but this substrate is fantastic. I am currently in the process of buying another 3 packets for my other tanks as Iâve had no success with other substrate
Sargent Tubby –
Donât mind the black dots in my sand, thatâs my fault for rinsing a dirty filter in my tank when I began cycling. I really like this sand, itâs nice and small and will be perfect for my axolotl when my tank is fully cycled. I noticed I already had some nitrites, 24 hours after adding the sand. My tank was already filled with conditioned water when I added my bag of sand in. I found it easiest to quickly run the outside of the bag under hot water, then cut the bag open and stick the bag into the tank and start pouring it in that way. By doing so, my tank wasnât cloudy a minute after I was finished pouring the sand and I was able to get every last bit of sand out of the bag so none went to waste. Id highly recommend this sand! Itâs a bit pricy for the small amount but totally worth it! I also noticed a little shrimp in my tank a few hours after adding the sand which I thought was funny, poor little guy has been on quite the adventure. It shocks me he wasnât crushed by the sand but heâs managing to survive in my tank now