There are a couple of things to talk about in regards to this marine substrate. First is the “alive” part. It has bacteria already in it. This reduces cycling time and makes for a much better start to a new tank. But this also means that the consumer has to be cautious when buying this. There is an expiration date on the package. The bacteria will eventually die off and this date is a measure of that. You will also notice that the bag has water in it. This is for the bacteria. If this water is gone do not buy the bag or send it back to Amazon if you already did. Sometimes this will happen if the bag gets punctured or it is a sign the bag is well beyond the expiration date.
The second thing to talk about is the word “pink” in the title. This sand isn’t really pink, like pink gravel in a freshwater tank. It has some light flakes of pinkish material in it. I personally wouldn’t even use that word to describe it. However, it isn’t pure white. There is even some gold colored flecks. For me, this fits my personal aesthetic really well. I’ve used it many times and love it.
Also, the size of the sand is such that it doesn’t hold onto detritus. It has that nice grain size where stuff doesn’t get trapped but there is enough surface area for bacteria to thrive in the sand bed. Also, if you enjoy infauna like worms or snails that dwell in the sand it is perfect. Also perfect for watchman goby and pistol shrimp.
You can buy at the Amazon link below and learn more about the sand on their web site.