Just wondering about beach sand

[jessesoto33]

I was wondering if I can use real beach sand for my reef tank or sand from the ocean water? anybody know?

 

[jamescobb22]

I think that is illegal to take anything from the ocean. I could be wrong but this is what Ive been told before.

 

[coral diver]

Not really unless its a preserve area or its alot plus its high on on silica and other minerals and sometimes contaminated.

 

[jessesoto33]

Not really unless its a preserve area or its alot plus its high on on silica and other minerals and sometimes contaminated.

"WHAT"!!!!!!! silica, and contaminates in the ocean sand WOW! I didn't know that!:stoned:

 

[jamescobb22]

I know of a lab that run analysis on soil if you want to have it checked out before you use it. They also run water samples for HCs and metals if anyone needs some really in depth analysis. Long Beach is not the place to get the sand...... Let me know where your thinking of getting the sand from and I could do a little research and see if there are any areas close to that location that have had spills or any type of chemical impacts.

 

[Puffalicious]

lots of contaminants, especially mercury here in so. cal.

 

[Letsgotothezoo]

Not a good idea. Unless you take it in Fiji or Solomon island.

Beach around So Cal here are purely Contaminated.

 

[jessesoto33]

Not a good idea. Unless you take it in Fiji or Solomon island.

Beach around So Cal here are purely Contaminated.

Good to know, Thanks.

 

[LotsaFishies]

The sand that we use in our aquariums are a calcium-based sand. The sand here on our beaches are a silica-based sand, silica = silicates = lots and lots of algae.

Not to mention the likely illegality...

Not to mention the high level of kid's pee, spilled coca-cola, etc etc etc...

 

[Douglas Bray]

Local sand is nothing but small rocks.

Tropical island sand can be the remnants of coral long since dead and crushed by the sea. Parts of Saint Lucia for example, are just crushed stone and others are pure white calcium grain and looked like it was made for our refugiums.

 

[JAHGYDI]

your aloud to get sand at beach. i do it every winter to fill sand bags for flooding. i thing its 5 5gal buckets per person

 

[jessesoto33]

your aloud to get sand at beach. i do it every winter to fill sand bags for flooding. i thing its 5 5gal buckets per person

BUT you don't use it for you aquarium right?

 

[ssericz]

dont do it, it looks ugly and will cause algae and other stuff... i wanted to take some sand from florida though... nice super fine like powder sugar white sand... parrot fish poop

 

[jessesoto33]

dont do it, it looks ugly and will cause algae and other stuff... i wanted to take some sand from florida though... nice super fine like powder sugar white sand... parrot fish poop

LOL:laugh:

 

[ibefishy]

My biggest concern about using the beach sand here in California would be the fact that with all the offshore drilling the sand you get would be very contaminated. I personally would just buy aragonite sand specifically sold for aquariums so that your sand would be "clean". Based on the amount of money that can be spent on livestock for a tank I would not want to take any unneccessary risks on something as basic and important as sand. Just my .02 cents.

 

[shapermike]

I have trued on a fish only and it looks cool but is can compact fast. and it is hard to clean it up from all the pollution. I had to clean the sand with fresh water foe like two weeks just to get it clean. then had to seed it and wow it took too much time.

the biggest problems are too much iron in the sand and it will clog up you pumps and destroy them. it was cool to try but would never do it again. The sting ray and flounders loved it..

 

[jessesoto33]

I have trued on a fish only and it looks cool but is can compact fast. and it is hard to clean it up from all the pollution. I had to clean the sand with fresh water foe like two weeks just to get it clean. then had to seed it and wow it took too much time.

the biggest problems are too much iron in the sand and it will clog up you pumps and destroy them. it was cool to try but would never do it again. The sting ray and flounders loved it..

good info!

 

[rockbender]

DOnt DO it. I did it Cleaned the sand out like then let it dry Like 20 times. THen I put it in a tank let it cycle for almost 6 weeks. Started throwing COrals in there it was all good but developed major algae problems SNails andn crabs could not keep up with it. The fuge was bigger than then tank and still algae like crazy. ANy time on turned on my MH it would algae up in like 30 minutes it would start to show. When I decided to swap out the sand it was litterally rotten at the bottom of the sand bed. SMelled like raw sewage. Put in black sand and the tank was good to go.

 

[jessesoto33]

DOnt DO it. I did it Cleaned the sand out like then let it dry Like 20 times. THen I put it in a tank let it cycle for almost 6 weeks. Started throwing COrals in there it was all good but developed major algae problems SNails andn crabs could not keep up with it. The fuge was bigger than then tank and still algae like crazy. ANy time on turned on my MH it would algae up in like 30 minutes it would start to show. When I decided to swap out the sand it was litterally rotten at the bottom of the sand bed. SMelled like raw sewage. Put in black sand and the tank was good to go.

WOW! wouldn't want that!:afraid: