Where to get cheap sand?

[CEverii]

Any way to get some relatively inexpensive sand for a FOWLER tank? Everywhere around me is about $1 per lb. That sound right?

 

[fishboy444]

dunno where ya from?

 

[CaptainAhab]

Price is about right or a little low unless you want to move into silica based sand.

 

[CEverii]

What are the disadvantages or advantages of using silica sand?

 

[Aquarium1]

Disadvantages: doesn't buffer like aragonite (that I know of) and creates heavy diatom/algae blooms
Advantages: someone else will have to answer lol

 

[cmor1701d]

No real disadvanges of silica based sand. As for aragonite buffering, you're pH would have to get too low (around 7) for buffering to kick in.

 

[CEverii]

Can you use silica sand in fresh water systems as well?

 

[Aquarium1]

Yes there are a few silica sands for fw but the only one I recommend is pool filter sand or pfs (unless you want some black aquarium specialty sand which is ok in fw too) which is pretty cheap usually found at walmart, lowes, meijer, home depot or pool supply shops. Rarely over $13 for 50lbs. A lot of people use play sand in aquariums but it can cause problems because it's so finely grained.

 

[CaptainAhab]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm
Q&A - Silica Sand - Diatoms by Rob Toonen

 

[cmor1701d]

Excellant article.

 

[cmor1701d]

Also Silica Sand By Rob Toonen and Beaches - Products of Waves and Sand from the USGS

 

[eatsomepopcorn]

You can use pool filter sand if you rinse it well.

 

[CEverii]

Awesome thanks for all the advice

 

[joy13]

There are a couple of local forums\ and people that are either downsizing or getting out of the hobby seems to always get rid of their sand very cheap or free. I got enough for one of my tanks and part of another one free when I got some live rock from them. The rock was $3 a lb some with zoas and mushrooms on them.

 

[cabezon]

I go to the beach. it's free.

 

[cmor1701d]

Beach sand is dicey for use in an aquarium. It's possibly contaminated with heavy metals and who knows what. You should go a few miles offshore and bring up some sand, though I'm sure there are laws about how much you can remove at one time.

 

[cabezon]

well of course it is dicey. But if you want cheap, free is the cheapest. There is no way I could have afforded whatever weight three 5 gallon bucket fulls of sand is. Should have seen me out there on the beach with my strainer, taking the shells and chunks out.

If I had a boat and diving gear, it would make the expense of a harvest almost equal to that of buying.