Sand question

[sandman]

Sorry if this is the dumbest quetion you guys have heard, but can you use sand from the beach for SW setup? or does it have to be bought from the LFS.

thanks

 

[Wooster]

i would not take sand from the beach period JMO. because it is highly possible that there could be things you do not want in your system in there like different toxins or such for example

 

[RMPD109]

Pollution and contaminates are going to be found in the beach sands. If you insist on collecting your own it is recommended to go as far out as possible. Scuba gear and a boat being the best option.

As far as LFS sand you can do a bit better. Go to some home improvement stores and try to locate some tropical playsand. This is normally aragonite based sand and is the same stuff sold in LFS. It runs about $6 for 50lbs.

 

[mjvincent]

...As far as LFS sand you can do a bit better. Go to some home improvement stores and try to locate some tropical playsand. This is normally aragonite based sand and is the same stuff sold in LFS. It runs about $6 for 50lbs.

Good luck in finding the sand though, its very regional and I never could find it in the Dallas area and had to buy it at the lfs.

 

[AR15 guy]

Yea good luck. I have been searching for this stuff for awhile. He is in NY though. There is a lot of NY guys finding it.

 

[thepirate]

can't get it in the UK either! tried B&Q, Argos and ELC.

one way to test the sand to insure that it is aragonite is to pour vineger on it, if it is it will bubble!

hope this helps

mark

 

[AR15 guy]

can't get it in the UK either! tried B&Q, Argos and ELC.

one way to test the sand to insure that it is aragonite is to pour vineger on it, if it is it will bubble!

hope this helps

mark

Really??? Just any old vineger?

 

[sandman]

Thanks alot all, once again very helpful. I will try to find the playsand, if not it LFS then.

 

[tinman]

Don't do it....I have a freind in FL that used beach sand. He got a couple of 5 gallon buckets worth, got it home, no rinse no nothing just dumped it in the tank and spread it out. After a few weeks of the tank being full of water and sand he noticed this white thing floating on top....IT WAS A TAMPON....lol....what a dumb A.......hahahaha.....

 

[sandman]

Lol,
Ok, things like that was what i was afraid of.

 

[tinman]

the funny part is he snuck into a statepark after dark to get the sand...lol...IF he had only listened to everybody that told him to rinse it he would have found the thing before it made it in the tank....But no he kept saying your just going to wash away the bacteria if you mess with it...lol....I'm sure you all have at least one friend thats like that...

 

[RMPD109]

the aragonite sand will bubble up with white vinegar. Put some sand on a plate and pour some vinegar on it and it should bubble up.

 

[thepirate]

i just used normal old table (brown vineger) and it worked, i suppose it doesn't matter as long as its acidic.

 

[JPloman]

I got all my sand from my beach. I took it from the sand bar out pretty far. I have had no problems with it at all.

 

[Morticus]

That's what I am planning on doing, going out as far as possible on the least populated beach I can find. It won't be white here in Texas though.

 

[AR15 guy]

I went to the gulf last summer. That would have been some nice sand. We got to go to a private military beach also. Had a huge sandbar very far out. The water was deeper that my head then suddenly becomes ankle deep. Tons of huge shells and stuff also. That place was awesome.

 

[JPloman]

That's what I am planning on doing, going out as far as possible on the least populated beach I can find. It won't be white here in Texas though.

I would avoid going to anywhere in Port A, Corpus or the Brownsville area. I was born and raised in Texas, thus I know those are the most polluted beaches.

 

[JPloman]

But no he kept saying your just going to wash away the bacteria if you mess with it...

He was right about that. It would kill the live part of the sand to rinse it really good. The object behind taking the sand from the ocean is to get the good bacteria in your tank with out having to pay for it. It is a total rip off to buy live sand from the store when you live by the ocean.

If you just run your fingers through the sand really good to check for any foreign objects and hiding animals, you should be okay.

 

[midiman]

Now THAT's an original way to cycle a tank.

 

[Morticus]

I would avoid going to anywhere in Port A, Corpus or the Brownsville area. I was born and raised in Texas, thus I know those are the most polluted beaches.

I'm going to try to find the least populated place around the Galvaston area. Any ideas?