beach sand

[hitmanhart62089]

Can beach sand be used in my freshwater tank if i clean and boil it?

 

[isu_guy]

I'm told there is a higher chance of other life/bacteria/etc coming in, but i guess boiling should take care of that.

Some places it is considered theft to take sand from a public beach, so watch out for that.

I guess I'm not that good of info for you, sorry I don't know more.

 

[ad_smith]

wont there be a really high salt content in it? i dunno if sand can retain salt, someone here will know... the forum of fish knowledge

 

[silvershark]

from what i've read and heard it is near as dammit impossible to completely remove the salt from beach sand.

also it'll be full of bacteria, and i dont really believe in boiling being the answer for incompatible tank decor

as an added point, you can get playsand which is practically the same as silver sand for next to nothing at toy shops! i got a 15kg bag for less than £3!!!

 

[freddyk]

I don't see why it would be a problem. The salt will dissolve into the water and be rinsed out of the sand. Bacteria and any foreign material will be killed by boiling and flushed out through rinsing. I bought my beach sand at home depot, but if I lived near a beach I'd try it.

 

[LoachLover]

Can beach sand be used in my freshwater tank if i clean and boil it?

You CAN do it if you clean it right.

 

[Nospherith]

I used beach sand for a terrace in my aquarium, but it's not the quartz beach sand that everyone is familiar with. It's more of a dark beach sand consisiting of heavier rock sediment. I just rinsed it really well and it hasn't caused any problems, then again I used it only for a fraction of my tank.

 

[Teelie]

I wouldn't do it for the above reasons, most notably being illegal and possibly getting you fined heavily if you're caught.

 

[hitmanhart62089]

how much was the sand you got at home depot? the fish store sand is REALLY expensive

 

[jflowers]

how much was the sand you got at home depot? the fish store sand is REALLY expensive

I got play pit sand from Homebase for £2.19 - 25Kg, needed a good clean, but very good and my fish love it. My lfs had courser sand for £4.99 for 4Kg...

Jon

 

[littlefishie]

I honestly wouldn't risk it. Play sand is really cheap and looks nicer.

 

[colegamby]

beach sand has little bits of shell and such that mess up the ph in your aquarium i would just plunk down a couple bucks for stuff i know is safe

 

[Katchan]

I'd advise trying your local landscaping store/business they should a few different types/colours of sand availible (some washed) all at what should be a good price.

Katchan

 

[hitmanhart62089]

how do you clean the fish poop off of snad, can youi siphon it?

 

[MsDad]

I grew up near the beach and used beach sand once in a 10-gal freshwater tank. But I used sand from the dunes, not the wet area. No shell fragments and the only salt came from the spray from the waves so it rinsed easily. I used a clean 5-gallon bucket and a wire sieve to sift out any debris. Then rinsed the h e double hockey sticks out of it! It was fine but lightweight enough as to never get compacted. I had a dojo at the time who absolutely LOVED burying himself in it. Plus it was beautiful. As for keeping it clean, just vacuum from the bottom when you do your water changes. Be sure and keep the vacuum far enough above the sand to get the poop without taking the sand with it. A gravel vac actually works best for this, just hover it above the sand, don't stick it down below the surface.

As others have stated, do make sure it's not illegal to take the sand. I'm sure the only one allowed to have pets in the big house is the warden!