beach sand vs. beach shells.

[ctenophors rule]

I frequently hear about the perils associated with collecting san from the beach and using it in your aquarium. first off let me say that i believe them. I would never place wet nor dry sand from the beach in my aquarium, unless it were legaly collected, because then it has been tested and known to be clean.

However, i also hear of people putting shells from the beach in their aquarium to be used as decoration. Now shells and a hammer will make sand. So is it safe to make sand for your aquarium from shells?

thanks guys!

 

[mhltcob]

That would take alot of shells and time to make a few pounds of sand. I might look at cutting costs in other areas. However, you can use shells for decorations or hermit crab homes after they have been sanitized.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would not assume that 20 pounds of crushed shells will be any cleaner than a beach sand. I would use a beach sand collected from a fairly clean beach.

 

[Agu]

I collect and add all kinds of shells , hermit crabs, snails,and beach rubble to my tanks. Would I waste my time hammering shells into sand ? Probably not .....

 

[ctenophors rule]

I would not assume that 20 pounds of crushed shells will be any cleaner than a beach sand. I would use a beach sand collected from a fairly clean beach.

thanks randy.

If you would do it, then i will too.

 

[spamreefnew]

i have some snails and live sand from the local beach,so far so good

 

[KafudaFish]

Just curious but where is most of the sand collected for the hobby in relation to the land?

I would think it would be pretty close to the shore due to operation costs.

Also is it really clean?

 

[CleveYank]

If you know someone with a press (the kind that you can press wheel bearing in and out of the hub) you could make sand out of shells PDQ.

 

[ctenophors rule]

Just curious but where is most of the sand collected for the hobby in relation to the land?

I would think it would be pretty close to the shore due to operation costs.

Also is it really clean?

live sand is collected from the ocean bottom, dry sand i am not sure.

 

[spamreefnew]

good question kafudafish! i would bet that a lot of the "hobby" sand is no better than what you can collect yourself ha?

 

[KafudaFish]

live sand is collected from the ocean bottom, dry sand i am not sure.

I figured live sand was collected from the ocean bottom and some of it put in plastic bags stamped with "live sand" on the front and we as reef nuts pay $1+/lb..

I meant where is it dredged from? I cannot see a sand company going to blue water to collect due to cost etc.

Is sand collected within sight of land like 500 feet from shore near a beach and human activities or do the companies travel a mile out etc.?

I am sure it is different in different areas but I don't know I am just curious regardless.

 

[lowlt]

Pretty sure they collect it further out from the shore because of the pollution on the beaches and shores.

 

[wooden_reefer]

shells are always calcareous, sand is not.

 

[Agu]

Pretty sure they collect it further out from the shore because of the pollution on the beaches and shores.

Right idea, wrong reason.

Beach sand is a precious commodity, it attracts tourists. Beach renourishment is a huge and expensive business. A mile of local beach was "renourished" with dredged sand at a cost of around a million dollers give or take a hundred grand. Any close to shore collection can potentially undermine the beachs that draw tourists and their Dollars/Euros. I can't imagine any costal area allowing commercial dredging of sand within several miles of their beaches.

 

[johnmaloney]

crushed shells should be fine, expect a diatom bloom but who cares...they grow coralline like no other material on earth. Can become pockets for detritus though.

sand collection in florida is illegal. they get it from the bahamas.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Shell is often a source of P, true silica sand is not.

Shell is a liitle like bone, which has significant P.