sand from beach

[robot2222]

what d u think about getting sand from long beach cali. i know everyone is going to say well it is really not expensive from lfs but you know it is freaking sand 35.00 for 20 lbs really.

 

[oscarslr]

really, yeah it will save u a headache if the sand u get is packed with bad bacteria

 

[michael fruth]

u can use the sand on the beach just take it home and boil it before u use it

 

[Playa-1]

Don't use beach sand. I was at a beautiful white sandy beach near long beach and my metal detector pulled rusty nails from just a few inches under the surface. They were all over the place. I could have built as house out of rust nails. No matter where I went on that beach I was pulling up rusty nails.
If you don't want to pay the premium for imported argonite then consider crushed marble play sand. I picked it up at a local hardware store in Orange County for about 10 cents per pound.

 

[robot2222]

ok i have been thinking about this now. if u got the sand from under water wouldnt that have beneficial bacteria in it.

 

[jimboslice]

Private beach? I think it would be illegal to take sand from the beach. If beach sand did work, I would say go for it lol. Bring out the picknick basket and fill-er up lol.

 

[why_drift]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13944251#post13944251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Playa-1
Don't use beach sand. I was at a beautiful white sandy beach near long beach and my metal detector pulled rusty nails from just a few inches under the surface. They were all over the place. I could have built as house out of rust nails. No matter where I went on that beach I was pulling up rusty nails.
If you don't want to pay the premium for imported argonite then consider crushed marble play sand. I picked it up at a local hardware store in Orange County for about 10 cents per pound.

How does your sand stay so white? does your goby keep it clean?

 

[buttons buster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13944994#post13944994 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by robot2222
ok i have been thinking about this now. if u got the sand from under water wouldnt that have beneficial bacteria in it.

It will for sure have some bacteria in it.

A major problem is that when you put this sand into your aquarium the temp swing could possibly kill most of it.
(depends on where you get the sand from)

 

[Playa-1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13945411#post13945411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by why_drift
How does your sand stay so white? does your goby keep it clean?

The goby does a gr8 job keeping the sand sifted. He does kick up some sand sometimes.

 

[crvz]

The problem with beach sand are the possible contaminants. I wouldnt use it just for not knowing what could be in it. Online you can get 30lb sand for $20, so if you're struggling to find it locally try looking elsewhere.

 

[Whys]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13945229#post13945229 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimboslice
Private beach? I think it would be illegal to take sand from the beach.

Poor jr. The cops nailed him to the ground and both his pail and shovel went flying. I had to run. I was hiding a kilo of sand between my butt cheeks.

 

[Whys]

I visited long beach after a storm about a decade back. One of the most disgusting sights I've seen. The entire beach looked every bit a city dump, with gigantic piles of bulldozed garbage every few meters apart. It was insane, and I have to imagine, despite human efforts, some of that garbage still remains. Or heck, new garbage has washed in. Fact is, you haven't a clue what is in it. All you know is it exists in close proximity to dense human habitation, industry, and the US navy. Were you to inspect with a microscope, you'd likely find a great abundance of broken beer glass. In short, there are far better locations for stealing sand.

 

[michaeldaly]

I have done this. I did wash the sand very well before I used it in my tank. Most beach sand does however not look as good as real coral sand.

 

[baldomero]

my cousin picked up about 100pounds of sand from a reef a couple miles away from a puerto rico beach he had about 30 pounds left over and gave it to me i added it to my 150 no problem i dont know how clean ur beach is in cali but where he got his sand it was crystal clear

 

[Reverend Reefer]

yeah i picked up some sand in myrtle beach. seemed to be ok. thing is, it wasn't as white and nice as i expected compared to the store bought sand. the sand has some pretty weird creatures in it, including a little crab that eventually crawled out and i found my boston terriers playing with it on the kitchen floor!

i read somewhere though that if you get the sand, try to go off shore to a less populated area to avoid pollution.

 

[ve7046ev]

if your worried about the price of sand, your going to have a rude awakening when you start getting live rock and fish/corals. this hobby isn't for people who like money.

 

[robot2222]

just trying to start a disscusion. i dont care about the money. i am not going to use the sand from the beach . but how is the live sand in bags keep the beneficial bacteria. i guess all the waste would wash up on the beach.

 

[gwenvet]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13944251#post13944251 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Playa-1
If you don't want to pay the premium for imported argonite then consider crushed marble play sand. I picked it up at a local hardware store in Orange County for about 10 cents per pound.

Anything special to look for or to avoid? I've been wanting to replace the sand/gravel (with lots of shells) so that I could get a goby to keep the bottom clean. Will really fine play sand host a bacterial colony? Will it cycle? Does it need to be washed first?

 

[Whys]

There is some question as to how much of that bacteria survives in bags. I bought Ocean Direct Livesand and verified the presence of micro-organisms with a microscope. I can't say how long it was in a bag before shipping, but upon shipping, the livesand remained bagged for about a week before opening. I can not speak for other brands. I do like that brand's substrate. However, many hobbyists consider such livesand a waste of money, since similar bacterial populations can be achieved simply with liverock and patience.

My own anecdotal evidence would suggest livesand to be somewhat beneficial. My 37g with 5" DSB (all of it livesand) is a little over 2 months old, but has shown considerable biological robustness from an early stage. Everyone seems to think my tank should be overgrown with green algae and my nitrates thru the roof, but it's not. Algae growth is very under control, nitrates have yet to reach testable levels, my Tunze Nano skimmer won't even make brown water from time to time it has been so clean. I run a 250w-MH for 12 hours a day, 2x24w-T5-blue for 24/7, and only have 40lbs of liverock in what is actually a 50g system. Everything looks great, and I'm inclined to believe the generous use of livesand has something to do with it. My results seem a little difficult to justify otherwise.

 

[Playa-1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13949005#post13949005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gwenvet
Anything special to look for or to avoid? I've been wanting to replace the sand/gravel (with lots of shells) so that I could get a goby to keep the bottom clean. Will really fine play sand host a bacterial colony? Will it cycle? Does it need to be washed first?

As far as anything special to look for, You might want to double check the grain size with a visual. Crushed Marble could be available in many different sizes. Treat it like any other sand and rinse it well before you use it. It will host bacteria and it should not cause a cycle in the tank.