Beach sand for a DSB?

[d. digler]

I was hoping to get some thoughts on using sand from a local beach. Any success stories with using collected beach sand? Failures? I'm aware of the chance that the sand could be polluted with toxins, but is it possible to boil it, or to leave it in the dark for a few days to kill anything harmful off? This was just a thought b/c if I could get the sand for free from Half Moon Bay, or any beach between there and Santa Cruz. I'd be switching from finely CC to sand.
That brings up another question--What is the best way to remove the CC and get the sand in there? I've got a 75 long with appr. 110 lbs of live rock in there. I'd like to make the transfer as non-disturbing to my system as possible. Should I try and do it a section at a time? or maybe just layer the sand on top and wait for the CC to sift to the bottom? The problem with layering it on top is that I'm worried that it may never really happen b/c my CC is so finely crushed.
All comments appreciated!! cheers

 

[seatank]

NO!!! you will be better off buying your sand from a lfs getting sand from a beach for your fish is like putting a gun to your own head.Sand from a beach is highly pouleted and can and probably will kill all your fish. Buy your sand and be on the safe side.

 

[andymi]

ditto...
You dont know what types of chemicals or anything else are in the beach sand. It could cause you more problems and depending on the sand you buy, it is really not that much of a price to pay for success.
-Andy

 

[d. digler]

Thanks for your comments guys, but maybe you missed one of my questions....is it possible to boil out the toxins?? I try to minimize the toxins by collecting from a remote area regardless. This would also be in my best interest to avoid any potential legal problems of collecting the sand.
Surely somebody's tried this before?

 

[jesuit_flyer]

How would you boil out the toxins in the sand? Placing the sand in water than boiling the water? All you would do is kill the beneficial bacteria. The copper, iron, pcb's and God knows whatever else would be left in your tank.

 

[d. digler]

Not to mention I'm broke as a joke and constantly looking upgrade my tanks in the most economically efficient manner.
I'm also accepting sand donations to the Digler Foundation for a Better Reef, so if you're in the Bay Area and have a little lovin' to give....

 

[sonny]

Where do you think Caribsea and Nature's Ocean sand comes from? They scoop it up from a beach somewhere. Most likely in the Pacific or Caribbean. I agree that there COULD be contaminants in the sand, and that COULD cause problems, but I think if the sand is the right type (aragonite), and the right grain size (1-4mm) and you were to boil it for a few hours, you could consider it sterilized. Yes, that would kill any bacteria in it, but you can easily seed it from a lfs or one bag of Nature's ocean. I don't know if the sand on the beaches you're talking about is even the right type, but if it's on the California coast, I doubt it would be coral sand, and probably not what you'd want in your tank. If you don't know how to check if it's the right type of sand, you probably would be better off buying it.
As for switching, the best way to do it is to tear your tank apart, remove all of the CC, and then add a plenum, and the sand. You'll want to do it all at once, so you don't have to do it again. Or you could scoop out most of the Crushed coral and add the sand. That would be the least disturbance for the tank. I don't like to mix CC and sand, but there's no law against it. I am a Plenum advocate, so the only way to add that would be to take everything out.
Sonny
[ September 06, 2001: Message edited by: Sonny ]

 

[miner]

I live near the Or. coast. There are a LOT of people getting sand from up and down the coast. Me for one. So far no problems at all. The sand is sugary, but not white. It is black and white mixed. All my critters and fish are just fine. Like I said no problems yet, but only time will tell. I have another tank all set up ready for "just in case" marym1@peoplepc.com

 

[jesuit_flyer]

There is absolutely no need for any subsurface sand structure such as a "plenum" or shelf. In fact such structures will reduce the sediment volume that is available for the bacteria.

 

[andymi]

They may decrease the available space in the height of the tank (plenums), but usually they are not more than 1" or so anyhow. The purpose of the plenum is to provide an anaerobic area under the sand that will populate with the proper bacteria to reduce levels in the tank. This system was quite often tested in a semi-open system but has been used on many aquariums successfully for years. To say that there would be no place for the bacteria to mature would be false. Typically in these scenarios you will still have 3-4" of a live sand bed on top of the plenum.
-Andy

 

[sonny]

To say that there is "No reason to have a plenum" is really one-sided. A DSB directly on the aquarium bottom not only is a nutrient trap that will eventually lead to problems, only the top one inch or so of the sand is really alive with bacteria. The plenum system does not have an anaerobic area, but an "anoxic" or low oxygen level layer. By having the space under the sand, you get diffusion of the water, in other words, it circulates through the sand very slowly. I all has to do with the charges (positive or negative) on the ions in the water. They are attracted to the opposite charge ions in the space of the plenum. Most people who use plenums keep zero nitrates. Sand grain size is very important. If the sand is too fine, there will be reduced diffusion, and it will not work properly. Grain size should be 1-4mm. I am not saying a DSB on the bottom will not work, but it will have a shorter lifespan. A plenum system can work indefinately.
Sonny

 

[mark-24]

Well, places like Caribsea and Natures ocean, dont just walk up to the beach with buckets, no. Most sand you see in the aquarium trade is collected at least a mile or so off shore. There is a huge difference with beach sand and reef sand. Also places like the Bay Area, and other major cities, there will always be some trace of pollution in the water. The best places to collect sand would be about 2 miles off the coast of some unnamed, uninhabited island in a remote area of Tahti. (being a little sarcastic there, but you get the point)
-Mark

 

[dugan]

Well be careful... a friend of mine crashed his tank by adding a conch shell that was suppposedly empty and tank-safe.
Katie