can i use this live sand??

[clintvalian]

i live near the coast in texas and i was curious if i could use the live sand from the beaches around here. my cousin works for the wildlife department down here and he said that they do it all the time in there aquariums so i was curious if anyone had an opinion on the subject. is this ok to do????

 

[mr . salty]

VERY VERY Risky.The beaches is where all the pollution fron the ocean washes up.I would not reccomend it at all. Store bought live sand is collected miles off the shore to avoid contamination...

 

[toddius]

I live near Beaumont and have used sand collected from remote and infrequently used spots on the beach and have not had any problems. I do make sure the san is pristine (no garbage,sticks,rocks,shells,etc.) in it when it is collected. I have even used it in my refugium on my reef tank setup with no spikes and no cloudiness. Becareful if you do and good luck.

 

[clintvalian]

thanks for yall's advice, i think what i'm gonna do is put some sand for a near by deserted beach in my 10 gallon tank and see how it reacts, if it does good then i'll take a chance on my big tank. what do i need to look out for though?? if my water conditions are fine then would it be ok or are their diseases lurking around in the water that i can't see and if i put my fish it would kill him?? any advice is always appreciated...thanks....