what's wrong with beach sand?

[starfishjackedme]

If I got the chance to get some nice white beach sand for free, and lots of it - then what's the problem? I have heard that you aren't supposed to use it, but I can't afford to convert a 200 gal to sugar sized sand. Plus, i can't get southdown here. Anyone tried it?

 

[falcon63]

A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL DISAGREE BUT IF I COULD GET WHITE BEACH SAND I WOULD USE IT . I WOULD WASH IT OUT THE BEST I COULD

 

[db]

one word, pollution!

 

[broomer5]

There's nothing wrong with using beach sand.
It all depends on what beach and what sand.
Using beach sand is just a matter of RISK vs. GAIN.
If you're willing to wash it well, and RISK the chance of some unknown toxin being present, that you're unable to remove ..... that may ruin your tank and livestock ..... then do it.
You GAIN the money saved from buying some aragonite sand.
If you're not willing to take the RISK - then fork out some cash and buy sand.
You'll GAIN peace of mind and eliminate the potential for the tank to crash or illness/disease due to something threatening in the sand.

 

[starfishjackedme]

Thanks for the replies everyone! It sure is tempting. I honestly can't make up my mind.

 

[wamp]

2 words... Dog Pee...
I will be using it in my next tank. Have to give it a try at least. I will be getting it all the way at the top of the beach where it has been dry for a while and is white.

 

[melbournefl]

LOL Wamp, and by the way pee'ing is not all those dogs do on the beach ewwwwww but, that said, I'm going to be using fresh sand in my tank, when and if I ever get the sob finished. The neighbor's taking me out in his boat and I'll be diving about 25ft to get mine, bringing it up in 5 gallon buckets, sealing them with the water in and hauling them home. I'm not sure what the potential for disaster is but the way I figure it is, this is *real* live sand and it's going to have a lot of time to "go bad" before I start adding livestock so, like you said, I just gotta try it
Later,
Paul

 

[ntvflgirl]

Here in Panama City, we have sugar white sand. Gosh, it's tempting. But I sure would hate to know that I sabotaged my tank to save money. Surely you have relatives, or are able to drive a while to get some southdown? If not, let me know how it goes...like I said...so tempting. Isn't there a way you can purify it?

 

[jonthefb]

the only way that i could think, well not that it would work would be to bake the sand in an oven but then again this really isnt gonna destroy pollutants. heck its better thatn just putting it in there though. thats about the only thing that i could think of unless some kind of chem treatment could help?
interesting idea though!
good luck
jon

 

[ntvflgirl]

Bleach? Well, we pick up hundreds of sanddollars out on Crooked Island, and we just lay them in the sun, and that seems to do the job. I wonder if you could just put it in the sun in a thin sheet, maybe on something black. Of course you would have to do it in the summertime. Works for the sanddollars, though. Hey, why can't I put sanddollars in the tank? Live ones, I mean? I never see them for sale in the LFS. There must be a reason.

 

[azonic]

Your best way would be to actually boil the sand in large pots of water. This would take quite a while I'm sure, but there's not too much that can survive at 212 degrees F.

 

[jonthefb]

azonic, i agree and think we are thinking on the same level, the only problem is that you really wouldnt be trying to kill anyhting, as the toxins are inorganic compounds that might be chemically bonded with the snad, and if this was the case, then boiling wouldnt really do anyhtign, same goes with baking the sand like i suggested. youd almost have to have it chemically analyzed and then review the results to see if there are any potentially harmful chems bonded with the sand!
good luck
jon

 

[broomer5]

I suppose you could sift it, wash it with water, boil it to drive off some of the possible hydrocarbons or other organics as vapors, rinse it some more then roast it in the oven, bleach it and rinse it even more .... then dry it in the sun.
For those of us that are paranoid and lazy ....... we buy CaribSea aragonite and keep our wives or better half happy.
My wife would try to rip me a new one if she found me in the kitchen baking a couple hundred pounds of sand LOL
But look dear ...... I saved money

 

[slick]

Have you tried doing a search? There have been many posts on this.

 

[jonthefb]

my gf would do the same broomer, but first shed say awww your cooking me dinner and then id say, well dear umm you see i felt the tank needed soem beach sand , yada yada and then KAPOW what do you know jon has a black eye!

oh crap here she comes!

 

[rsd]

Just a thoguht:
Isn't it illegal to remove sand from beaches? I know it is in the puget sound area. Huge fines too. There was a guy in Redondo who was removing basketball sized stones for his rock wall and was nailed for @ $30,000. I think buying the sand would be cheaper than that.
Maybe it's different in other areas.
If I lived farther south, I'd love to dive for it though.

 

[azonic]

I think it's illegal in some spots to take sand from the beach....but he said a friend was bringing him offshore, so he could dive 25 feet for it...I don't think there are any laws regarding that....

 

[nacl-h2o]

That is something to consider. There are many places where it's illegal to remove sand from the beach. If they do any type of beach restoration or heavy erosion control you should check to see if it's legal. Some of those fines if caught are rediculously high.