Unsure..

[Noey718]

Can anyone tell me if I can use natural sand instead of live sand in my 55gal saltwater tank?



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[ReachTheSky]

Welcome to Reef Central.

By natural sand, do you mean sand taken from your local beach? It will work but that's generally very dirty. You would have to REALLY wash it and sanitize it.

[masonicman]

Yes it has been done but the problem with harvesting "nature sand" say from our beaches is the impurities.

[PAnanoguy]

yeah make sure you get all the cigarette butts out first ;)

[mcgyvr]

and its illegal in most if not all places..

Lord knows people take enough sand from the beach already home with them in their "cracks" :)

[downbeach]

I think you would be better served by using a calcium carbonate (aragonite) type of substrate as opposed to using the beach sand, which is predominantly Silicon Dioxide (quartz).

[Noey718]

Thanks alot guys. But I didnt mean from the beach. I went in to my lps and they had natural sand it was pretty cheap but when I asked they recommended live sand. I dont have anything In my tank so I figured I could use any substrate.


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[Sugar Magnolia]

Dry aragonite would be my choice. The sand becomes live over time as microfauna and nitrifying bacteria colonizes it from the live rock.

[den75]

and its illegal in most if not all places..

Lord knows people take enough sand from the beach already home with them in their "cracks" :)

You may have stumbled upon something! A couple of trips to the beach you can haul home enough for a DSB and no one would even know.:lolspin:

[Fizz71]

IMO don't get sucked into "live sand"...just get a cup or two from somebody with an established disease free system and add it to some dry reef sand. I prefer fine aragonite.