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06/13/2008, 11:29 PM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 71
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Adding Live Beach Sand?
I was at the beach the other day and the sand was so pretty that I took a two gal bucket of it home. The sand was from in the water, right where the waves break, and it's full of very pretty color and textures. I topped the bucket off with some sea water, put a lid on it, and brought it home. It has been sitting on my work bench and there are little sand crabs swimming around at the top and burying themselves at the surface of the sand even after sitting there for three days.
I guess that it is not safe to add this sand to an established tank, right? How can I make it safe to add? I was thinking about soaking the sand for a few weeks in distilled water with some aeration, to sort of cure it and kill the life in it. Or is it ok to add it while it's "live". BTW the sand was collected off of Longboat Key in FL and the water was pristine. The sand and water looked so nice that you could have probably set up a tank instantly with what was there. |
06/14/2008, 12:38 AM | #2 |
Moved On
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Posts: 7,497
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There's always a chance that it could be poluted. So I guess it's up to you. To give you an idea I took a metal detector down to a beautiful beach in So Cal and all I could find was rusty nails all up and down a beautiful white sandy beach.
I've seen the Florida water it is really pretty. I could see the dirt under my toe-nails in chest deep water |
06/14/2008, 03:18 AM | #3 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 71
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No, there aren't any nails in this stuff. I collected it out of the water in small handfulls until I filled up the bucket. My concern is, if I add it as "live" sand to my already established tank sand, will I send the tank into a cycle somehow?
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06/14/2008, 03:38 AM | #4 |
Moved On
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Posts: 7,497
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I doubt it. But i depends on how long it's been out of the water and how mature the tank is that it's going into.
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06/14/2008, 05:57 AM | #5 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: balto md
Posts: 236
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YOUR SAND IS GREAT TO ADD ...JUST GET IT FRESH....I USE SAND FROM HOME DEPO...WORKS GREAT...
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06/14/2008, 09:00 AM | #6 |
stickhead n chalice freak
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Milwaukie, OR 97267
Posts: 529
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i always wondered the same thing... i always thought that the beaches were dirty, as the waves are like natures protien skimmer, the foam the waves produce and push to shore are polluted with all the nastyness, therefore the sand would be poluted.......i thought to get good live sand, you would have to go dive for it at about a 15 ft depth, with the tide all the way out, to ensure it was clean sand.... just my thoughts...
shane
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King Of Aquatico Island corals are like crack, but more expensive, and you cant OD on them.... Current Tank Info: 300DD sps dominant, ATB Med ext w/airstar 4-6105s, apex, geo 618 CaRx, PM 620 kalk, 500 gal total water. Check out my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2116897 |
06/14/2008, 09:22 AM | #7 |
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 429
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its definately risky but you might be ok.
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I have a 10g tank, how many tangs can i keep in it? Current Tank Info: 550g salt, 55g salt, 29g salt |
06/14/2008, 12:36 PM | #8 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 71
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Quote:
This beach was, like I said, pristine. The water and sand was absolutely beautiful, which was what compelled me to bring some of it home. I have little concern of pollution, my concern is combining another bacterial culture with my already existing one. |
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06/14/2008, 12:40 PM | #9 |
Premium Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Green Bay, Wi.
Posts: 4,455
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I think you will be fine if you just add a cup or 2 at a time. Keep the rest of it aerated in the meantime.
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"Just a drop in the bucket" |
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