# Sand from the Beach



## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

I was thinking of changing the gravel in my tank of mbunas this summer and switch it to sand from 
a beach I live close by.

Would I have to rinse it completley of the salt before I add it, or just put it right in and refill the tank?

Can it be done?


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

Well, concerning seaside sand I cannot help you in manner to be 100% sure how to do it.

Concerning river sand I wash it several times and boil it two times before I use it in the tank (between to boiling I wasssht it one more time).

Perhaps you should use the same method...i believe so, but maybe someone knows better...


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

hey Timcat.

Currently in my tanks i have limesand which is really quiet fine, just as fine as beach. I'm going to change from the sand to crushed coral just because it's so fine that it gets stirred up very easily and ends up in your filters which is really annoying.
If you have alot of water movement as i do it can become a bit of pain, on the flip side it is very natural looking and makes for an awesome feature in your tank.

Good luck with it all


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Yeah that would make sense to kill off any parasites.

Thanks much.


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## stslimited84 (Oct 5, 2007)

seems like a lot of extra work. Why not just get pool filter sand, or some other sand where the cleaning requirements are minimal. Time saved, in this case, is greater than money spent on the sand, which by the way isnt much b/c PFS is cheap


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Gibbs,

*** heard of the sand getting caught up in the filters, and that would be hard to clean.

But your right, on the flip side it does look great. *** seen pics of tanks with sand on this forum,
and I think gravel is getting a bit boring. Plus the sand at the beach is made of fine coral, and has a pink color to it so i thought it would look cool and be worth the hassel.

The crushed coral you speak of, is that the bagged substrate made especially for africans that is in most stores today?

Tim


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

Be advised that crushed coral is not as suitable as many suggest. It can damage fishes mouths since it is, in many cases , sharper than it should be (and larger) so when fish dig it may hurt herself...


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Seems to be a matter of opinion.

which are appreciated very much.

But a question regarding the "crushed coral". *** read on the labels on the bag that , the water will be a bit cloudy for a few days.

doesnt irritate the gills of the fish?

Are you supposed to rinse it before adding it?


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## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

you are suppose to rinse the crushed coral before you add it

i wash it many many times before i put it in the tank


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## yellow (Mar 3, 2004)

I use it in all in my tanks it just takes some extra washing to get rid of the dust sized particles and then put your inlet up higher than usual so sand doesn't get sucked up. It is worth the trouble in my opinion.


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## stslimited84 (Oct 5, 2007)

Crushed coral needs to be rinsed very well, or it'll cloud the water for a while. I washed mine and it still clouded up the water, but it was pretty much cleared up in a day. My fish didnt seem to mind the coral at all, and my brichardis had no problem moving it when they bred.


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

Yeah it is true, i had gravel before i changed to sand and the sand made a major change to the tank and even made it look much bigger and gave the natural effect that i was looking for.
sand is also really good for the fish to pick up and filter through their gills which is good natural behavor especially for peacocks and haps.
crushed coral is meant to bad for some fish like peacocks and haps, something to do with gill irritation and facial damage.
im looking for coral sand which is corse but it won't have any sharp edges in it hopefully, unfortunately it will illiminate the sand sifting which sucks.


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

The pool filter sand that stslimited84 spoke about would be a better choice in terms of maintenance? Is it heavier than beach sand/river sand?


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## F-1 (Jan 17, 2008)

Timat4867,

If you are considering using sand from the beach, you might want to consider a $3 bag of unwashed play sand from Home Depot. It's the exact same as sand from the beach less the salt.

To clean it, all that's required is putting the sand into a bucket, run water in the bucket while stirring the sand until the water is clear. It may take 15 to 20 minutes max, depending on how much sand you are cleaning.

And fine sand or silica sand does have a reputation of ruining filters. A trick to avioding this is to simply shut off your filter while your cleaning your tank, wait for the sand to settle (10-20 seconds), and then turn the filter back on.

F-1


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## QHgal (May 18, 2006)

I wouldn't use sand from the beach. How many times do you see someone walking their dog on the beach? Birds fly overhead, cats and sand, you get the picture. Plus who knows what that sand has come in contact with besides animal feces. Use play sand from a home improvement store. Cheap and easy. Just be sure to rinse til the water runs clean.


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

I definitely wouldnt use dirty beach sand. My idea was to go into the water and get it from there. Clean and fresh.
No birds, Dogs, definitely no cats. Over here in Bermuda, animals are prohibited from setting foot on the beach. Thats not to say animals cant get on the beach on their own. 
I can appreciate what your saying.

Also no Home depots, or Lowes. I would have to check the Local hardware store if they sell sand which im guessing would run possibly $10 plus a bag. Depending how big it is. I would think I need quite a bit. So walking a stones throw to the beach would be cheaper if beach sand can be used.


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

I agree with you it is much better to get sand from the water, not from the shore.

I could only imagine how the sand beaches looks like in Bermuda :drooling:


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## HomeDawwg (Apr 7, 2008)

I love the look of beach sand. I recently purchased a second hand tank, which was already set up with beach sand (so the cleaning i had to do was minimal).

I rekon it looks 10 times better than my other cichlid tank with "aquarium lime sand", i used to think it looked natural but comparing it to the new set up, beach sand is way better imo.

I may post a pic if i get time, and you will see what i mean


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Over here the island is made up of mostly limestone and coral,
So the sand in some areas is pink in color, some areas light beige.

I think it would look very natural and attractive with the mbunas.


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