Real Sand

[FCWonderer]

Not new to fishkeeping but this seemed like a newbie question. So I'm on vacation (Hello from Marimar Beach, Florida!) and I love all the sea life that I'm encountering out here. Anyways I've got a tank at home with cory cats in them and I've always felt bad for putting it in a gravel tank instead of sand. Then it hit me. I'm sitting on the largest resevoir of sand possible! It's free, I know it will support fish and plant life and it makes too much sense not to. Did I mention it's free? My question is... can I use this natural sand for my aquarium? If not, why so? If yes, other than rinsing it in fresh water should I do anything else to it to prepare it for my tank? Does sand that's on the mainland vs sand in the actual ocean matter? Thanks guys!

 

[Sickbound]

If you rinse it very well I think it might be okay... My only concern would be what the sand is made out of. If it has calcium in it it would be a bad idea to use it.

 

[FCWonderer]

If you rinse it very well I think it might be okay... My only concern would be what the sand is made out of. If it has calcium in it it would be a bad idea to use it.

What would be the problem with calcium? I know plants like it to grow, but maybe it's a harmful kind? And can I test for calcium?

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

It's typically considered a bad idea for a few reasons
Beach sand can change your pH drastically due to a few different things
There are parasites, and bacteria that you wouldn't want in your tank
There is going to be salt in the sand, and if you don't rinse it well enough that could be a problem.
Also in some places it's illegal to take sand from beaches.
 
I'd just stick with buying sand.  Play sand is about $5 per 50lb., bag! It doesn't look bad either.  Just rinse it well, and you'l be fine! There's also some really nice aquarium sand at pet stores, it's just a little more expensive.  

 

[Zante]

+1
 
Just a short explanation on the calcium. It is not the calcium per se that is a problem, it's just that calcareous sand will slowly dissolve in soft water and alter the hardness and alkalinity. You'll have a rising ph and can't do anything about it.
 
You can test this by dropping some acid (vinegar for example) on a sample, and if it starts fizzling then it is calcareous.
 
As Betta_Shark said, you can wash the sand sift it, boil it, etc... but for the price of play sand it's not worth the effort.