Has anybody tried using sand from around here?
- Thread starter BioMan
- Start date
- Location
- Franklin Square, NY
our local sand has too much silicates, much like playsand, besides I think it's illegal to take it..
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
You can not use sand from here but it is not because of nitrates, silicates, cigarette butts, or hypodermic needles. It is much to fine and will form hydrogen sulfate in no time. I have used it many times in my local tank and it never works. It turns black in a week just under it. Some beaches out east on the north shore have a much courser sand that you could use if you wanted that look
I tried sand from eastern LI. The next time I swiped my magnet cleaner down by the sand bed I noticed quite a bit of debris on the edge of the magnet. Turned out to be metal. Soon discovered there was a lot of metal in it, so I took it all out.
- Location
- bronx
my tank is from jones beach ive set up many tanks from jones beach just be very careful
- Location
- bronx
has to be the wet sand tho
- Location
- Connecticut
How thick of a sand bed were you using when you observed the black color formation? Did you smell hydrogen sulfide?
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
I set up a few tanks in my home with Jones Beach sand in small tanks. I did smell hydrogen sulfide and under the sand turned black. It was about 1 1/2" thick. I also built a fiddler crab tank which was half local sand and half water. That worked as I had a small pump pumping water on the sand and it came through and out the bottom. If you just use less than an inch there will probably be no problems.
- Location
- Connecticut
Thanks, this gives me ideas. I had planned not to exceed 2" after I examined samples around Norwalk. I have also observed settling rates for sand with different surface characteristics, such as color and whether it looked slimy. Based on this and your information I will collect sand that is faster settling and with a minimum of suspended material. And I will also build the bed in stages, starting with a shallow bed and slowly building it up.
I am of two minds about vigorously rinsing the sand with Sound water to minimize organic content. I worry that I might wash out interesting and useful inhabitants. Thoughts?
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
After you wash the sand just go to a muddy bay and lift some rocks in the mud, swish them in a bucket of water and get all the interesting inhabitants you want. I do that a few times a year to collect a=mphipods and bacteria.
Here is a video of what you can get under a couple of rocks
Here is a video of what you can get under a couple of rocks
Last edited:
- Location
- Connecticut
After you wash the sand just go to a muddy bay and lift some rocks in the mud, swish them in a bucket of water and get all the interesting inhabitants you want. I do that a few times a year to collect a=mphipods and bacteria.
Here is a video of what you can get under a couple of rocks
A good hint and an exciting video (for a fellow collector).
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
The amphipods were very excited, I had to throw a Zanex in there to slow them down for the picture.
How much would they give for a fifty gallon drum of them?
- Location
- bronx
i have never experienced this black film in the sand and no lie i have used that sand in many set up i guess everyones experience is diff my tank has a 2 inch sand bed even more in some parts with no problems ive put up a few videos or you can c them under my youtube username luis santiago 180 everything is doing great with jones beach sand lol
- Location
- Connecticut
Your tank looks great and I enjoyed the video tour! You did a very neat job on the netting cover.
How did you prepare your sand? Did you rinse it with saltwater or did it go straight into the aquarium?
- Location
- Central new jersey
The sand should work well, ive done it with jersey sand and had no issues. The silicates people talk about in the sand won't cause algea blooms they are inorganic. If i was you id get it from an ocean beach rather than a bay. Or is from a bay look for the sand that is hard and firm when you stand on it wet. The sand that feels smooth and you sink into when you stand is a smaller size and made of organic matter which is what breaks down furthur in your tank and gives the black sand. On flip side though the smooth sand has a ton more critters in it if looking for the life addition
Hey those little critters in the video are they able to thrive in water temps of 78-80? I notice the snails and crabs that cover dead fish do great. Crabs more like pest..but the carnivours snails are great gave like 50 to my cousin a year ago and there still thriving!
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
The local mud snails don't care about the temperature as I collect them under the ice or in tide pools where it is 90 degrees. The pods also as they breed in my tank and I get them in those same tide pools. The local hermit crabs will not live long in a tropical tank
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