collecting live sand

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Mako

Mako

EET MOR KATFISH
Nov 19, 2001
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Wake Forest, NC
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I'm setting up a 55g soon, and stocking it with local saltwater critters, so it only makes sense to collect my own live sand as well.

Anyone here ever done this? I have several places to collect (tide pools, in the surf itself, inlets, etc...). Should I collect the fine sand or the coarse stuff, or mix it?

Should I just take the top layer, or dig down several inches?

Any info or tips will help!

FYI there will be a 1 hour drive back to my house once collected, so how would you transport it?
 
gcvt

gcvt

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Mar 15, 2001
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I forget where you live, but if you collect your own sand, you run the very serious risk of introducing pollutants/contaminants into your tank...maybe some unwanted critters too. I would also wonder if locally collected sand would really be "live" i.e. with worms, pods, etc. I'm not sure you'd find much of this close to the shore.

Plus, isn't it illegal to collect rock, sand, etc. unless you're many miles offshore?
 
Mako

Mako

EET MOR KATFISH
Nov 19, 2001
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Wake Forest, NC
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I live in Charleston SC, to my knowledge there is no law on collecting stuff like that (unless it applies to a fishery-related item like shellfish and crustaceans).

There are several places I can get some decent live sand, but it won't be the same "flavor" that you'd get in a pet shop. My main intent is something with a minor fauna content, but most importantly a good inoculation of cyclic bacteria. That, and since the tank will be a local "habitat" tank with local critters it'll look more natural to me.

There are possibilities of pollution and parasites, something I'm willing to risk. If I need to let the tank set for a couple of months (ie, longer than the normal cycling) to reduce the risk of parasites I'll do that. But the native fish should have more of a tolerance for the local mix of parasites more than, say, a flame angel or percula.
 
A

a_free_bird73

AC Members
Jun 13, 2002
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Melbourne, Australia
I thought about collecting my own sand here in Australia where often we don't have the major pollution problems encountred elsewhere. When I checked with the fisheries department, it turned out that it was illegal to take anything from the tidal zone which is basically from shore until you hit 6 feet deep. That includes sand, rocks and any live organism...
 
OrionGirl

OrionGirl

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Aug 14, 2001
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Check with your Department of Natural Resources /Game & Fish...They can tell you if it's legal, when it's legal, ect. Better safe than sorry. They might also be able to recommend 'clean' sites for collection.

I would wait for low tide, and go as close to the surf as possible. The critters living there will be more likely to live in a purely aqautic environment than ones closer to the high tide mark.

The problem with parasites is that in your tank they have a captive buffet. In the wild, the have to find the host before they can infect, and this limits their spread. Sometimes they find a host, sometimes they don't. In your tank, pretty much all of them WILL find their host. So, your fish will be infected by many more parasites than normal. This is what causes problems--it's basically like you being locked up with millions of mosquitos--they all get to take a crack at you, instead of just the few that locate you taking a hike.
 
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