# Lake sand as a substrate?



## Texan (Aug 27, 2013)

Hi - total newbie here.

Just acquired a 100 gal tank, planning on taking it slowly to build a planted community tank!

I've read through a number of threads on substrates and the relative advantages/disadvantages of sand v gravel etc. I favor sand.

Now, I've seen recommendations for pool filter sand, play sand, black sand et al.

I have easy access to a man-made lake, some 50 years old, which has sandy shores. Fish seem to thrive in the lake! Are ther any potential problems with using 2" of this sand in the bottom of my tank?


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Texan said:


> Hi - total newbie here.
> 
> Just acquired a 100 gal tank, planning on taking it slowly to build a planted community tank!
> 
> ...


Would this happen to be Texoma?


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## pennyls9332 (Aug 24, 2013)

i use sand in my tanks and love the ease and cleanliness of it. the only problems i can think of is the bacteria and parasites it can harbor.


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## newtchaplin (Oct 19, 2011)

Texan said:


> Hi - total newbie here.
> 
> Just acquired a 100 gal tank, planning on taking it slowly to build a planted community tank!
> 
> ...


when setting up a planted tank you have to remember roots need to spread in the substrate. Sand is packed to tightly and will not allow the roots to grow properly you will get root rot. You can use sand for a pathway, anywhere plants are not planted. Try to use fluorite sand it allows for plant growth. Crushed fluorite is a great mixture of colored clay which will benefit the plants with nutrients. Check my tanks and you can see what I did with sand that worked the best. I used pea sized gravel mixed with aqua soil for the rooted plants, pennywort, Valis, and hornwort are a couple you can plant into sand. There is nothing wrong with you putting layers of crushed fluorite, mixed with aqua soil under the sand. Levels are important to a planted tank. I totally agree with using what the earth provides. Remember to wash the sand before adding it to your tank. Lakes, rivers, and streams harbor heavy metals, pollutants.


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

First I would be cautions about using sand from a lake or river. Its going to harbor things that you might not want in your tank. Plus any contaminates in the water could be in the sand. Which would not be good in a closed system such as a tank. There is cheap alternatives to buy sand such as playsand and some look pretty natural.

Second and I have to disagree with newtchaplin here. Plants do absolutely fine in sand.I have never had a problem with root root because of it being packed to tightly. I have used anything from playsand to multi purpose sand.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

I agree with Boredom.
Plenty of folk's (me included), Manage to grow plant's in sand. (Have three such tank's now).
Also agree that unless one carefully clean's item's taken from river bank's,lakeshore,that very real possibility exist's that unwanted thing's like fish lice,gill flukes,anchor worm's,could be introduced to otherwise healthy tank/fishes. Not to mention chemical residual's .
Cheap playsand can be purchased for $8.00 per 50 lbs in my neck of the wood's.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Hey, Texan! Welcome to TFK!!! 100g, huh? Sounds like FUN ^.^

My preferred substrate is sand, also - it's just so much easier to keep clean! My tanks are all pretty well planted, and right now 4 of them have sandy bottoms, some are plant-only, and I've had no problems with root rot.

As for wild-caught sand, that sounds like fun! I think it's neat to be able to utilize nature in a tank. As the others have said, you can get play sand from the hardware store for around $3ish a bag (here), but if you want to use collected sand, I'd suggest that you collect it from a dry area (to limit the types of bacteria/pathogens that could potentially be carried home). I tend to err on the side of caution with such things, so would go so far as to pop it in the oven to ensure that it is well and truly "dead" and rinse it thoroughly before adding it to the tank.

You also might want to consider doing a bucket test on Ph, just to make sure there isn't anything in the sand that will alter the Ph in your tank water - or at least to know how much and how quickly. If, for example, there were fragments of crushed shell in the sand, it could raise your Ph, and you might end up with water that was harder than what you originally intended for the creatures that will live there. 

I'd suggest that you also check the laws in your area, I have found that in some places (state parks, etc) it can be illegal to remove anything from a natural environment.

Best of luck with your tank setup! Please be sure to keep us updated on how this tank grows! Can't wait to see - and happy hunting!


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## moghedan (Aug 19, 2013)

If you are removing sand from a public place, you may wish to check local and state regulations.

As mentioned, parasites are a potential issue. A large pot, an outdoor flame, and boiling the sand for a few hours can deal with that.

If the lake is treated with any chemicals, or there is runoff from lawns, houses, or industry, boiling will not take care of that. Sometimes carbon added to the filter will... sometimes not.



If you really love the look of the local sand, solutions do exist for most problems.

If you are looking to save a few bucks, local sand will cost you more, even without counting the time spent gathering.

Pool Sand is common, so is play sand. Crayola even makes colored sand.

If Black is what you seek, Northern Tool and Die Black Diamond blasting media, size 20/40 is what you seek. $6.99 for 50 lb at your nearest Tractor Supply. 20/40 is the correct size for plant growth... you can even vac it without sucking up the sand with a gravity fed 1/2 inch hose. 30/60 is fine enough to cloud up and grind your filter gears.


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## Texan (Aug 27, 2013)

Hey all - thanks for all the useful replies!

Part of the lake shore is on my property so I have no concerns about contravening regulations.

I had originally been thinking of using sand (and possibly plant life) from the lake because I thought it might provide some beneficial ingredients over plain sand. However in view of your responses, which suggest the need to boil/clean the sand anyway, I think I'll just go and buy it instead.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I know I'll have plenty more questions before progressing much further.


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## newtchaplin (Oct 19, 2011)

newtchaplin said:


> when setting up a planted tank you have to remember roots need to spread in the substrate. Sand is packed to tightly and will not allow the roots to grow properly you will get root rot. You can use sand for a pathway, anywhere plants are not planted. Try to use fluorite sand it allows for plant growth. Crushed fluorite is a great mixture of colored clay which will benefit the plants with nutrients. Check my tanks and you can see what I did with sand that worked the best. I used pea sized gravel mixed with aqua soil for the rooted plants, pennywort, Valis, and hornwort are a couple you can plant into sand. There is nothing wrong with you putting layers of crushed fluorite, mixed with aqua soil under the sand. Levels are important to a planted tank. I totally agree with using what the earth provides. Remember to wash the sand before adding it to your tank. Lakes, rivers, and streams harbor heavy metals, pollutants.


I do apologize profusely for my last post. I had no idea you could do such a thing. That opens up more ideas for setting up aquariums, thank you very much. I still have lots to learn about this hobby, that's why this hobby is so great. 

Is there a certain kind of sand most use or can I use play sand?


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

Good luck with the setup, Texan! Can't wait to see how it grows! There is also the other option of collecting EVERYTHING from your backyard and trying a local biotope. That'd be awesome!


Awww, it's okay, Newt - we're all learning here! Just be wary of giving out the wrong information - it can cost little lives. 

There are _so many_ types of sand that are available and can be used in planted tanks, but yes - play-sand works perfectly, LOTS of people use it in their tanks (I have it in one), but you do have to give it extra rinsing at setup, it tends to be 'dirtier' than some others. You should put up a thread in the planted area of the forum. I'm sure you'll get a lot of helpful responses. ^_^


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## moghedan (Aug 19, 2013)

You were not incorrect.

Sand that is too fine a grit will have trouble with plants... it packs too tightly for root growth.



Also with sand is a potential for anaerobic bacteria and poisonous gas buildup. Stir your sand with your fingers occasionally, and go deep.

If you are a snail fan, burrowing snails like Malaysian Trumpet Snails will keep the sand mostly stirred for you.

Fish cannot usually move gravel... but they can move sand. AND THEY WILL MOVE SAND. Keep that in mind when scaping...


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

As far as I know and have read MTS only burrow down into the 1st inch or so of the substrate (could be wrong). I have also read they will go down just to were the oxygen lvls are still good and along as the food supply is there. So if the sand is deep enough to go anaerobic then it is deep enough for them not to go.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Using a larger, uniform grain sized sand like pool filter sand prevents it from compacting. Tons and tons of people (myself excluded) keep their plants in sand with fantastic results.

Ahhhhh, the infamous poison gas pockets....that we only ever hear warnings about. I've spent a lot of time on these forums (racked up about 25k posts) and have seen threads about every stupid little thing, but what I have never seen is a "poisonous gas pockets killed my fish" thread. I'm not saying its not possible to happen, but just that it is incredibly rare. That, or poisonous gas pockets are the ONE problem that everyone manages to avoid. Or maybe it's just ridiculously easy to avoid because its just not a threat....


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Might also consider that plant's have the ability,,, and can and do,,transport oxygen to the root's so there is very little chance of hydrogen sulfide build up in heavily planted, sand based tank.
As mentioned,,unless sand is deeper than four inches,,the gas boogie man is more myth than cause for concern in my view,and many other's.


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