# sanitize sand from the beach?



## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Quick question - if I take sand from the beach to make an npt, do I need to sanitize the sand and if yes then how? Do I need to sanitize store-bought sand?

Thanks!


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## RNHime (Mar 12, 2015)

I believe sanitizing is usually done by baking damp sand on sheets in the oven again and again? Some people boil, then bake. I have not done it myself. It's work, but it can be done.

Keep in mind that depending on what is in the sand (shell fragments, etc) it could sublty-to-drastically alter your pH. I recommend testing your water as it usually is, jarring some sand in that water for an extended time, and testing again to see if the pH has changed.

Sand from the store shouldn't need sanitizing, but often benefits from rinsing, because there is usually a lot of particulate matter and dust that will cloud your water up. Sand intended for fish tank use should say if it is pH neutral (not going to change things) or meant to adjust pH for certain species of fish.

Pool sand, blasting sand, etc, also needs to be rinsed, but I don't know of anyone needing to sanitize it.

Personally I use CaribSea's black sand, and I don't even have to rinse it... Extremely minimal clouding when the tank was first set up (probably just normal clouding, not even from the sand), and now I'm only using it here and there to top off what little gets suctioned out during cleaning.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Thanks RNHime,

I am getting it from the same lake our drinking water comes from. Does it still mean that it can affect the PH?


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## RNHime (Mar 12, 2015)

I'd say it _probably_ won't, unless it's full of sticks/bark/plant matter that would lower your pH gradually... or made entirely of crushed limestone or something, haha.

Generally it's sea sand or shells that people want to bring home from vacation, throw in with their freshwater fish, and then wonder why that was not a good idea. =/

The water in the lake may be very different from the water in your tap. Filtration does all kinds of things to water chemistry. If you have a test kit, try it out at the lake for fun! See how it compares to home. Then try the sand in your tapwater for a week or two, and see how that compares, too.


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## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

Wash it, and then let it soak either in a 50/50 vinegar solution or 1/10 bleach solution. Then wash multiples times and let dry completely. Rinse again before using. 
I'm currently doing this to some coarse beach sand. 

I don't suggest boiling or cooking, as it can cause noxious fumes depending on what is in the sand. Shell pieces in the sand can also increase the hardness as they dissolve in the tank over time so be ready for that.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Thanks RNHime, sounds like a fun chemistry project to do with the kids! I am getting my test kit shortly.

Trahana, thanks, I like the no bake solution! What's the easiest way to rinse sand - put it in a sieve lined with paper towel? Or just fill up a bucket and dump from the top? I need just a few handfuls of sand. I just want to make a 1G tank that's all.


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## Netti (Apr 25, 2014)

I have heard of people using pillow cases to rinse sand.
Personally I just poured the sand in a bucket and rinsed and rinsed it, and rinsed it some more after rinsing it more. Until I got pretty close to clear water and almost no more floating debris at the top. I had the bucket in the bathtub, and made sure there was no sand pouring out of the bucket and into the tub (Acrylic).


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Netti, how do you get the debris out without dumping it down the drain? Scoop it out with something I guess?


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## Netti (Apr 25, 2014)

It flows over the rim of the bucket....you just need to be careful when you are reaching in and mix the sand to loosen the debris, that stirred up sand does not flow over the rim as well.  

Before I mixed the sand with my hands I poured some water out first to avoid this from happening. I found this a lot easier than what I imagined it would work with a pillow case.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Netti said:


> It flows over the rim of the bucket....you just need to be careful when you are reaching in and mix the sand to loosen the debris, that stirred up sand does not flow over the rim as well.
> 
> Before I mixed the sand with my hands I poured some water out first to avoid this from happening. I found this a lot easier than what I imagined it would work with a pillow case.


Ok, great, thank you so much for the tip!


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

So I poured vinegar over the sand and added the same amount of water. As soon as I added vinegar it started to bubble like crazy. You'd think there was baking soda in there! Is that to be expected?


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

Shells. Should have figured. Anyways, I am done now, the bucket method was easy. Thanks everyone!


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## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

If there are lots of shell matter in the sand, you may need to rethink adding it to the aquarium. 
Shells will provide stability to the PH. But will raise ph and hardness too. It typically won't matter if the fish don't mind a high ph or hardness and have time to adjust. If they are a fish that is sensitive to ph and prefer a low ph, then don't use it.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

trahana said:


> If there are lots of shell matter in the sand, you may need to rethink adding it to the aquarium.
> Shells will provide stability to the PH. But will raise ph and hardness too. It typically won't matter if the fish don't mind a high ph or hardness and have time to adjust. If they are a fish that is sensitive to ph and prefer a low ph, then don't use it.


Thanks, good to know. There aren't a lot and they stand out because they are white and sand is darker. Can I just sift them out do you think? As for who is going into the tank, it's a 1G vase that I am making for our one ghost shrimp. I'll probably be getting a snail as well. It's an experiment. Do you think shrimp and snails would be ok with the ph and hardness?


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## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

The snail should be fine, but I've never had shrimp before. The shrimp would be okay with the PH range, but I don't know if the hardness would be a problem.

You can try to sift it, I'm not sure if it would work. To bad there isn't a way to just vacuum them up, they are probably the a bit lighter but not enough to make a difference.


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## Netti (Apr 25, 2014)

The shrimp will adjust to your pH as long as you acclimate them carefully if the difference is great! They will love a higher kH because when they molt they have to re-grow their shell.


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## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

That's good to know Netti, I was thinking of getting shrimp but the hardness of the water in my area is rather high! 
Not to mention I'm hoping to use natural sand in my tank-to-be too. I'm not to worried about the shell fragments, I've been using actual shells as decor for years and all my fish are fine. But I've always chosen fish that like hard water due to the natural hardness of the tap water.


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## olgamc (Jan 2, 2016)

My tap water is hard too and it comes from the same lake. The shrimp and the betta have been fine with it. NHRine suggested doing a test of the tap water vs lake water vs tap water + sand after a time, to see if there is a difference. I'll do that when I get my kit. Everything is so expensive. Sigh.

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to building our jar with my son this weekend.


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