Is it ok to use beach sand in a freshwater tank setup?

[Fishflyer]

In my latest tank, I use green & gray gravel flooring pinnacles in a canyon leading out onto a beach using Torpedo Beach Sand. The company putting out this substrate has a variety of mediums. As it promised, the Torpedo Beach Sand is easy maintenance. They instruct that the TB Sand requires no or only light surface vacuuming. A month in I was surprised to find only a light amount deitrus on the surface and no drek anywhere deeper. So far so good. The only way I had noticed the light amount of deitrus was when I was looking very closely.

This particulate sand has a very attractive appearance, looking like a white tropical beach sand with tiny bits of shell in it. The particles are rounded as not to injure your rooting fish and to prevent packing, thus avoiding gas pockets.

It hàs a luminous white color that seems to glow. To see photos check under normal threads and December entrys (there are only a few) in the forum To Sand or Not To Sand, I would post a photo here, but due technical problems. Another member was kind enough to post them for me at the time of the discussion on the thread To Sand or Not To Sand.

 

[duanes]

With any sand the possibility of bringing in bacteria or parasites is a possibility.
If from a quarry sand, that has been bagged less maybe so.
But if you take sand from a beach around a lake, river, or ocean, consider many animals (feral, or wild) has passed by, dropped feces, urine, some died, dead and diseased, fish have washed up, there are endless possibilities of contamination, (including human activities, like spills or trash) so clean the sand with that in mind.



Geophagus are a Tribe of new world cichlids that include a number of genera, and perhaps 100 or more species.
They include species from southern South America that experience a winter cooling, some northern South Amercan are tropical species, some that range into Central America.
Many kinds, some expensive some widely available, and not costly.
Below some I have kept



Some require soft water, some not, some require a cool down, many do not.

 

[RTC probe 3]

Thx for all that info fish flyer and duanes. And don't worry I cleaned the sand for a week or so. But I also have another two questions to ask;

1. I have this 10 gallon tank and I used white stones as the substrate. So I bought some amazon swords and valisnaria and planted them (I put the roots under the rocks) . But after some time the leaves of both plants started to turn brown and then brake off. What did I do wrong here ? Is it because of bad water quality? I don't want the same thing happening in my 50 gallon.

2. How do I plant anubias? Do I tie the roots to a log or something?

 

[Fishflyer]

Usually if boil your sand you shoul be fine as far as killing pathogens.

Torpedo Beach Sand I believe is a manufactured quality aquarium sand that has larger, rounder granules than Play sand and normal aquarium sand. Not sure how it compares with Pool Filter Sand or Construction sand. As I remember when I worked in construction construction sand has larger granules and had more heft than other sands.

Torpedo Beach Sand has some heft. It will rise a bit into the suction chamber, but not high enough to enter into the suction tube. It settles quickly with no clouding and amazingly it barely needs to be cleaned. It has a natural appearance .It is $13 for 5 pounds on eBay. (The Candid cow) seller. Petco sells it for $21 for 10 pounds. $44 for 50 lb.bag at Petsmart. I am very pleased with this substrate.

 

[duanes]

Plants like swords and vallisneria need substrate such as sand to take root in, just putting them under stones is usually a death sentence.
Plants like Anubias and java fern are just the opposite, if you bury the rhizome and too much root in the substrate, the plant will melt.
With these type attaching to a rock or log is the proper method.
I often tie the base of a plant to a log, and after a time small roots have worked their way into the wood.
Many aquariums plants melt when first planted, but the roots are still viable, and once they get acclimatized begin to grow again.

Anubius (below with young Gymnogeophagus)

 

[Fishflyer]

Thx for all that info fish flyer and duanes. And don't worry I cleaned the sand for a week or so. But I also have another two questions to ask;

1. I have this 10 gallon tank and I used white stones as the substrate. So I bought some amazon swords and valisnaria and planted them (I put the roots under the rocks) . But after some time the leaves of both plants started to turn brown and then brake off. What did I do wrong here ? Is it because of bad water quality? I don't want the same thing happening in my 50 gallon.

2. How do I plant anubias? Do I tie the roots to a log or something?

Yes you can tie roots to ornaments. You can get the plant root wraps from fish store to keep roots iñ place and happily start growing where you want it too.
V Anubius have larger more rigid roots, that may require plant wraps and quite a bit more medium piled on. Happily it will still grow if your fish expose the roots. Maybe get a small bag of close matching white gravel at your fish shop. They are pretty cheap at the fish shop. Then you can camouflage with your white rocks.

Do not plant your anubius below the crown- point where roots meet the trunk of the plant. But do pile they gravel around and on the roots.

Plants leaves may turn brown and die in their new environment, but do not discard them, as they will likely grow more leaves that at accommodated to your lighting and water parameters.

Valisnaria hardy and grow in most water and light conditions.

Amazon Swords require a small grained gravel substrate and 10-12 hrs moderate lighting. Plants generally do better with cleaner water conditions. Good luck.