is any beach sand in san diego safe for my aquarium?

[adriansaquatics]

i want to get some beach sand in san diego and put it in my aquarium.
im going to be using scripps pier water so i dont think ocean sand is any diff then the water right?
i was gonna go at low tide and collect the sand. i only need like 50-60lbs.
like 5-10gallons.
i will wash and bake the sand to clean it first. as the organisms and creatures in the sand wont survive in my tropical tempertures that are 20degrees warmen then our native coastal waters.
so if the sand is cloeaned and baked will it be safe and a decent choice for my tank?

[nahtanoj]

the biggest concern would be the legality of it. harvesting anything from the beaches/ocean, including sand, without a license can you get in big trouble. there is also the risk of oil that has gotten onto the sand.
i would personally not recommend doing this. it is not that expensive to buy the sand, and the potential risks of the "free" sand at the beach, IMO are not worth the $60 you'd save.
you can even buy the cheap playset sand at home depot to save money.

[adriansaquatics]

well yeah, the fines for doing it aint worth the risk...and what about the water is it safe enough?

[nahtanoj]

i use scripps water, i think it's safe enough.

[adriansaquatics]

ive heard of hour restrictions..is this true? or can i just stop by mid day tomorrow

[nahtanoj]

i don't know the answer to that. there didn't used to be any, but i have heard rumor that after the new construction it's only after 5pm. i don't know how true this is. the hose is always accessible, it may just be a matter of them not wanting anyone to affect traffic through the area during the day.

[adriansaquatics]

whats the difference between the water and the sand if its dried and baked? i mean that would remove all pollutants and life in the sand. the water would in theory be dirtier then the cleaned sand right?

[nahtanoj]

the water is taken beneath the surface, and filtered.
the sand is skimming the top of the surface which contains lots of oils. these oils won't be taken away, by rinsing and baking it. there is also no benefit to using our local sand. it is not the same kind of sand you'd see in a coral reef area.
if you want to take that chance you can. but, i really don't recommend it for many reasons, including those already stated. we should not be going to the beach and just collecting what we want to use in our tanks. if everyone did it, we'd cause a big impact on the ecosystem.