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So Tuesday I'm trading my 55g setup for a 130g saltwater tank:flick::biggrin::icon_lol::hihi::bounce: The girl has too many tanks and this one hasn't ran for months. Sorry for saying the "S" word here but, no worries, I plan on converting it to a freshwater planted tank. Here's the tank:

Well, I get ALL the sand with it, thus the question of whether or not I can salvage the sand in some way to be able to use it as a cap in a FW tank? Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[PinoyBoy]

Sand is VERY cheap. About $15 for a 50lb bag in my area. Some says home improvement stores sells them for $5 for 50lb.

I'd say no.

 

[ddrfreak_tung]

Doesn't sw sand buffers the water?

 

[Jericho199]

Pretty sure most saltwater substrates are not inert. Not safe for FW imo unless you were doing something that loves hard/alkaline water like rift lake ciclids.

 

[[email protected]]

I didn't think I could use it, just wasn't positive. Didn't know it was so cheap, though, and will just discard and buy new. I do want some sand in this tank. Downoi planted in it would look like a beach with little palm trees on it. Not exactly sure what I'm gonna do with planting all that space though! Thanks all.

 

[kamikazi]

My Home Depot sales 50lb bags of pool filter sand for $5.44 each

 

[jedimasterben]

My Home Depot sales 50lb bags of pool filter sand for $5.44 each

This.

Or, if you're looking for something even finer than that, leveling sand is $3.50 or so for a 40lb bag, and it's EXACTLY like CaribSea Moonlight Sand. Or go with some Black Beauty/Black Diamond blasting sand and you'll have the equivalent of Tahitian Moon Sand.

Or (again lol) mix them together like I do in both of my tanks and have a nice mixed look!

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Don't just dump it! Aragonite sand used in saltwater is much harder to come by than silica sand used in freshwater. Someone will take it off your hands, probably even give you a few bucks for it.

 

[[email protected]]

Don't just dump it! Aragonite sand used in saltwater is much harder to come by than silica sand used in freshwater. Someone will take it off your hands, probably even give you a few bucks for it.

That would be great, would definitely make my wife a little happier after using lots of her gas for this tank. But hey, I am getting a 130g for my 55g and 10g setup:biggrin::icon_lol:

 

[hydrophyte]

This probably isn't what you have in mind, but if you rinse/soak the salt out of it aragonite could be nice for a sparsely-planted setup with Rift Valley cichlids along with a few tough plants that don't mind hard water, such as vals and Java fern.

 

[[email protected]]

This probably isn't what you have in mind, but if you rinse/soak the salt out of it aragonite could be nice for a sparsely-planted setup with Rift Valley cichlids along with a few tough plants that don't mind hard water, such as vals and Java fern.

I plan on having Angels and a few others and, of course, my wifes Electric Blue Crayfish Will hopefully get a mate for her too. While the Angels and the crays both have the capability to live in a wide range of water conditions, I am not so sure this would fall into those parameters would it? I do plan on the sparsely-planted, and have Vals and Rotalas and other easy plants I plan on putting in there. I will also be getting some wood, of course. What do you think?

 

[DogFish]

I agree with they comments on not just tossing out the sand. Rinse it, store in in a 5g; pal(s). Your customers will have African cichlids or Salt water tanks. Offer it for 50% of what it cost new and it will go.

Just to put in in perspective, granted I'm in a a Kettle Marine area, locally sand is $15 a TON. That will fill the bed of a Dodge Ram and while I have had that much Pea gravel in my own Ram...I don't recommend doing it.

 

[sampster5000]

Live sand has aragonite in it which will raise your hardness and pH. Its like a watered down crushed coral. The bacteria will not survive in freshwater so you might as well buy inert sand for very cheap. I use the play sand from lowes but keep in mind that it compacts very quickly and is very tough to clean. If you can, put as thin a layer as possible.

 

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Thanks for all the replies. I went and picked up the tank today. When I got there she decided that she was going to keep the sand. Oh well, wasn't gonna use it anyway. Stay tuned for the new 130g build. Will start on it tomorrow and will be posting pics and creating a journal.