Fresh and Free Sand!

so how I came upon this subject of free fresh sand happened like this..

A guy from Petco was answering my questions about saltwater tank setups (thinking about one) then we started talking about sand and the price of it! $6 for 5 pounds!
and after talking with him, another guy with arms full of aquarium supplies tells me about sandblasting. It took me half a min to figure why..lol

He told me about going to a hardware/landscaping store that also specializes in sandblasting because they do it to alot of quarts, basalt, limestone and once they are done they clean up the leftover sand and put it in 50 or 100 pound bags...selling them for $10!

So I went to a hardware store that did just this, though I didnt want a 100 lb bag, so I asked if I could take the sand from a broken bag (there is always going to be a broken bag). I had a bucket already and the man forklifted the pile away and this is where I found huge piles of Freshly blasted off white quartz sand..

Anyhoo what Im trying to say is the sand has been washed and filtered and settled, its makes me feel better that its fresh..and free! no changes has happened to the water and my axies love prancin on it! be sure to ask your hardware store!

I hope this could be helpfull to any money tight axie lovers!

AW: Fresh and Free Sand!

Hi,

Did I understand you right that you use sand that had been used for sandblasting before and that then was cleaned?
I would not recommend sand that has been used for sandblasting because although it has been cleaned, the sand can still be polluted with tiny particles of paint or even toxic heavy metal from old protective coatings of bridges and other buildings.
I even would not use this sand in my garden. In my opinion the only thing it is safe to be used for is sandblasting and nothing else.
But maybe I misunderstood you and it is sand that hasn't been used for sandblasting yet. Then excuse my misunderstanding, please.

Peter

Peter is completely right B. Sand that has been USED for sand blasting is very inapproriate to use for aquariums for the reasons mentioned above.

However, if you go to a hardware store, you can buy sand for sand blasting that is very cheap. This is quite often recommended as sand for reqular fish tanks, and I cant see why it wouldnt for for our axxies as well. So the guy you talked with wasnt completely wrong, but not right either. Make sure to buy sand that HASNT been used. Even if you cant get it for free its about 10$ for 100lbs, so its very cheap.

This stuff was reccomended on a fish forum, so it should be OK? Only $7 !

For some reason, the word "abrasive" on that bag made me feel uncomfortable about using it in an axolotl tank. Axolotls are prone to swallowing sand, and if it's rough or sharp or abrasive, it can puncture vital organs and well, you know the rest of that story. I would stay away from things like that, just to be safe. Pool filter sand and children's play sand will always be the best kinds of sand to use in an axolotl tank.

AW: Re: Fresh and Free Sand!

As I don't know what this "hard and sharp" Blasting Crystals contain of, I would not use it in an aquarium.
It is sold for sand blasting and not for aquariums. Maybe it is some kind of slag, then it probably contains heavy metal that is not healthy at all.

I don't understand why people want to save money on things that are cheap anyway when there is a risk for their animals.
Natural sand sold for aquariums is not really expensive und you can be rather sure that it is safe. You don't need several cubic meters of sand but only a small amount. So, how much money do people think they can save by using a ground which might be dangerous for those pets for which they have assumed responsibility?

P.S.: Just found some information at the manufacturer's website: It is some kind of coal slag. You can read it here: http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/TCCblackblastdata.pdf
The website doesn't say where this coal slag comes from. Probably it is a waste product of the iron extraction. Then it is not safe for pets.
I know that many breeders of dwarf shrimps had lots of problems and many dead shrimps after using slag in their aquariums. At first the dark ground looked nice with the colourful shrimps but soon the shrimps began to die.

I got childrens play sand from a hardware store, it cost me £10 and i have used probs 1/8 of the bag and that has covered 3 tanks, so it will last me years and years.
I dont think play sand is expensive, but 'aquarium sand' from lfs do tend to be very pricey

AW: Fresh and Free Sand!

Yes, I also think that childrens play sand is rather safe for axolotls. At least it should not contain heavy metals or other toxic stuff.
Depending on its composition (e.g. lime), it can increase the hardness of the water. But that usually is only a problem for certain species of fish or shrimps, which need soft and slightly acidic water and it is no problem for axolotls.

'Sharp sand' as in builder's sand often contains a lot of impurities and contaminants - even salt, and the grains by definition are large and jagged to aid with sticking things together (in concrete) and preventing slippage (friction). I wouldn't use builders sand even if was free - I once got a nasty rash from playing in builders sand - not to mention grazes from the roughness.

Play sand has often been washed and washed and washed and grain graded - the theory being if it's safe for kids to play in it's safe for axolotls!

Used sand-blasting sand isn't suitable either - they use sharp sand and the run off will conatin whatever they were blasting. To make it safe you would have to wash it with a dozen different solvents, then wash it a few hundred times with water, then sieve it to get the right grain size, then tumble the recovered sand to smooth some of the rough edges. Sounds like hard work to me!

Even unused blasting sand would be sharp sand - still contaminated and rough.