# Pond Sand******I think its Silt



## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

yeah, but i'd boil it (???) or maybe soak it in alcohol or vinegar.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Ok then I will be using that than. Should I mix it with flourite?


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

It depends if your going to go plants(which I bet you are  lol). I would say go more lowtech and add plants like ferns and mosses


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

I'd avoid it. 

If you use it, boiling is a must to kill parasites and nasties that will live in the pond. But I wouldn't do it anyway- 
Sand itself contains no nutrition for your plants. 
It will be filthy and you're going to have to rinse FOREVER if you want to see through your aquarium water. Between the rinsing and the boiling it will be useless to your plants once you get it in the tank. 

If you wanted to do it as an experiment, to see how much work is involved, or if it may work, then go for it. If you want to set up a planted tank you can enjoy, then don't do it. For goodness sake, don't.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

turbosaurus said:


> I'd avoid it.
> 
> If you use it, boiling is a must to kill parasites and nasties that will live in the pond. But I wouldn't do it anyway-
> Sand itself contains no nutrition for your plants.
> ...


Agreed to a certain degree. Sand is just somehng it takes time getting use to. And there are many great planted tanks that only have sand. And they contain alot of heavy root feeders(crypts and swords).


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Does it even matter how far down the pond I go? As you get deeper into the pond its not just sand but mud (looks like it???). I was hopeing of atleast getting around 5lb and then just adding maybe flourite or eco-complete.


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## James From Cali (Dec 15, 2006)

Iff that is your intent just do a complete tank of either flourite or eco. Sand mixed with it will not look right and will eventually just settle on the bottom.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Well I was hopeing to just use the sand but as they said above that it won't be enough nutriets for the plants. I might just use the sand though since I will be dosing the plants. I will give it a try and see how everything goes. 

Hopefully it will go aswell as my 29g fish tank that only has tahitian moon sand and I dose every three or so days.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

I got the sand yesterday, do I just need to boil it? It comes with a lot of shells and small pieces of wood and such I will be removing those before I boil it.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Has anybody done this before? I really need to do this today!


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

I've never boiled sand, but I'd boil it for quite a while to make sure all the critters in there are dead. You also really need to concentrate on rinsing it. Yes, it's gonna take a while, but you'll thank yourself after it's clean. Your tank water, even after rinsing the sand, is going to be cloudy for a day or two. I think pond sand is a pretty neat idea myself. Plants will absorb nutrients from the water column if they are not available ( I believe it was either Rex or Tom Barr that concluded that they actually prefer this method of absorption ) from the substrate. I use sand in my tanks, and it does take some getting used to, but I think it is well worth it in the end. Maybe some overpriced ADA Aquasoil would grow plants faster, but if you dose your water column properly you will get very nice growth and I think you'll be happy in the end.

Now, my idea to clean the sand:
1. Get a big pot, add water, boil, and add a smallish portion of sand. 
2. Maybe boil it for 10 minutes a pot.
3. Take the pot outside, dump the water, letting the really fine grains of sand go out with the water.
4. You may want to invest in some sort of strainer to separate the shells, wood, and sand from one another.
5. In a five gallon bucket, or whatever is about that size and convenient, add pre boiled, de-wooded, de-shelled sand and fill it about 3/4 full with water from a hose pipe or bath tub. You probably want to go with the hose pipe. Use your hand, mix the sand around really quickly so that all of the sand is in solution with the water. Do this for maybe 30 seconds, then dump the water, letting the really fine grains of sand go out with the water.
6. Once the water coming out of the bucket is *clear* you can add the sand to your tank. 
7. Repeat with more sand.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

One question about this method: any pot will do? LOL I don't want to mess up my mom's pot.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Don't mean to be nasty and I'm just curious but if you're not going to listen to the advice given about should I use it or not, then why did you bother to start the thread?
________
Vaporizer Volcano


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

I don't understand your question......

I am going to use the sand following the instructions given to me by eyebeatbadger if that is what you mean.?


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Sowilu said:


> I don't understand your question......
> 
> I am going to use the sand following the instructions given to me by eyebeatbadger if that is what you mean.?



No, what I mean is everyone else said don't use it cuz there's no nutirents in sand. You originally asked if you should use the sand or use EC or Flourite. Only one reply said use the sand and how. ALL the rest said don't. I was just wonderin if you were only going to listen to the answer that matched what you had already decided to do, then why ask the question.

No big deal, it's your ptank to do with as you wish, and I wish you all the sucess you can possibly have!
________
Blondntrashy Cam


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

I just want to do something new.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Tdon1md said:


> No, what I mean is everyone else said don't use it cuz there's no nutirents in sand. You originally asked if you should use the sand or use EC or Flourite. Only one reply said use the sand and how. ALL the rest said don't. I was just wonderin if you were only going to listen to the answer that matched what you had already decided to do, then why ask the question.
> 
> No big deal, it's your ptank to do with as you wish, and I wish you all the sucess you can possibly have!


How do you like your pond substrate? I agree that the poster pretty much already had his/her mind made up, but your experience with pond substrate would have been more constructive.


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## Kelley (Nov 2, 2006)

Your mother is going to kill you for boiling stinky pond sand in her nice cookware!


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Kelley said:


> Your mother is going to kill you for boiling stinky pond sand in her nice cookware!


my wife would kill me !!!! Maybe you should go buy a pot ?? Maybe a bunch of alcohol (rubbing  ) Of course, after buying a pot or 10 gallons of alcohol, you could have just bought some pool filter sand and been done with it


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Or a little more Florite, enough to finish up the job.
________
Super420


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Tdon1md said:


> Or a little more Florite, enough to finish up the job.


I don't think the poster has started. What is your experience with pond sand? Any strange algaes, molds, etc? Any critters come out of hiding once in your tank??


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## frasertheking (Jun 15, 2007)

is it sand or silt because silt can be very good .
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/people/norfolk/

read about half way down . this guy collected it from a river . i think it looks great .
:smile:


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Kelley said:


> Your mother is going to kill you for boiling stinky pond sand in her nice cookware!


She doesn't have any nice cookware yet.... I might get an old pot that is somewhere in the backyard, if I can find it. 

Its silt actually, I think, it doesn't have the sand texture but I just called it sand because I didn't know what else to call it. LOL :icon_roll I will post a picture later once if I can get one looks like its going to rain.


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## Kelley (Nov 2, 2006)

Now you know what to get her for Mother's Day!


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## natx (Jun 6, 2006)

Ha, what a trainwreck.


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## LordMaximo (Aug 31, 2007)

OK, for what itis worth.......I use to take sand from the lakes around my house in Orlando Florida. I was only a kid doing what I thought would work, I would take the lake bottom, grasses and all into buckest, puth them in tanks on picnic tables in the back yard and just add air and fish.
You really want to know the actual results, everything lived! I had fresh water large mouth bass, shinners, minows, organics and microbs living in my tanks. we even set up a cascading syphon system on three tanks. I had to put fine mesh screens on top to keep out the birds and squirels, but hey, I was a kid having my own table ponds.
Each to their own, it is just like having a back yard pond with all sorts of fish and natural eco-habitats. What usually gets most people is the facts of having a sterile tank eco system. There is nothing wrong with setting a natural system, just need to remember, they take time to build and balance.
Most ponds in the wild are on a constant flow by mother nature. Winds blow to turn the oxygen in the waters, temps are always veried from warmest to coldest in depts, a body of water will turn twice a year, other wise known as the fold. Oxygen depleated water will turn to replenish. Raw ecosystems is the hardiest trial to build in this hobby.

I say go for it, keep in mind that mother nature rules the waters and their contents, all the way from aminal waiste to bird droppings. If you are gung ho and really dead set in building a natural eco system, do a chemical analysis of the pond you are going to immitate. Take a few weeks examining the growth on the pond, plant life, fish populations, additional water flows/ feeder tributeries to the pond. I use to use 55 gallon barrels to collect rain water and kept stores of the lake water. It took me more then ten years, from the age of 8 until I was finished with general schooling before I actually understood how to creat a true flourishing eco system. 

My kids to this day, still take one gallon jugs and dig up lake bottoms with all the regular suroundings, plants, bugs, and small fish, then set them up on the picnic table for the thrill of building their own ponds. They are 6,7,8,and 9 years old. Its great to be able to watch nature at its' best.

Good luck, 
Maximo


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## LordMaximo (Aug 31, 2007)

We now live out west in the high plains desert of Utah. I have the worst natural body of water to work with, the great salt lake, which is mostly un-ionhabitable. There are two main feeders to this body of water and the brackish ponds are flourishing. We are in the process of gathering portions from the northern rim and building a salt eco-system. This takes time to build and the anticipation is killing the several who are involved with this new stage. It was propsed years ago to create a new habitat on the northern rim, too which it would be capable to sustain actual marine life. 

So this is a worthy trial to introduce marine live to the northern rim. There are several species of aquatic life that can adapt and evolve to this area of the lake. Plus there is a zone on the lake that will support a marine eco system, but this will be after a dredge is brought in and a new section will be dug out to build the great marine pond. Time will tell in the future for this project.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

My parents forbide me to boil the silt.....

So I have already put it in the fish tank. I let it sit out in the sun for a good long time before placing it in. I have also cleaned it. Will start the journal as soon as I add the water.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Can't say that I blame them. I wouldn't let you either  I'd let it sit out in the sun, and pour a couple bottles of alcohol over it. The alcohol will evaporate quickly and won't hurt your fish, but should kill any critters in the silt.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

LOL

Is it ok if I add the alcohol while its in the fish tank? Or do I have to let it sit out in the sun again and pour the alcohol on it?


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

If it's in the tank already, just go for it. Alcohol would probably evaporate in the tank too, depending on depth of substrate, but I wouldn't chance it. Just add the water and hope for the best !


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

Ok then how much alcohol do I use? Alcohol is rare in this household but we do have lots of Tequila!!


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

*The Pond*

Here is the pond where I got the silt from.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Sowilu said:


> Ok then how much alcohol do I use? Alcohol is rare in this household but we do have lots of Tequila!!


I hope that was a joke :icon_eek: Rubbing alcohol is what I was going for. Ya know, the disinfectant one... Anywho, I'd dump a bottle in and stir it around the silt if you want to use it, but since it's in the tank, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

LOL yes it was a joke!!!! LOL


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## daFrimpster (Mar 7, 2005)

Keep us posted on how it works out. Experimentation is a fun part of the hobby. Experience will teach you much more than anyone on this forum. Take every one's comments into consideration and do what you think is best.


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## Sowilu (Aug 4, 2007)

daFrimpster said:


> Keep us posted on how it works out. Experimentation is a fun part of the hobby. Experience will teach you much more than anyone on this forum. Take every one's comments into consideration and do what you think is best.


Thanks!!!


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## cookingnerd607 (Jun 8, 2004)

Ive dumped rubbing alc into substrate to clean it of any thing I didnt want. I then did a few small water changes. Didnt have a problem with anything afterwards. This was using some small gravel from a creek bed

However, I would just go for it, sounds like it should be fun no matter the results.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Okay, fist of all, sand has no nutrients when it's inert, which i can almost gauruntee this stuff ain't.

And who cares, flourite has NO nutrients in it at all anyways, it's just clay based. I'm groing crypts and swords and vals equally well in both.

I wouldn't pour alcohol in your tank either, i would think it could kill your fish.

I can't remember exactly, but some alcohols can blind or kill people, so imagine what it could do to a less complex, small animal.

I would either just leave it and take the chance of parasites and such, or take it out and dry it for a week, either way if you already have fish in there, they will have probally already contracted whatever's in there anyways.

just stick some plants in tha stuff and call it good!


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

dufus said:


> Okay, fist of all, sand has no nutrients when it's inert, which i can almost gauruntee this stuff ain't.
> 
> And who cares, flourite has NO nutrients in it at all anyways, it's just clay based. I'm groing crypts and swords and vals equally well in both.
> 
> ...



Uh, I don't think anyone was disputing the fact that pouring alcohol in _with_ your fish is bad. Jeez. :icon_roll Re-read the thread. I said before it was even added to the tank. Alcohol evaporates. Completely.


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Oh, sorry, misread post #31.
Fish tank i thought said fish in the tank.
:icon_redf


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## LordMaximo (Aug 31, 2007)

Pond sand/ silt will work ok for your tank.
Nothing wrong with the natural approach of things.
Stir the mess up once and awhile to help evaporate the residual fumes.
Add the water and chems to start it up and drop in some plants, leave the tank only about four inches deep of water. I have taken the plants from the lake and rinsed them, then placed them into my tanks before. They will grow well and just add some water to slowly cover them up. I am using some water plants out of the garden in one of my tanks. It is like doing a mini pond.
Good luck...keep the faith in your handy work......... 8>) Maximo


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