Maybe you have some left over decorative sand from a party. Or maybe you are just strolling through a Walmart store and come across the big bags of beautiful decorative sand, and think to yourself “can I put this sand in my fish tank?” Today’s article will answer that very question!

Can You put Decorative Sand in a Fish Tank?

Yes, just about all decorative sand is safe to put in a fish tank. The reason is because most decorative sand is actually made from real sand, so it all natural and does not contain any harmful preservatives or toxins.

Decorative sand is great for themed fish tanks. I use it as a substrate for my Egyptian fish tank decorations.

However, putting decorative sand in a fish tank is not as easy as you might think. The sand can take a very long time to settle at the bottom, so we highly recommend putting the decorative sand in the fish tank while there are no fish. This will allow time for the decorative sand to settle to the bottom and for the water to clear up.

There are a few decorative sands that you should not put in a fish tank. Mainly, if the decorative sand is made out of plastic than you should not put it inside your fish tank. While the plastic will not fog up your water like real sand, it can cause serious health defects to your fish. This is because after untreated plastic has been underwater for a long period of time, the color dyes and toxins from the plastic begin to seep into the water. This can be deadly for your fish if they consume it.

As a safety precaution, we recommend testing your fish tank water chemistry once a week for the first two months once you have added decorative sand. This will help give you peace of mind that the decorative sand is not harming your fish.