im going on vacation to south carolina at the end of the week. i wanted to bring home some sand from the beach to put in my tank, partially because packaged sand isnt cheap. is this a no-no? also, how about briging home rocks that i find on the beach? and finnally...critters? are there any legal restrictions?

Well.......In florida..........taking sand off the beach is a HUGE no no due to erotio(spelling?) In jacksonville alone they spend millions upon millions rebuilding the beaches every year after hurricane season. I got a 5 gallon bucket and got sand from the beach and wasnt happy with it......It wasnt the consistency I was looking for. Soo i spent 40 bucks on 20lbs of sand..........bummer. Water on the other hand..........if its a nice little spot on the ocean try it out.........test it first....and go from there. I use sea water in my tank, I only live about 45 minutes from the ocean. I get about 25 gallons at a time let it age for a week and use it. Just make sure your source is clean and it test out okay. Pollution on beaches is a big problem............dont let it be a problem in your tank. As far as critters go.........grab what you can, I have never heard anything wrong with that......My fiddler came from the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Most of all....have fun. If you get sand........dont get caught. :)