HarleyK is on his way
All right, I have playsand, about 6'' at the deepest corner of my tank. No problems with plants, no problems with dead spots. No problems at all.
Here's my take on it:
- sand is among the best substrates for plants. The grain size of playsand allows optimal circulation of water. Plants root easily and deeply in sand (I don't know why some people have problems with that, but they may have big, digging monsters (see remark on bottom)).
- get Malaysian trumpet snails - they dig thru your sand and you will never have any dead spots. They live mostly in the substrate, so you won't even be bothered by their presence. They will not overpopulate your tank as long as you don't overfeed your fish. They also help to keep the substrate clean - I never gravel-vacuum...
- get a good substrate fertilizer (I used laterite). Mix it with the bottom third of your sand before you add the rest. However, you can use less than recommended by the manufacturer - playsand contains clay, serving as a natural fertilizer depot.
- never add playsand after set-up. It will greatly cloud your tank. Instead, fill it in your tank with a few inches of water. Then change the water until it is clear above the sand. That might take 5-6 mini water changes. Once the few inches above the sand are clear, you can fill up your entire tank with water.
- it has been mentioned that sand could ruin your filter. That greatly depends on the filter. I run Eheim canisters, which have the impeller on top. They never see any sand, since it settles at the bottom of the canister.
I love my playsand. Only if you have big, digging bottom dweller (RTC, TSN, rays) plants will be uprooted. But with fishes like that, you will have a hard time planting anything in any substrate other than a pot.
Go for sand
HarleyK
