I dont know if this is a local store, but I live in Ohio and there is a place called Lighthouse Pools that sells the pool filter sand for a lot cheaper than $2/lb. (I think, this is what I've heard) But I had play sand in my 55gal and hated it. If you have bigger fish they stir it up and it gets into the filters and screws up the impellers.
play sand?
- Thread starter lizardfishman
- Start date
HarleyK said:Did the guy who told you that keep a straight face? Silica (aka silicon dioxide) is the major component of sand... at least here (no so in Hawaii, but that's maybe where he told you that story?!)
That was a good one. Anyhow, I have play sand in my tanks, and it works great. No problems with dirt in it, since I have Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides Tuberculata) in my tank. They keep the substrate free of organic matter, and they aerate it doing so. No tank should be without them! Also, sand is the best substrate for plants.
Just one thing: Look at the sand closely. Most sand originates from old river sediments, i.e. sand pits. The sand will be round and perfect for bottom dwellers. If the sand has sharp edges, though, it comes from crushed rocks. That is not good for fish, since they can get cuts, especially catfish. In that case, just look at another home improvement store. There are so many.
Have fun, sand is a great substrate!
HarleyK
smarty pants huh?
Hey every one, I'm a newby here. I have used sand on aquariums many times over several years with differing outcome. I think there are several things to determine before using sand. First, what is the sand made out? Calcareus sands will cause issues with cronic high Ph and hardness values that many fish will not tollerate. A way to determine if the sand you are wanting to use is carlareus (aragonite-lime etc.) is ot add some to a container of distiller water, agitate and test the Ph afterwards, if the Ph raises above 7.0, the sand is + buffering and may be a problem. This would be great for rift valley cichlids or salt water but many fresh water fish will not tollerate it very well, especially wild caught fish. The courseness of the sand is also important, too fine of a sand will often keep the water cloudy from the fish stirring it up and will harm water pumps over time. Another problem with fine sand is that it is hard to vacuum without sucking all the sand out. Fine sand also compacts easy, this can cause dead spots in the substrate that may develope into hydrogen solphide pockets (very bad-same stuff that burps up in a muck filled pond when you step in it & smells like rotten eggs). A shallow sand bed with a corser sand will solve both the vacuum and compacting problem. Someone mentioned using a longer vacuum with sand, they are correct, a long tube with slower water removal will remove detridus with out removing sand. Several people mention play sand and other types, you can not count on the sand that one guy got in one state is the same thing that is in your state even if it is the same name brand. Even though the name brand and lable are the same, many time it is a regional thing that determins what exactly the sand is. For example Lowes in Florida sells "play sand" and gets it from a distributor from that region. The exact same name brand may be for sale at Lowes in Calafornia but I can gaurantee you that as cheap as the sand is, it was not trucked from one end of the country to the other. It was quaried some where in their region and most likly has a very differant compisition. I also don't like man made sands (crushed aggregate) it seemed sharp to me. Silica sand can cause health issues and diotoms in aquariums so I don't use it either. Many people have posted likes and dislikes with the sand they have used and offered some great advise. I think that with a little research and testing you can find a aquarium safe sand that will look and function great for you. Another consideration is just go visit a clean creak or river (if such a thing exists where you live) and collect a few buckets of substrate. Many will have a mixed grade sand that looks very natural but I advise caution with this. Polution can be a concern as can "bugs" you don't want in your aquarium. If you feel polution safe using sand from a local stream, soak it in a mild bleach/ water solution and rince real well afterwards with a good quality dechlorinator. THis will kill anything living in the sand so it doesn't get into your tank. It looks real nice and the price is right. I'm sure I have not covered everything here, I hope my imput helps........Joel
