I have heard that pool sand can be used in a ray tank. I went to a pool store today and they said that pool sand is #20 silican sand. I thought silican messes with the ray's belly. If this is the case, I am trying to figure out if pool sand is really ok or not. Thanks.
pool sand?
- Thread starter born2lovefish
- Start date
Sand is the end product of the weathering of rock. The process begins with tectonic activity either through 'folding' or volcanic action creating or displacing rock to higher elevation.
The passage of time and the seasons expose the rock and their constituent minerals to extremes in weather, causing them to break up into smaller rocks and stones.
These rocks are attacked by lichen and mosses (in moist climates), or moved into first order streams where they undergo various mechanical processes such as corrosion, corrasion, abrasion and saltation. In other words they're hammered against each other in their journey to the beach by hydraulic forces in the rivers and streams.
Water itself will attack the rock and disolve the most soluble minerals that make up its structure. In the end you're left with the small granular components, in the 2mm range of virtually insoluable silicon complexes that make up nearly 35% of the earths crust. Over the millions of years it takes to make sand naturally, everything else is dissolved away.
Natural sands are non-reactive in aquarium environments. Choose 'bank' sand which is more rounded with fewer sharp edges when viewed under a magnifying glass. It has less bridging tendancy and won't irritate sensitive burrowing fishes.
The passage of time and the seasons expose the rock and their constituent minerals to extremes in weather, causing them to break up into smaller rocks and stones.
These rocks are attacked by lichen and mosses (in moist climates), or moved into first order streams where they undergo various mechanical processes such as corrosion, corrasion, abrasion and saltation. In other words they're hammered against each other in their journey to the beach by hydraulic forces in the rivers and streams.
Water itself will attack the rock and disolve the most soluble minerals that make up its structure. In the end you're left with the small granular components, in the 2mm range of virtually insoluable silicon complexes that make up nearly 35% of the earths crust. Over the millions of years it takes to make sand naturally, everything else is dissolved away.
Natural sands are non-reactive in aquarium environments. Choose 'bank' sand which is more rounded with fewer sharp edges when viewed under a magnifying glass. It has less bridging tendancy and won't irritate sensitive burrowing fishes.
rallysman;550413; said:
The only sands that I know of that are not primarily silica are either screenings, coral sand, and 'white sand'.
Screenings are basicaly fine grains left over from rock crushing in the gravel industry. Otherwise known as stone dust, its composition depends on the native rock it is derived from. In my area it is predominantly limestone. Screenings are very sharp as a rule and will require a lot of rinsing to remove silts and dust. You can tumble it in a cement mixer with water for several hours in order to wear down the rough edges but you can count on a third of it being worn away. Whats left will be smooth enough for any burrowing fishes.
You can do the same thing with broken glass shards as well. I once fired up a bunch of old wine bottles until they were cherry red and then dropped them in a pail of cold water. They shattered into 3/16" pieces. After tumbling in a cement mixer with water and sand for a couple of hours, they were rounded enough to use in my tank as a substrate. I lit the tank from the bottom with a flourescant strip light. It looked great but after a while, algae became a problem. If you have a thirst for wine and a cement mixer I recomend you try it at least once!
Coral sand, or "young sand" as it is sometimes called, is essentially pieces of broken coral that has been subjected to wearing down by the mechanial wave action that takes place at the beach. It eventually becomes worn down to the size of sand particles and makes an excellant substrate, especially for marine or african set ups. Folks living in Hawaii or Oceana will find this at the beach.
White sand is gypsum, mostly calcium sulphate and highly soluble, and therefore not suited to aquariums. It would be good for lizards I would think. This is only available naturally in a very few places in North America and generally not supposed to be collected without a permit.