Sand Questions

[Chicklette]

Im thinking of switching to sand. I have some questions:

How do you clean it without sucking up the sand in the python? Why do you have to stir it? How long will my tank be cloudy for? If I buy it at Walmart or Home Depot are all sands safe or what is the best?

 

[Racersk]

I went with the silica sand from Home Depot, brown bag green writing. I like it because it s white, real white. Cleaning takes some practice, but if you aim your filters output right, cleanup should only be minimal.

The silica sand settles rather quick, the playsand, might be darker, but won't settle for nothing. and it takes a ton more cleaning before use. Poolsand, if you can find it local is your best bet, it has bigger grains that won't get sucked up while vacuuming, like small gravel substrates.

Stiring it is just to keeps things hygienic, as anaerobic bacteria builds up and will eventually cause methane, I'd guess. When I pulled my tank to fix it this weekend, that sand substrate stunk bad!

 

[Chicklette]

Thanks a lot. How do you clean it? Do you clean it like gravel or just clean the top or how?

 

[Racersk]

Clean the top, the inhabitants will sift most of it for you if they are bigger. I also shove the python into the sand when I fill it. This is also a fresh water cold tank, there are huge goldfish in here currently, so sifting the sand is a must for getting the crud out and into the filter.

 

[studd muffin]

I use the homedepot silica sand too. Its fairly easy after a couple of tries. I have sand for almost all of my tanks. Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-yUhK7U--o

 

[Chicklette]

Clean the top, the inhabitants will sift most of it for you if they are bigger. I also shove the python into the sand when I fill it. This is also a fresh water cold tank, there are huge goldfish in here currently, so sifting the sand is a must for getting the crud out and into the filter.

Okay. Ya, it's a huge blood parrot and a flower horn. I will sift it then, thanks. I guess if they are huge goldfish.

I use the homedepot silica sand too. Its fairly easy after a couple of tries. I have sand for almost all of my tanks

Do you have a pic of the silica sand? Thanks for the link, that was VERY helpful. I have the hose that attaches to the sink. I will be putting it in a 75 gallon tank and if I like it I will put it in my 30 gallon lobster tank.

 

[reptileguy2727]

I use and recommend Estes' Marine Sand Ultra Reef. It is silica but coated in a polymer so it won't cause brown algae. It is very uniform in size, needs no cleaning, runs about the cost of gravel, and comes in many colors (all black or black and white mixed makes your fish look great). There are pictures of it in my photobucket album in my signature.

I have never needed to vacuum it at all. It keeps everything on top and if you have enough flow debris keeps moving until the filters grab it. If you don't have enough flow then you simply hold the python above the couple piles of debris that will form.

I had goldfish with live plants and it was a great combination. The goldfish kept the sand clean and fed the plants, the plants did very well.

 

[3dees]

I use carib-sea sand. it needs no rinsing as it comes with water in the bag. it's heavy so when I stir it around it does'nt cloud the tank. I use the python for cleaning but with so much wood in my tank I had to remove the large part of the tube. I do suck up sand because I can't see under the stumps. I put a bucket under the faucet so it catches the sand. it also washes it and after I remove my water I just dump the sand back into the tank. the only thing is that the carib-sea is a little on the expensive side.

 

[drdrewr]

Here is what I am in the process of putting into my tank now. It is pre-cleaned, but, I still wash the heck out of it before I put it in. I do one 50lb bag at a time and clean it about five or six times till the resulting water is perfectly clear. When I put the sand in my tank, there is not the slightest hint of cloudiness. Also, vacuuming has been no issue with this sand. It does not get sucked up in the python.

 

[Chicklette]

Thanks a lot for the information guys, I really appreciate it. It's a lot to take in, so many different kind of sand. I like drews sand because it looks like it has a bit of gravel in it. I will see what I find. Im going Tuesday to a bunch of different places to look.