Walmart Play Sand
- Thread starter kgby13
- Start date
Can you give us the brand? I have used quickrete SAND in all my tanks and have no issues. In a 5 gallon bucket I filled it halfway and used my hands, and a python to stir, syphon stir until the water was not a mud brown. Took about 15 minutes per load
I agree with AHD. I use qiuckrete for all my sand bottom tanks, and I never had a problem. and at $5 for a 50lb bag you cant go wrong. You can find this stuff at a local Home Depot or somewhere like that
The sand I got from Wally World said "not for aquarium use" on it...
However, at Home Depot, they have a heavier grain pool filter sand, works great.
After you clean it (see the bucket method posted above) you can put it in with no clouding, etc. by keeping it wet and adding it by the cup full. Just stick your arm in the tank and pour the sand out of a cup/bowl just a few inches off teh bottom.
No issues with sands in my tanks, but my filter intakes are 6-8" up from the bottom...
However, at Home Depot, they have a heavier grain pool filter sand, works great.
After you clean it (see the bucket method posted above) you can put it in with no clouding, etc. by keeping it wet and adding it by the cup full. Just stick your arm in the tank and pour the sand out of a cup/bowl just a few inches off teh bottom.
No issues with sands in my tanks, but my filter intakes are 6-8" up from the bottom...
I've had both pool filter sand and play sand. I prefer the pool filter sand because it's a bit heavier and much cleaner. It doesn't get sucked up into the python very much and it doesn't take much cleaning to get it "tank ready"
I also think it looks a little nicer. IMO play sand is too fine and looks muddy when it's in the tank. Both will work, but it depends on what you like and how much work you want to do.
I also think it looks a little nicer. IMO play sand is too fine and looks muddy when it's in the tank. Both will work, but it depends on what you like and how much work you want to do.
use pool filter sand i get it for 10 bucks at the pool store... the play sand is really fine and will ruin your filters!! i had 2 hob filters on a tank with play sand and now my filters have this nice grinding noise...
I have also used playsand and found the easiest way to clean it was:
Dump the bag in a wheelbarrow and have at it with a garden hose.
I only had one problem with it: it would get sucked up into the filter and then get stuck in the magnetic propeller. Eventually the propeller broke becuase the sand ground down both the magnet and the metal rod that it rotated on.
My solution: I raised my intake further away from the substrate and shoved a prefilter onto the end of the intake.
It was only a 40 gallon tank so this worked fine but If I had a larger tank with larger fish I would have just removed the sand. I think the pool filter sand would work well since it is heavier, but I have never tried the stuff.
Dump the bag in a wheelbarrow and have at it with a garden hose.
I only had one problem with it: it would get sucked up into the filter and then get stuck in the magnetic propeller. Eventually the propeller broke becuase the sand ground down both the magnet and the metal rod that it rotated on.
My solution: I raised my intake further away from the substrate and shoved a prefilter onto the end of the intake.
It was only a 40 gallon tank so this worked fine but If I had a larger tank with larger fish I would have just removed the sand. I think the pool filter sand would work well since it is heavier, but I have never tried the stuff.