What to Replace? Substrate? Or Filter?

[packer43064]

Does pool filter sand come in any decent colors?

Nope. I've only seen the normal beach-sand color.

 

[Steveo McNello]

I tried FIM by my house and it's an ugly off-white. Looks gross.

 

[PrymeTyme-716]

put a sponge over ur intake and keep both the sand tears impellers up

 

[Steveo McNello]

put a sponge over ur intake and keep both the sand tears impellers up

1) How on an FX5?

2) What? lol

 

[bbortko]

1) How on an FX5?

2) What? lol

I would think the sponge would act as the strainer making the fx5 strainer obsolete

 

[prober]

I have CaribSea sand in my tank and it takes a lot of rinsing to get the cloudiness out of it. You probably just did not rinse it enough. Use a sponge over the intake, you can make your own sponge prefilter. After a couple months of maturing and several water changes the cloudiness will go away. You will also need to stir the sand up once in a while to release any gas buildup.

 

[Jc1119]

What kind of sand do you have?

Pool Filter sand won't move around as much. Loads of people use sand with FX5's, with no problems.

Really? That's good to know. I was wondering how folks with Fx5's handled sand. Pool filter sand was my plan with a sump, but I wanted to add an fx5 for more mech and quick water changes. Thanks!

 

[DaveB]

My PFS is perfectly white.

I'd love to find some of it in the regular tan sand as well for my downstairs tank.

I've had PFS in a tank with 2 FX5s for three years and have had maybe a total of 1/2 a cup worth of sand total in that time, combined. And as noted, it sinks like a penny. It's awesome. You don't even have to rinse it. Use a new dustpan to scoop out your old stuff (with your filter off since it'll make a mess) and just pour the PFS right in.

What I have is this stuff, on top:

http://www.poolcenter.com/swimming-pool-filter-sand.htm