A sand Article

[Owlbehere]

Great info from you both!!! Very helpful

[robflanker]

That might be the most multi-quotes i've ever seen ILMGB haha

I really like it when articles include examples and approximate prices and stuff of things. That way when I'm out looking for a particular type of product I know what the price range should be. I know its tough to do around the country (and the world for that matter) but its still nice to know ball park figures

[Lady Hobbs]

Home Depot sand in my photo. Never gets stirred up by the large featherfins thrashing around in there, easy to vac, stems plants stay down and clears up over night.

I do not even wash it! I dump it in the tank, stir it up and do a large water change. Turn the filters on after 10 minutes or so and it's clear by morning.

There's a lot of different opinions on sand and I'm of the belief that not all stores carry their products from the same supplier. What others find wrong with their sand I have not have the same problems at all. It does give too much diatoms for the first couple months but phosphate/silicate removers take care of it.

Now, I tried their white, fine sand and hated it with a passion. (QuikCrete) It was too light, too fluffy, got sucked up in the vac and showed every speck of debris. I had to remove it from the 3 tanks I put it in. grrrrrrrr

[robflanker]

Hobbs how do plants and sand work? I thought they were incompatible as the roots cant really grow in sand can they? Do you add like the plant feeding stuff (ive no idea what it is but ive seen it on the shelves!) to the water to nourish the plants seen as they cant get it from the sand/substrate?

[Lady Hobbs]

Root tabs. You can also mix gravel with it or flourite if you want something with it. The swords in that photo look sick but it's not due to the sand. They looked sick when they went in this tank and are coming out tomorrow!

What I would like to do is get the Flourite sand and mix them. But, what one store sells for Play Sand is not the same in each store. You may get it from one store and not like it at all but it doesn't mean each store sells the same sand.

[troy]

Thanks for all the info.

[Flowcus]

I also use the play sand from Home Depot... $2.88 for 50lbs and its great! Everything Hobbs said for sure! It doesn't have small sharp particles like most play sand does, and doesn't harm your fish like most can. My corys are perfectly happy with it and never show barbel damage. And my Clown Pleco has even burrowed through it under his driftwood!

Oh and as far as the air pocket issue... If you have loaches, or don't mind baiting them out every couple days. Get some Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They will sift your sand for you many times a day! Not to mention leave some pretty sweet crop circle like designs in it over night! Just be prepared for the infestation after they start making babies.

[bereczky_sanyee]

Yeah very informative article! Thanks :D ! only one question.....I heard from some people that you have to boil the sand to get rid of all unwanted stuff.... and I'm a bit sceptical....is it true?

[poler_28]

I'm using a sand called Red Flint. I think it's like pool filter and water filter sand? Any info on that? I got it from my LFS. It's heavy enough that it doesn't get sucked up when I vacuum the bottom and it anchors the plants nicely. Although I use silks for now, when I'm ready to use real plants, I'm hoping it will work well. It's a mixture of red/tan/lighter browns so it's not really light in color but looks very natural. The grains are very uniform in size and my corys love digging in it.

[dblzz]

i got 8 trumpet snails from the pet store they told me the same thing my tank would be coverd in them in a month or two. i turnrd my heat down just a bit 75 and i dont over feed my fish i still have eight going to try to breed a little more for my other tanks their great. heat and food make them breed take one out they wont breed