Sand Substrate

[Flex26]

I saw Quickrete Play Sand and Quickrete All-Purpose Sand at Home Depot. (50 lb. bag = $3!!
) The play sand was really fine. The all-purpose sand was a lot more coarse. Which sand would be better suited for a substrate? Or are both sands a bad idea for an aquarium?

 

[depthC]

I got my playsand from homedepot for $2.50 so its a great deal. But if you are gunna get sand get the bigger grained sand. Make sure you rinse it well too because i didnt rinse mine too well and it took over a week for it to totally settle.

- depthC

 

[amishfignewton]

Get the heavier one. Even with alot of rinsing you are going to have cloudy water for about a week. put the sand into the tank, then a plate or bowl on the sand and start to put the water into the tank, hitting hte plate (so the sand doesnt go everywhere) You water will be mega cloudy. I then would leave it for a day, then put ur hand in the tank and stir up the sand (get out the air pockets) and do a 50% water change. Then turn on your filters with only the sponges (or carbon) in them (no bio wheels or bio filtration). Then twice a day stir the sand and do 50% water changes after, should take about a week for the tank to get crystal clear, then add in your plants and rocks and change your sponges/carbon and add your biological media

 

[Leopardess]

yes, definitely stay away from the finer grained sand...it will stay cloudy and takes hours to rinse, not that I would know this from personal experience or anything . I really wanted fine sand but it just wasn't going to happen, so we bought some fine gravel by Estes (aquarium-style) and it didn't need to be rinsed and leaves crystal-clear water as soon as the tank is filled

 

[catfishmike]

where did you get your gravel leopardess.i have been looking for real fine gravel for some time now and whenever i ask at a lfs they look at me like i'm an idiot.

 

[Flex26]

I bought a 50 lb bag of Quickrete All-Purpose sand for $2.50. I rinsed out the sand as best I could. I added the sand and water. Man, what a mess?! It's so cloudy!!

Thanks for the advice everyone!! I'll stir up the sand and do some water changes.

Will the cloudiness and muck clog up my filter?

 

[lightning]

i rinsed mine in a 5 gallon bucket first, i would stir it up and pour off all the coudy mixture on top, i did this several times, there was very little mess when i finaly added it to my tank

 

[Flex26]

'sigh' Thanks, Lightning. If I was smart like you, that's what I would have done too. Oh, well. Live and learn.

 

[Leopardess]

hey catfishmike, we got it at a PetQuarters after a lot of looking. It took 12 bags for the 55 gallon. I love it because it really was crystal clear the moment after we put it in.

 

[tlfphoto]

Go to A Concrete place and get Medium grit sandblasting sand. 100lbs for $5

 

[Antwan]

Someone told me to put sand inna bucket, then overflow with the hose till the water is clear, then turn it on low to get rid of the floating sands. Know what I mean? And is this Estes sand an aquarium sand or regular sand? And what the freak is a PetQuarters?! Can I just get it at a Petsmart or Petco?

 

[Leopardess]

The Estes sand was aquarium sand and PetQuarters is probably a store that you just don't have! It's just like a PetCo so you may be able to locate it there. I tried the whole bucket/hose/sand thing, only I had to do it in my bathtub (my poor drain!) and it honestly didn't help - that was with quality play box sand I got from Home Depot. My tank was just as cloudy a little after a week from the date that I put it in as it was the minute after I added it. The Estes sand isn't quite as fine, but I think it looks better for a freshwater tank anyway - its more tan-ish and less white.

 

[Flex26]

Leopardess, what did you do about the cloudiness of the play box sand? Or did you just get rid of the playbox sand and go with that Estes gravel that you mentioned?

I've already done a few water changes. The water is cloudy!!

 

[amishfignewton]

what kind of filtation do you have? take out any biological filtration (dont use it at all) and just use sponges/carbon. Did you put a plate on the sand and pour the water on the plate or did you just pour it on the sand? It is going to take like a week or more, 2 50% water changes a day for it to become uncloudy. When it finally gets clear, put in your bio media and change the sponges. It takes about a MONTH for it to totally settle. But in the end it is worth it.


DAY 1
http://fish.hybridnetwork.net/albums/userpics/DSCF0135.JPG

1 1/2 week later

http://fish.hybridnetwork.net/albums/userpics/DSCF0238.JPG

 

[lightning]

a MONTH !,, holy cow, i spent 30 minutes washing mine out in a 5 gallon bucket, and the next morning it was crystal clear, this was on a 55 gallon with 75 lbs of sand, i ran my 2 filters with just media in them and that was that.

 

[Antwan]

WHATS YOUR SECRET LIGHTNING?

 

[Flex26]

A month, eh? 30 minutes in a 5 gallon bucket, hmm? Maybe, I'll try rinsing it out again. This time I'll try to do a better job.

 

[lightning]

aint no secret, i filled the 5 gallon bucket about 75% full of sand stuck a water hose down in the sand and turned it on, as the water filled up i poured off the stuff on top and then stired up the sand , and kept doing this till it ran clear

 

[Flex26]

Update

I can finally see into my tank. It's still a little cloudy. But it's nothing a couple more water changes couldn't handle.

It only took like ten 75% water changes. But it'll be worth it.

 

[amishfignewton]

ya a month to totally settle. my tank is clear now after 2 weeks of being set up, but if I disturb the sand it will cloud the tank for an hour or so. After about a month, it will totally settle and will not cloud the tank as much when disturbed.