Sand for Freshwater Tank?

13 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


brentczech
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:04 pm

Sand for Freshwater Tank?

by brentczech

Hello,

I have a 55 gallon tank and I would like to take the gravel out and put in sand. Does anyone have any good suggestions for sand?

Any replies would help.

-Brent


ChristinaBug2890
 
Posts: 299
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:15 pm

by ChristinaBug2890

Iv heard alot of ppl use good ole' regular play sand. of course which ever you decide to use just be sure to wash it really really really well before putting it in.


jweb1369
 
Posts: 547
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:55 am

by jweb1369

You can buy sand that doesnt increase the pH I believe.


Serial324556
 
Posts: 218
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:35 am

by Serial324556

There's been a lot of topics on this one. You can do a search for them at the top of this site. But anywho I use quickrete playground sand from lowes. Get a 5 gallon pale and fill it up half way outside with a hose. And just keep moving the sand around until the water becomes clear. Out of a 50 pound bag youll probably lose a couple pounds because of the mud and small particles but 2 bags should be plenty for a 55 gallon. I would buy 3 if you plan on putting in undergravel jets. But hey they are like $2-3 for 50 pound bags and it would probably take 2 hours to clean all the sand. 1 full bag probably took me about 40 minutes to clean because you can only really do half a bucket at a time.
Cheers!


gumbii
 
Posts: 1695
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am

by gumbii

search the forums... there are ALOT of threads that cover this subject to detail...


bballergt
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:45 am

by bballergt

nooooooooo !!! i have a very very bad experience with sand, the filter will suck up the sand, and you will ALWAYS have to clean it. and when your fish poops, you will see the poop very clearly.


gumbii
 
Posts: 1695
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am

by gumbii

you did it wrong... i have sand in all of my tanks except two... and i've had sand for years...


Zambize4899
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am

by Zambize4899

I've been using Black Tahitian Moon Sand in a couple of tanks for a little while and I love it. I'm converting all my tanks to it. I don't have any problem with the filter sucking it up. If you have your intake adjusted to low to the bottom then it may suck up sand. Or if you've got your hand in there too much striring things up.

Also, this sand is black so unless your fish is pooping in technicolor, you won't see the poop. Sand really does come in more colors than white. Seeing the poop isn't bad because it would discourage waiting too long between water changes.

One benefit that I like is that the sand is easier to clean (for me) because the detritus settles on the top instead of in between gravel where a lot of it is easy to miss with the vacuum. Some people complain that the sand gets vacuumed up, but I haven't had this problem. You just hover the vacuum about an inch or so above the sand and you get gunk, but very very little sand.

Before I converted my first tank to this sand I tested it by putting some in a Pyrex dish and putting the dish in the tank, pushed down into the gravel so the gravel and sand were close to the same level. I tested dropping food in this area, vacuuming it, and watching how the fish behaved around it. My Corydoras loved it, my other fish's colors really stand out against the black, it's much classier looking (*stunning*), and it was a breeze to vacuum.

Zambize


brentczech
 
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:04 pm

by brentczech

Hey thanks for all the replies. I did a little more research on the site as well. Looks like I will be switching to sand sometime within the next 2 months. I'm thinking it will be a much better look than the white gravel that I have now.

-Thanks again

-Brent


faile486
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:20 pm

by faile486

http://www.vbpstore.com/50-lb-bag-of-3m ... uartz.html

You can get a 50 lb bag of 3M ColorQuartz for $25, with free shipping. ColorQuartz is inert, and works well in aquariums, from what I've heard/read over at cichlid-forum.com

I just ordered mine last night, and am really looking forward to getting it and some UGJ installed in my 20g!

Sand for Freshwater Tank?

13 posts • Page 1 of 2

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