Cheap sand with pics

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Saratj1

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
667
Location
Columbia, TN
Ok who has cheap sand in their tanks that looks great. I'm in the market for 150+ lbs of sand and I want cheap stuff, but I want it to look good as well. So I figure I'd ask you guys what you have in your tank and how much it cost you. Because I don't want to spend $200.
 
No pics but check out reefrocks.net, they have pictures of their dry sand. Looks good imo, but I covered it all up with live sand anyway...
 
Try pool filter sand. Looks good and is fairly cheap
 
AusAaron said:
Try pool filter sand. Looks good and is fairly cheap

I was thinking about pool filter sand, but I want to see some pics of it in people's tanks before I make any decisions. I would imagine once it's in there it will be a pain to get out if I don't like it. Although I suppose I could put another type on top, but with my current tank experience the sand would end up getting mixed up eventually if I had layers.
 
I used it in my first tank. And about to in my second. Looks good. Think there is different colour and grades though

ForumRunner_20120904_220036.jpg
 
Here is my tank with quickrete brand pool filter sand.
 

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My tank with Pool filter sand from Leslies pool supply.
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Isn't anyone worried about silica content? I used crushed aragonite as I know it is made of calcium basically. Crushed coral sand is not so good for stuff like jaw fish, but I would worry that plain sand would maybe stimulate diatom growth. The reef is covered in crushed coral sand, much made in the digestive tract of parrot fish.
 
I agree about the diatom growth Greg . With my tank it did seem to last longer than my older tank that I used aragonite sand but in the end once it burned itself out of the silicates it has not returned .
 
Can I get crushed coral from a local farmers co-op? Isn't it used for chicken scratch? I think I read that on a DIY live rock guide.
 
Home depot sells 50lbs bags of play sand for like $4 which is what I use in my tanks it works really well and looks nice ill try to get a photo.
 
bigben2057 said:
Home depot sells 50lbs bags of play sand for like $4 which is what I use in my tanks it works really well and looks nice ill try to get a photo.

I looked it up online the other day and it was $2.50 a bag
 
PLAY SAND!! I love it!!
1) good pic with Terra's in it
2) my pleco ZUES eatingz a cucumber (lil bit of pleco poo in the picture)
3) the ZUES cave (rocks out of the Chesapeake bay)
 

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Most play sand manufacturers will specifically say not for use in aquariums, I know a lot of you guys use the stuff, but that was enough to turn me off to the idea.
 
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