Pool filter sand? What?

[SpaceButler]

Yeah. So, I live in South Dakota, and if you go to any hardware store and ask if they have "Pool Filter Sand" they'll look at you like you're speaking Martian. They did have other types of sand though.

What's silica sand? Would that work in a tank?

How about sand used for sand-blasting?

Is there a general rule, or sign that I should look for when getting sand, or is it all basically ok (e.g. play sand, any other...).

TIA

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Silica sand is sand made from silica. To the best of what I can figure out, silica sand is good for FW use. I would say no to sand blasting sand since it most likly has very sharp edges. I would just look for a bag of "play sand".

 

[frog girl]

If you have fish with barbells pool filter sand is nice because it is all round & won't rough up little diggers. You can get it at a pool or spa store for about $15 a bag (about 40 lb). If you don't have fish with barbells Home Depot play sand is way cheaper. Just remember to rinse.

 

[Felf]

i bought the finest sandblasting sand i could find because EVERY store here only has crushed coral (even home depot) and it worked out fine. i wasnt sure it if was gonna be too sharp but my fish never stop going through it and they dont show any signs of stress. although, i did have to rinse it for about an hour and a half. the grain is #30 (idk what mm size)

 

[skydvr]

How exactly does one rinse sand? Put the sand in a bucket, fill the bucket with water and skim off whatever floats?

If I'm going to add sand to a new 125g, since it will take *weeks* to cycle, is rinsing as important? (Thought process being - everything will settle while the tank is cycling)

Thanks...

Oh, just on a lark, I asked my local mega-lfs if sand was good for FW tanks an was told "no - gravel would be better and is easier to maintain". Of course, the same person told me that 4 Bala Sharks would be fine in a 55g tank ("1 inch/gallon"). <Sigh>

 

[RogerMcAllen]

I was under the impression that pool filter sand was "cracked" and thus had lots of sharp edges great for catching stuff. Perhaps not.

Rinsing is just how you said it. Fill a bucket 1/3 full with sand and run a hose into it. Then just stir the sand a bit, and the ligher things will float away. You can pretty much rinse as much or as little as you like, though I would suggest a fair amount of rinsing if you have the time.

 

[Felf]

How exactly does one rinse sand? Put the sand in a bucket, fill the bucket with water and skim off whatever floats?

more or less. i find that it's more efficient to wash sand like you wash rice: you keep the floaters moving with your hose on full blast until the bucket is almost filled then pour them out (without losing any of the heavy) ones and repeat.

If I'm going to add sand to a new 125g, since it will take *weeks* to cycle, is rinsing as important? (Thought process being - everything will settle while the tank is cycling)

i think it's important because even if the floaters are weighted down by the bacteria, it'll still be easy for them to stay suspended in the water whenever a fish kicks it up or you do maintenance plus you never know what kinds of things (like chemicals) may have mixed with the sand.

Oh, just on a lark, I asked my local mega-lfs if sand was good for FW tanks an was told "no - gravel would be better and is easier to maintain". Of course, the same person told me that 4 Bala Sharks would be fine in a 55g tank ("1 inch/gallon"). <Sigh>

gravel is easier because it cant really be sucked up by the filter or your gravel vac. if you use gravel all the poo will eventually fall under the gravel. if you use sand all the poo will stay on top layer which is somewhat unsightly but helpful. anaerobic pockets can form easier in sand because it's packed tighter than gravel. i dont very much sand at all when i gravel vac, my fish love the sand, and it looks nicer. go for it

 

[Toirtis]

Sand-blasting sand is ideal for aquarium use (I have it in about 31 of my own aquariums)...I suggest size 'sil 9'.

 

[spongebob69]

Another sand option you may look into would be 3M colorquartz sand...it's ceramic bonded quartz..comes in 2 grades...and in a variety of colours...here's a thread discussing it's use:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=43290&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Supposedly a bit hard to find..but very attractive..and is a bit heavier than filter sand.

 

[shawmutt]

I've had the best luck with sand bought from a lfs. I would recommend that for a small (30 gal or less) fresh water tank. It's just easier to rinse, and IMO looks better.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The only thing with buying sand from the lfs is the price. It is so much more expensive. We were idiots when we did our 55 and bought 75 lbs of sand for $75. When we used pool filter sand in the 150, it cost $40. At the time of the 55 gal, we had no idea that you could use any other type of sand besides what the lfs sold.

 

[SpaceButler]

Thanks all.

Luckily, I found pool filter sand at a pool and spa store.... *bangs head against wall*. I think I'll stick with that.