Sand types

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bmarine

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
993
Location
Michigan
What kind of sand do you people like the most? I want some new, tan, cheap sand and most people are saying pool filter or play sand....what do you guys say? And what brands? This will be for a 55 gallon african cichlid tank so i want sand that they can dig in without getting hurt.
 
I'm not fond of play sand. I have found that you are likely to develop anaerobic conditions if not stirred frequently. Eco-Complete makes African Cichlid sand, although I'm not sure what color it is.

David
 
Tahitian moon sand is my pick


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Yup. I've heard of that Eco-Complete stuff, but im a teen without a job, so I'm really looking for a cheaper solution. And convict, i like Tahitian Moon Sand too, but im planning on redoing my whole setup with new rocks and substrate, and i think the tan sand might look a little better. I actually have moon sand in my 30 gal.
 
I have a tank with the brown play sand and am not really a fan of it. I also have tanks with black diamond blasting sand, white silica sand, ridiculously expensive aquarium sand, and an aragonite sand for my reef. The brown play sand seems to keep the water really hazy and seems to make everything in the tank have non descript colors. In that tank are 2 angelfish, about 8 different types of barbs, snails, and some plants. My fav substrates would have to either be the black diamond blasting sand or the white silica sand. Both were really cheap and look nice, although the silica sand tends to grow diatoms for a little bit.

I don't have any experience with the pool filter sand so I can't really give any advice about that.

For cichlids, it might be a better idea to go with the white silica sand, it is fine enough to not cause problems with the cichlids and isn't sharp at all. I bought 2 bags of it at Lowes for less than $10 and it was more than enough to give a 3 inch bed of sand for my 55g cichlid tank and they seem to love digging out giant holes in the sand.
 
Oh ok cool! So where do you get that silica sand? Like would it be at Lowes or Home Depot or anything? And what aisle might it be in? And i'd also really like to hear more opinions on sand and what types others have!
 
Oh ok cool! So where do you get that silica sand? Like would it be at Lowes or Home Depot or anything? And what aisle might it be in? And i'd also really like to hear more opinions on sand and what types others have!


I picked up that sand at Lowes. It takes a little bit of washing to get the water clear but it isnt nearly as bad as some sand i've used. The black diamond sand was by far the worst to wash. Here is a pic of the bag.

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And some pics of my cichlid tank

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