sand

[lkenn80]

So I'm making the jump to sand in my tank. I'm getting the quickrete sand as its the cheapest I could find in town.

Couple of questions.
1. I have a common pleco. Would
there be any hazards to him being on the sand?

2. They have 20 grit and 30 grit. Which would be the best?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[TomStav]

Not a freshwater guy but I do recommend going to a swimming pool store and buying a 50lb bag of filter sand for around $10. It is a natural color and fish safe (make sure it's chemical free) and its heavy enough to sink so it doesn't get stirred up every time a fish gets spooked. There's no problem with bottom feeders.

 

[Jnthn932]

When you say quickcrete sand you mean pool filter sand by that brand?

 

[lkenn80]

Its not pfs but it is aquarium safe

 

[Jnthn932]

I've never had any other sand but PFS. I would suggest pouring all the sand you want into a bucket, then shoving a hose all the way to the bottom and let the water run until the water sitting on top is crystal clear. It removes all the things you dont want in your tank and makes it sink right to the bottom if its disturbed or you already have water in the tank and you put it in. I made the mistake of not cleaning it long enough and my tank was cloudy for a week. Plus it ruined one of my filters becasue the sand got caught in it.

 

[adeebm]

General purpose quickcrete is safe to use. I've used it before. Make sure to rinse it THOROUGHLY before putting it in, as it usually contains lots of clay which will make your tank murky. You can take a bit at a time and rinse it in a bucket with a garden hose. I'd go with 30 grit because it will have less fine particles. Plecs should be fine with sand, as long as the grains aren't sharp(which they shouldn't be). If you can find PFS, it's usually cleaner and comes in more colors than playsand.

--Adeeb

 

[Jnthn932]

Where can you find different colors of PFS? ALl I've found so far is white! I'd love to find black....

 

[lkenn80]

Thanks for all the great advice!!!!!

 

[fishnewbe420]

Careful my common pleco kick stand up and my filter intake and broke my filter