Jason6942
Aquarium Advice Activist
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- Jun 27, 2013
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I'm changing out my gravel for sand but wanted to know if craft sand is ok to use. I haven't been able to find any colored aquarium sand just the norm black,white, and normal.
Substrate sand help
- Thread starter Jason6942
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ashleynicole
Aquarium Advice Addict
No idea about craft sand, but I always use pool filter sand.
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Jason6942
Aquarium Advice Activist
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- Jun 27, 2013
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I'm really looking for colored sand but of coarse want it safe
Look into Crayola play sand it comes in purple, blue, green and pink. I have been using it as my substrate for a couple weeks in a ten gallon tank and have not had any problems. From what I read there were a lot of skeptics but everyone I could find that actually did it said there were no problems. It really was easy to use I tried to clean it but the water was pouring out clear from the start a far cry from the crazy amount of washing I had to do with the pool filter sand in my native tank. Good luck finding it now though its out of season. I looked for it at five different stores until my dad found it on his way to work. There is a site selling it online but they want something like $22 for it. In store you can get the same 20 pound bag for $7.
Wiggles24
Aquarium Advice Addict
Whatever u decide I would strongly recommend something actually designed for aquariums. I can't say enough good about petco sand. Yes,more expensive but SO worth it. The one tank I decided to go with regular play sand will be gutted soon so I can replace that awful stuff with petco sand.
ashleynicole
Aquarium Advice Addict
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ashleynicole
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree that play sand is horrible. Pool filter sand on the other hand I prefer to aquarium sand. And yes I've had tanks with both.
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Jason6942
Aquarium Advice Activist
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- Jun 27, 2013
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What's the difference between pool and aquarium sand
ashleynicole
Aquarium Advice Addict
It can raise the ph too high and some is really coarse.
butterfly_koi
Aquarium Advice Addict
Play Sand is clay based which is why it takes some extra washing and as far as I'm aware clay doesn't raise the PH. I have play sand in all of my tanks with no issues.
butterfly_koi
Aquarium Advice Addict
No, you treat it like any other type of sand. Just hover the siphon above the sand to pick up the waste and if you accidentally pick up some sand it's ok, it'll just fall back out and down
butterfly_koi
Aquarium Advice Addict
No problems with rooted plants either but I do suggest some root tabs our some other type of fert to help put nutrients in the sand. Depending on the plant of course
What do you think about Black Diamond blasting sand? Not designed for aquariums, but I've seen people use it, like it, and it's like 7$ for 50 lbs.
ashleynicole
Aquarium Advice Addict
PFS is uniform in shape and diameter, it does not compact too much. Play sand is not, and the smaller particles fill in the gaps making it more dense.*So play sand can settle like a muck and stir up more of a mud storm if it is stirred. PFS settles nicely when you stir it or are planting and pruning.
Not all playsand is bad. I buy snow white play sand from toys r us and I dont even rinse it. Just pour it in amd it looks and works fine. Actually my last batch of PFS was terrible. Compacted and put a fine dust on EVERYTHING thats why I have play sand.
Garnet sand is a purple pink Garnet color made from real Garnets in the mining process. Check if there is a sand blasting supplier around you, bigger cities the better, it was appx. $17. for 50 lbs. Pick up only as too expensive for mailing.
There were a few other options of natural material too (different colors of natural stone/sand) all around the same price. I chose the larger/largest/coarse size sand of the choices.
this is a pic of a tank with the Garnet sand and I was changing the aquascape, so it was a little cloudy.
There were a few other options of natural material too (different colors of natural stone/sand) all around the same price. I chose the larger/largest/coarse size sand of the choices.
this is a pic of a tank with the Garnet sand and I was changing the aquascape, so it was a little cloudy.
