You can buy any of the store bought sands, they should be fine. Stay away from the saltwater "live" sands though. You can also go with playsand or pool filter sand which are significantly cheaper than store bought.
I've used Quickrete's Premium playsand ($3.80/50lbs) and AquaQuartz's Pool Filter Sand ($5/50lbs). I recently set up another tank using playsand and I love it.
No special instructions other than don't shove the gravel vac down into the sand all the way. Just swirl it around the top of the sand to get the waste in the water column.
So I could go to Walmart and grab any of the Crayola colored sandbox sand that they sell and it would work?
PS I also have used play sand from home depot that was a pain to rinse but was so much cheaper I didn't mind at all. Just put the sand in a bucket and sick a hose in the sand (or do what I did and put the bucket in your tub and run the faucet into it) until all the fine partials have been rinsed out. Out that in your tank and repeat with the next batch.
I would recommend getting a clean pillow case and dumping the sand into that. Then get a hose and spray the sand in the pillow case until it runs clear. It is easier than doing it in a bucket and does a much better job, IME.
I just rinsed 100lbs of playsand for my 75g. Took about 20 minutes or so in the 4 batches (roughly 25lbs in each batch). It helps to have someone hold the pillowcase open while you spray. Let the water drain for a while and then spray some more. When the water stops looking cloudy coming out the bottom, you are good to go!
No no for the glofish. They need a 20g long minimum. Are you going with the embers?
One or two platys may work but I wouldn't do any more than that. Have you asked your LFS if they can order them in?
ccross said:I have 2 options for LFS, Walmart (whom we all know is a joke) and Petco. Petco always looks at me with a glazed vacant expression when I ask them anything fish related, lol.
I was thinking 2 brightly colored platy's. Recommend any?