10 g. sand ?

[angels004]

my brother recently gave me a 10 g. tank and im not sure what to have at the bottom ? well i would really like sand, but wouldnt that make the water cloudy ?? i dont know, are there any suggestions ? or is there a certain type of sand that wouldnt mess up the tank ??

-Lauren

 

[megladonsharky]

h2o should cloud as long as you dont have a ugf... That is what I have been told... my trouble is finding sand... 8O

 

[jersysman]

There are quite a few sands that you can get for your aquarium. You can get play sand (usually from stores like Home Depot), pool filter sand (from pool & spa stores). You could try sand that you can get from your lfs, however those prices are going to be a lot higher than the ones for the sand that I previously mentioned. You could get some Black Tahitian Sand from various places online. There are just a lot of options with sand. Now, what type of fish are you planning on keeping in the tank?

 

[jevousdeteste]

If the sand is heavy enough, and rinsed well enough, there shouldn't be much of issue with cloudy water. I recently switched from gravel to sand, and I washed the sand really well, so the water wasn't cloudy when I added it to the aquarium. I'm going to suggest sandblasting sand (usually quartz), because it's heavy and it doesn't cloud the water after it's been rinsed well. I'm sure there are other types of sand that you can use (including actual aquarium sand that you can find a most pet/aquarium stores). It depends on what type of fish you're going to get, and how much you're willing to pay.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Make sure when you are lookin' for sand that you don't get the play sand that contain silicates or other additives. It's best to go with pool filter sand if you can find it. Also, depending on the fish, you want your sand very fine. Getting into the chunkier sand, you run the risk of having sharp pieces and all that. Not common, but something to think about.

 

[angels004]

well im thinking about having gouramis and a pleco
i wanted an angelfish but is a 10 gl. too small for one angel ??

 

[angels004]

thanks everyone, but maybe i should just get gravel. lol because this sand stuff seems pretty complicated, for my first tank atleast.

 

[angels004]

actually, lol please look at my new topic about this tahitian sand ! i would really like ur opinion because i like the look of sand but then again the gravel is less expensive

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Actually, if you buy sand from a pool supply store, it will probably run you cheaper if not the same price as gravel. I bought 150 lbs of sand for $45. Some places sell the pool filter sand by the 10 lbs and some by the 50 lbs. If you clean it properly, it should not cloud at all. You fill up a bucket about 1/2 full of sand, then stick the garden hose in the bucket and and let the bucket fill with water. Then swish your hand through the sand. This will lift the particles out of the sand and out of the bucket. Do this for about 15 minutes or so. Then just pour out the water and dump the sand into the tank. I did this for my 10 gal tank and it wasn't cloudy whatsoever. The 55 gal we sanded using sand from the lfs. Not only was it more expensive than sanding the 150, but the sand floated quite a bit. The water was also kind of cloudy for a couple hours. The heavier sands will do better, such as pool filter sand.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

You could keep a small angel in a 10 gal about quarter sized, but it will have to be moved to a bigger and taller tank.

 

[angels004]

ok. i think ive decided to get black tahitian sand from petsmart. what should i do first ?? dump the sand in then put the water in or put the water in then dump the sand in ?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Fill a 5 gal bucket about half full of sand. Then put a water hose in the bucket and let it fill with water. Swishing the sand around with your hand to throw up loose particles.

 

[krap101]

with tahitian moon sand its more of mud than small sand your washing out :/

 

[angels004]

really ?

 

[angels004]

well im talking about actually putting the sand INTO the tank, do i put the sand first (after thoroughly washed) or put the water first into the tank ??
:? argh