New to sand

[Felf]

Hi, I just bought a new 10 gallon glass tank and I want to put sand in it but i'm unfamiliar with the effect each type will have on my water parameters. I called Home Depot but they don't have that play sand that I've been hearing so much about and several other local hardware stores only have coral sand. I could just get some from the beach and clean it off btw I'd prefer a finer sand thanks

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

The will probably have a masonry sand, In the concrete section there is usually a couple different sizes, just don't get premixed (obviously). When you find the one that's closest to the size you want, you can wash it in a pillow case, or there was another method mentioned using a pail.

You'll probably need about 10-15 pounds depending on how coarse the sand is and how deep you want it.

coral sand will increase the PH of your tank.

 

[Rudy_627]

i also heard the using pool filter sand is very fine and one of the easiest to clean cause whem you but it it comes very clean but sand is hard to maintain it floats up and gets in the fish gills and takes a while to get back down which thats why im going gravel pink and teal LOL

hope this helps

 

[Felf]

The will probably have a masonry sand, In the concrete section there is usually a couple different sizes, just don't get premixed (obviously). When you find the one that's closest to the size you want, you can wash it in a pillow case, or there was another method mentioned using a pail.

oh ok i guess i'll just go down there and look ha

coral sand will increase the PH of your tank.

yeah i read about that but will beach sand do the same?

 

[Toirtis]

i also heard the using pool filter sand is very fine and one of the easiest to clean cause whem you but it it comes very clean but sand is hard to maintain it floats up and gets in the fish gills and takes a while to get back down

That must be some powery sand...I have yet to see any sand that I have used do that.

 

[Toirtis]

yeah i read about that but will beach sand do the same?

What, exactly, do you mean by 'beach sand'? Sand that you have collected from a beach?

 

[Felf]

um yeah lol

 

[youronlysin]

I just bought a 50 pound bag of play sand at Lowes for $2.89

Half of that would give you more than a 2" bed in a ten gallon tank.

The sand is quartz sand, not a calcium carbonate based sand such as that sold for saltwater tanks. I wouldnt use beach sand just for the difficulty in sterilizing it. The quartz sand is not fine like a powder, and after a couple of minutes of rinsing it and washing the smallest particles away, it went into the freshwater tank nicely, the clouding minimized quickly and the sand had completely settled by the next day. If your using the sand in a freshwater tank, you most likely will want to use a quartz sand, as it will not adversely affect your water parameters like an aragonite sand would.

 

[Felf]

quartz sand, got it. i guess i'll call the one and only lowes on this island and hope for the best.

 

[Felf]

*sigh* i must've called about 10 places and they all only have coral sand...shipping is probably killer for a 50 pound bag so i'll just go to the beach...

 

[Felf]

what about dune sand?

 

[Rudy_627]

well what i said about sand is what i understood from articles i read off the internet(not this site) so if i was wrong sorry

 

[Felf]

np

 

[Rudy_627]

ok good