Pool filter sand vs. Play sand

[enrgizerbunny]

What is the difference between these two?

I want to change substrates and Lowe's only carries play sand, but there is a pool shop locally.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brookster123]

Go with the pfs, the play sand is a pita to clean and I but to fine, can get sucked into the filter easier..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[nshepler]

Yea I would to with pool filter sand, I use it in all my tanks. It's great.


May the force be with you.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

PFS can likely be had at the pool shop, right?

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brookster123]

Yep!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[nshepler]

I got mine at Home Depot.


May the force be with you.

 

[gilpi]

I got mine at Home Depot. May the force be with you.

Another PFS user here, you can also go to your nearest pool supply store, real cheap and pretty clean.

 

[SFAquariums1]

I love pool filter sand! Now we need to determine why black pfs would be beneficial in pools so we can stop paying tons of money for black aquarium sand!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[dalto]

PFS is the way to go. If you get good quality PFS it will be more uniform in size and require less washing.

I will say that it is getting harder and harder to find quality PFS. At least where I am.

 

[nshepler]

I get a huge bag I can't remember the exact weight but it's enough to do several decent size tanks with for 5 bucks.


May the force be with you.

 

[CoronaBlue]

Is pool sand silica sand? I went to lowes and bought a 50lb bag of silica sand for 8 bucks. Still have 3/4 of bag left if anyone wants to fly to Boise and get it lol.

 

[brennae]

If you want black what about Black Beauty blasting sand?

 

[Angela1108]

Black diamond blasting sand is around 8$ for a 50 lb bag. I found mine at tractor supply


FYI for ppl looking for black sand cheaper


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Wad thinking about MTS when I made the swap to keep the sand tilled and to eat extra food, good idea or unnecessary?
I'll be switching to sand, re scaping, adding 5 angels and I'll be feeding them live platy fry.my gourami is pretty messy with flakes even with a feeding station, plenty goes down and almost immediately gets sucked into the filter, what the shark doesn't eat.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[nshepler]

Wad thinking about MTS when I made the swap to keep the sand tilled and to eat extra food, good idea or unnecessary?
I'll be switching to sand, re scaping, adding 5 angels and I'll be feeding them live platy fry.my gourami is pretty messy with flakes even with a feeding station, plenty goes down and almost immediately gets sucked into the filter, what the shark doesn't eat.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

You will need snails anyway to turn the sand up underneath the surface it keeps bacteria from growing and it helps plant growth.


May the force be with you

 

[SFAquariums1]

Black diamond blasting sand is around 8$ for a 50 lb bag. I found mine at tractor supply


FYI for ppl looking for black sand cheaper


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

I use black diamond on every one of my tanks. Whether it's an all sand bottom, or capping dirt with it. I've started to stay away from recommending it to people because I get chewed apart because "it's blasting sand, think of what it will do to the fish".......


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Angela1108]

Ummmm obviously by people who don't know what they are talking about. A lot of people use blasting sand


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[dalto]

Wad thinking about MTS when I made the swap to keep the sand tilled and to eat extra food, good idea or unnecessary?

Completely unnecessary

 

[gilpi]

Ummmm obviously by people who don't know what they are talking about. A lot of people use blasting sand Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Blasting sand can be very fine in some cases which will be a problem, almost like a powder. I use a sand blaster in my shop, perhaps there is a thicker blasting sand?
I choose pool filter sand.

 

[dalto]

Blasting sand can be very fine in some cases which will be a problem, almost like a powder. I use a sand blaster in my shop, perhaps there is a thicker blasting sand?

Yes, not all blasting sand is suitable for aquarium use. What you want is a moderately course silica sand.