Types of Sand

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Exigenn

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Buffalo NY
So im looking to put new substrate into some tanks and will be changing from gravel to sand.

Now i see a couple of options being thrown around, Blasting sand, Pool filter sand, Play sand and the stuff you buy from like pet stores.

Looking for peoples personal experience as well as if their is any Pros/Cons to a certain type, as well as things like additives or something???

50ib bags of play sand are $7 and 50ib bags of pool filter sand are $25.

Not a huge deal on price but would be good to know for future tanks. More money saved on that more money of fish lol.
 
I dont like play sand at all, it was half mud when i cleaned it.

Pool filter sand is super clean and nice.

Black diamond blasting sand is heavy and not the best for bottom dwellers as it can have sharp bits. However its a very nice looking sand that i use.

Silica sand is a nice white color thats great for diggers but not soo great for plants as it compacts too much and shows detritus very easily.
 
Can you buy pool filter sand with slightly larger granules... like 2mm to 3mm?

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Some have had trouble with play sand but I love it and use it in every single tank except with my multis (aragonite sand for harder water in the multi tank). You'll get out what you put in. Clean it really well to start and it's great. Just a little fine so it's prone to being stirred up. For the insanely cheap price you get it for, it's worth it to me. 3 bags of it has been enough for 7 tanks.
 
Black Diamond Medium Blasting Abrasives - For Life Out Here

i just found this. one of the stores is like a 5min walk from my house, is this what you were talking about for black diamond?

I also noticed you said something about silica, that pool filter sand is silica.

Shop QUIKRETE 50-lb Pool Filter Sand at Lowes.com

Idk what that means but its still filter sand lol.


Yes, that is the black diamond sand I was talking about. It's super dirty so needs to be cleaned really thoroughly, but overall it's really nice sand.

This is what I meant by silica sand

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I got it from menards. I believe it's labeled Handy Sand. It's absolutely fantastic for fish that like to dig such as Mbunas, but I wouldn't use it for a planted tank.
 
I use black diamond blasting sand from TSC and it is wonderful and I washed mine once. It wasn't that dirty at all! It adds a shine to the bottom! Love it also cheap! My plants grow like weeds and root very well in it!

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yea im wondering types because i want to change mine over as well as planning on getting a 50+ gallon tank within a few months, want to do it heavily planted with a bunch of pygmy corys and some type of small schooling fish like neon, but not neon lol.

So looking for something that works well with plants and wont hurt corys or maybe even some shrimp
 
I've used both a beach type sand I got from my lfs (not happy with it) and pool filter sand. I like the pool filter sand. It has worked really well and my cories love it.


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I've used play sand. Needs a TON of rinsing but works well if you want a light colored substrate. PFS is more uniform and requires less prep.
I tried black blasting sand (TSC) and after a lot of rinsing, I noticed an oily film that I could not get rid of even after multiple water changes. I may try it again. Super inexpensive.
I am currently using Petco black sand. Uniform grain size and color, pretty light weight. Do not over rinse it; I suspect it has an "applied" coating that can rub off if rinsed/handled too roughly. I am only using a thin layer so I cannot comment on how well it holds plants in place.


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I've used play sand. Needs a TON of rinsing but works well if you want a light colored substrate. PFS is more uniform and requires less prep.
I tried black blasting sand (TSC) and after a lot of rinsing, I noticed an oily film that I could not get rid of even after multiple water changes. I may try it again. Super inexpensive.
I am currently using Petco black sand. Uniform grain size and color, pretty light weight. Do not over rinse it; I suspect it has an "applied" coating that can rub off if rinsed/handled too roughly. I am only using a thin layer so I cannot comment on how well it holds plants in place.


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That's strange I barley had to wash mine! Maybe it was a bad bag! I use petco black sand to and it was horrible I like to never got it clean and mine rubed off to

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I use black diamond blasting sand from TSC and it is wonderful and I washed mine once. It wasn't that dirty at all! It adds a shine to the bottom! Love it also cheap! My plants grow like weeds and root very well in it!

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I have this in all my tanks.

Yes it took quite a bit of rinsing for me but that price is unbeatable!


Caleb
 
Blasting sand seems super coarse to me though, I don't trust it with bottom dwellers. Have you found it to be an issue? I might try it.
 
EC/Black sand combo

I used a mixture of Eco-Complete and black aquarium sand. My plants are doing great. Here's a pic so you can see how it settled over the past year.
 

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Is a betta ok with the small grain gravel I use no sharp edges or should I be using sand? What do most betta people use?

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Is a betta ok with the small grain gravel I use no sharp edges or should I be using sand? What do most betta people use?

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I find a high preference to sand as its cleaner and IMO looks nicer.

Small rounded gravel should be fine though.


Caleb
 
yea im wondering types because i want to change mine over as well as planning on getting a 50+ gallon tank within a few months, want to do it heavily planted with a bunch of pygmy corys and some type of small schooling fish like neon, but not neon lol.

So looking for something that works well with plants and wont hurt corys or maybe even some shrimp


Corydoras pygmaeus and C hastatus both spend a lot of time on plant leaves and mid water. C habrosus is the most "normal" Cory type of the 3 mini Cory species and spend more time on the bottom.

But all Cories occasionally like to stick their face in the sand. Ideally you want rounded smooth sand.

Check Craigslist as well. Several people had sand for sale or free near me.

I just set up my 55g I will be eventually stocking a big group of Cories as money allows.
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This sand is very smooth. It was free from a club member. I may add Malaysian Trumpet Snails for aeration. Or not.


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I tried blasting sandbwith corues and it didnt work out like i had hoped. It was far too sharp for them and their barbels disappeared quite quickly with it.
 
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