Sand Issues

[Hypostomus]

I'm searching for a sand that is not bone white, but not black either. I can't decide if I like the TBM sand enough to pair it with a black background and hope people can see my fish. On the other hand, I want the aquarium to be a generally shadowed environment, with fish swimming out of the gloom from between the pieces of driftwood, etc.

All I'm looking for is a sand that's tan or off-white or just generally darker than aragonite or pool filter sand. I would go with river stone gravel but whatever way the tank is going to be set up, it's definitely going to have diggers in it. There will be no plants except java fern and..if it lives..java moss.

I'd prefer something that isn't going to raise the pH. A book I'm reading currently mentions that the sand sold at LFSes is generally inert and it's the appropriate color, but I'm sure it's going to be some really ridiculous price as well.

I've searched the forum but have only come up with pool filter sand, TBM sand, and playsand..

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/sand.php mentions both silica sand and playsand, but with silica I would be concerned with it getting into fish gills and machinery. As far as playsand goes, I've read it's extremely hard to keep it from forming a giant cloud whenever anything in the aquarium moves.

Any ideas?

 

[Menagerie]

I have playsand and diggers--the water is never cloudy. Even after reaching my hand in to aerate it, it settles down quickly. To protect my filter, there is a sponge on the intake tube. When I vaccuum the gravel, I take the sponge off and rinse it well and replace it.

 

[xray]

Eco-Complete makes a lot of different seeded substrates. I got the one for africans and it looks alot like what you described. but it may be designed to have a high pH. but look for eco-complete from CaribSea Inc.

 

[Hypostomus]

What brand of playsand do you have Menagerie?

And I'll check on the Eco-Complete stuff, though I thought it was for planted tanks..

I know the African cichlid mix does affect pH.

 

[Menagerie]

I got it from my local Home Depot and it's called Target Playsand. From what I understand, each Home Depot has a slightly different kind

 

[xray]

Under this same topic, I have a question. This tank will be my first without an undergravel filter. Do I still have to gravel/sand vac. or just water change and reach in and move the sand around a little bit. :

 

[Hypostomus]

UGF nooooo...

You don't want a UGF, really. It's so much easier to go with a power filter or a canister.

 

[deli_conker]

Do I still have to gravel/sand vac. or just water change and reach in and move the sand around a little bit.

All of the above.

When you vac you'll want to hold the uptake above the sand so you don't suck up all your sand. The waste and whatnot is usually lighter than sand so it will get sucked up and your sand won't. May take som practice to get the hang of it.

You should always do regular water changes.

And sand needs to be aerated. I think I read on here somewhere of someone using a chopstick to gently stir the sand around a bit. I think its done when water changes are done.