Sand for planted tank....what kind?

[newfound77951]

I'm going to switch out the Schultz Aquatic Soil in my 36 for some sand. I know folks suggest pool filter sand or play sand...any specific recommendations for brands if I go to Home Depot?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

I've heard play sand isn't the best. Don't remember where I heard it I just remember hearing it. I suggest pool filter sand, it's like $5-$10 for like a 50lbs bag. Something like that.

For my 5G planted aquarium I purchased some Carib Sea Black Tahitian Moon Sand from Bigalsonline.com. I'm very happy with the purchase and looks great in my tank. Really plants the plants color stand out more.

 

[Jacko]

I think it really depends on personal taste. If you like dark sand, get dark sand (There's TMBS and other crushed quartz ideas), if you like white sand go with silica sand (can usually be found as sand blasting sand) and if you want a more mixed color, I like pool filter sand. If you're going live planted, I've heard alot of good about eco complete sand, though it is a bit pricy you could do a 50/50 mix with another sand to cut price down.

If you can find a manufacturing/contractor place near you, they're life savers, I got all my silica at one of them (150 lbs worth) for 15 bucks while pricing it at lowes it would have been around 30. They're also the best when you want to get lots of rocks for like a african cichlid tank.

 

[partypalooza5]

I have play sand in my tank and so far I haven't had any problems. (other than the sand being ULTRA dirty at the beginning..) I could just be lucky or something though.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I had problems with playsand getting diatoms as well as getting grit in the filter (as in like moving parts and making it difficult to take appart for required maintainence). But I did like the way it could old plants.

I tried the white sand version of that black sand that was mentioned. The stuff was so light under water that it couldn't hold anything down. Not without a lot of hairy roots.

Pool filter sand (which you can pick up and any Pool/spa store) is very large grains (almost like tiny gravel rather than sand). I like the way it does NOT get into the filter, but it doesn't hold plants as well playsand.

I've wondered how good the "clay" stuff would be like (it's something like Flourite by Seachem).

 

[joy13]

I have tried playsand on several tanks with several different plants I wasn't very happy with it.

I have a mix of fluorite and aquatic soil in 4 of my tanks now and really like it. I cap it with fluorite to keep the plants down because the aquatic soil is to light. I find the fluorite does mix some but it is still easy to replant with.

I have este sand (I think that is what it is) in 2 of my nanos and like it much better than playsand.

If you cap aquasoil with sand expect the sand to slowly sift to the bottom since it is heavier and finer than the aquatic soil.

 

[JustOneMore20]

If you go with pool filter sand...I would look for like a tan color. I have a white colored pool filter sand in my 55g and it gets so nasty. I won't ever use light colored sand in a tank again......algae shows up really well on it....and the fish poop as well. At first it looked great, but after awhile it just looks nasty.

I have black tahitian moon sand in my Multi tank and I like it pretty well. It does show the fish poop, but once you vacuum it up, it looks fine. No algae on that sand...or atleast you can't see it.

I think a sand that had a mix of colors....like browns....or something tan colored would be good for not showing algae.

 

[newfound77951]

That's good advice about the white, I'll see what I can find. I like the look of the Tahitian moon sand but the point of this exercise is to get rid of the awful substrate I have now without spending a lot of money. If I had the money, I'd get Eco without a second thought.