Sand substrate

[cjdave]

Can someone give me the ins and out of sand something like black diamond, black blasting sand like from trackor supply co.? It will be in a 29gl hopefully planted tank with colormax florescent light. Thanks for all the help. David

 

[enrgizerbunny]

What do you want to know exactly? What kind of sand will work? Pros and cons of sand vs gravel? What's the best way to make the shift? Is there a reason for you to switch apart from aesthetics?

I switched to sand almost a year ago and haven't looked back.

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[cjdave]

Hi. I'm just switching just for looks. I was wondering about cleaning, and how hard it is on your filter. I heard it's bad on your filter just wanted to know. How about fish like agle eater are that going to be alright? Thanks. David

 

[Fresh2o]

I found that there are an oily residue on the surface of my tank even after thorough rinsing of the TS black diamond blasting sand. Someone suggested removing it, placing it into a bucket, adding some Dawn dishwashing detergent, followed by mixing and thorough rinsing. Though I don't doubt that will work I did not want to have to do that with (effort/risk).
From an aesthetics point of view, I did not like the shiny, sparkly reflections the blasting sand produced. I prefer a more matte, dull look.


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[sudsbeers]

cleaning of the sand is much easier then gravel in my opinion you can see the detritus and left over foods much easier because it stays on top just swirl the gravel cleaner a inch or so above and it will draw up the dirt with out the sand , I have 30/60 black diamond sand it took a while to clean with 5 gallon bucket method but never looked back after adding it most have good experiences with pool sand also much cleaner from the start so easier to get the dust smaller particles out of it .. as far as the filter goes just make sure it off when you first add it and let it settle for while before you turn it back on and you will have no issues with it .

 

[Johnny C]

After always having gravel it was suggested that I use sand as I am going to be housing corys and sand is a lot easier on their barbels I have only had sand a short time (black) and though it does show dirt more it is so much EASIER to clean.with gravel you really need to do a good vacuum on the gravel,as all the waste slips into itwhen I had gravel even though I was doing water changes weekly if I did not stay on top of the gravel vacuums you had to see how dirty the water would get from under and in between it .my thoughts every time I saw that much crud come from the gravel is this can't be healthy for my fish.one positive gravel does have over sand is it creates a much larger area for your bb to grow but the drawback is it does get quite dirty with all the food and waste slipping in between it,where as the waste sits on top of the sand.if you run a cannister there is really not a big a need for gravel because you are farming most of your bb in your cannister.I am not sure what filter you are running if it is a cannister there really is not a whole lot of concern with sand ruining your filter as the sand would not reach the impeller even if you are running a hob as long as you have the intake tube high enough off the bottom you should be ok it's still best with a cannister but you could be fine with a hob you just need to be a little more carefull not to kick a ton of sand up when cleaning.9even then though I have no experience using both sand and hob's I hear it takes a lot to really foul them up.

I have Stoney river black sand made by Estes I read reviews before I added it well just read for yourself and though I never used sand I cannot be happier now mind you I added mine without fish in my tank and all I did was submerge them and slice them open and hardly any sand floated to the top.it clouded the water very slightly for all of about a half hour with no sand floating .nowagain I had no fish in the tank kicking up any sand but it layed out really easy and nice.it is a bit on the pricey side but worth it.

Good luck just wanted to give you my short experience and my brief opinion of sand vs gravel

 

[cjdave]

Sorry, filter is aquaclear 50 hob. I was just worried about the impeller and o rings.

 

[sudsbeers]

I have a whisper ex75 and never had a issue with the sand getting in the filter even when the cori's go crazy starring up the sand while playing no issues with sand in the filter my strainer is about 4 inches from the sand

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I switched to pool filter sand, rinsed thoroughly and I have no difficulty cleaning the top. I can maneuver the vacuum very close without picking up sand. Plecos and cories both appreciate a sand bottom, though a pleco WILL most likely dig around in it.

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[cjdave]

Thanks everyone for the help. I really appreciate it. i think I will go the black diamond blasting sand maybe some large natural color rocks and live plants. I think it will look great. Thank y'all for your help. David
If anyone has any more ideas please let me know I'm open to all ideas. Thanks again.

 

[Aquarium Girl]

Just my two cents worth - I have black Tahitian moon sand in my 125 gallon Malawi cichlid tank and whilst I love the look, I don't think it brings out the colours of my fish as much as a lighter substrate.



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[Carriwin]

I'm switching over to pool filter sand,... we'll see how it goes. Hope to make it easier on my angelfish and then the eventual cories I'm gonna get.

 

[amydaveg]

What do you guys use to clean the sand when debris starts to collect? When I siphon , it's hard to get the debris and not the sand. Also, it accumulates all the time. Is there something better than siphons. Send link please.
I have. 125g tank

 

[Fresh2o]

What do you guys use to clean the sand when debris starts to collect? When I siphon , it's hard to get the debris and not the sand. Also, it accumulates all the time. Is there something better than siphons. Send link please.
I have. 125g tank

I just replied to the question you had on the thread from 2014...this one is not as old.
To answer your question, the person is referring to a gravel vacuum. A clear, wide (2-4") cylinder attached to a siphon. When pushed into the substrate, the larger diameter of the cylinder allows for gravel to be lifted and tumbled a few inches but not sucked up into the siphon hose. The debris, which is lighter than the gravel, is separated from the gravel.
Unfortunately due to its light weight, sand cannot be cleaned in the same manner as with gravel. The end of the gravel vac is positioned slightly OVER the sand allowing it to remove the debris present on the sand's surface without disturbing the sand.



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[amydaveg]

Thanks for the reply. I guess old problems don't change.
I try my lfs for that attachment you are talking about.

Thanks again

 

[fishyb]

When I bought my sand I went to home depot and bought a bag of play sand for my 55 gallon. Being a rookie I made the mistake and didn't wash it good. So I had to scoop it out and put it in a 5 gallon bucket and wash it. Clean the tank. I had sand build up in my HOB filter and my filter started making some weird sounds. I had a fish that was picking sand up in his mouth and spitting it into the filter. (little stinker). I tell you about my two minor set backs so your life will be made easier.
1. Wash your sand. I put mine in a 5 gallon ran a hose to the bottom and let it pump till clear. Then mixed it up and run it again until clear. Then mix it again and run it until clear.
2. Find a way to prevent sand from being spit into the sucking tube of your HOB. You can do a piece of sponge around the sucking tube. That helped me out.
3. Enjoy your sand. After I got the water clear, I got some plants planted in it. Fish loved rooting around the sand. I loved watching it.
4. cleaning just run the vaccum about 1/4 inch above the sand sucking up all the junk sitting on top. To me clean up was easier than gravel. Also when doing a water change put a plate under the water that you pour in their. That's all their is to it man. If you suck some sand out when doing a water change and you can start noticing it disappearing. Just go buy you some more. It's cheap.

Can someone give me the ins and out of sand something like black diamond, black blasting sand like from trackor supply co.? It will be in a 29gl hopefully planted tank with colormax florescent light. Thanks for all the help. David

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Btw- pool filter sand has slightly larger particles than play sand and doesn't get into the water column as easily. You still have to rinse it, and it's not expensive.

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[TMaier]

Btw- pool filter sand has slightly larger particles than play sand and doesn't get into the water column as easily. You still have to rinse it, and it's not expensive.

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I have quartz pool sand in my snail nursery and it's awesome.


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[Cluckyholiday]

Recently switched to sand in 1 of my tanks and love it!

 

[TMaier]

Resurrecting this old thread. Most of it addresses cleaning the sand surface. But over time stuff does work it's way in. I read about sand going anaerobic and wondering what the do to keep that from happening short of turning MTS loose in the tank.