substrate question..

[GreenLily]

I recently acquired a 55 gallon aquarium. In the past, I have used play sand in aquariums, and this time, I wanted to use sand, except I opted to use a red sand/dirt substrate from a canyon nearby. Right now, I don't have any of my fish in the tank because I wanted to make sure it was safe first. I rinsed and boiled the sandy dirt to be sure any organisms in the sand would be dead, and it's been in the tank over a week now. It's cleared up a lot, but it's still too murky. I'm just curious if anyone has tried this before and any recommendations on what to do now? I would really love for the red sand/dirt mixture to work, but if it's not, then I won't be heartbroken or anything. Do I need to rinse it more or just get it completely out of there?
Thanks in advance!

 

[mistersprinkles]

My first question is why is this sand red? Is it really rich in iron or other metals? You don't want metals in your aquarium. For that reason, I would not risk using "found" sand. I'd stick to sand that comes in a bag where you know what you're getting. Play sand tends to be a safe bet. Why not just get some of that? Just to be safe?

 

[BBradbury]

Hello Green...

I think the vinegar test is needed here. Get some of the material you put into the tank and put a few drops of vinegar on it. If there's a reaction of any sort, then the material won't work. If there's nothing, then go with it.

Rinsing and rerinsing will help, but at first you'll have a little cloudy water. Check into a good poly fiber like the products from HBH and Acurel. A dense padded material put into your filter equipment will help clear the tank water by attracting and holding the small particles that make it cloudy.

There nothing better for a tank then large weekly water changes. I change half the water about every week in my tanks and the water stays crystal clear.

B

 

[rmiller]

I agree that the red dirt probably is high in iron content or other undesirables for your tank. I live in Red Dirt country. It's beautiful, but not worth the risk in my opinion. Rinsing more may help, but probably not enough for it to ever be totally clean.

Take a look at this, it's eco complete for planted aquariums. I think it will give you the look that you're going for.

Freshwater Planted Aquarium Care:Eco-Complete Plant Substrate

 

[GreenLily]

Mistersprinkles: Well, the red color is a big indication that iron content is high. I haven't had it tested to find out what kind of minerals/metals could be in it. It's been a while since I've kept aquariums, and I honestly forgot about the whole metal content+fish=BAD IDEA thing. I suppose it'd be best to take it all out and use something else because I don't want to put my fish at risk. Thank you!
B: Thank you for the idea of using the vinegar test, and I have used it to test some rocks that I plan to put in the tank.
rmiller: Thank you for your input. I think I will look into find commercial sand that has the red tint I'm looking for. I absolutely love the red sand/dirt that is around here, and I want to reflect that beauty in my aquarium as well.

 

[Autumnsky]

There is a sandblasting sand company in Denver which could possibly have some sand which would work for your tank. United Western Denver. They have 50 lb bags for around $17-21 or other cost depending on variety. I got some great Garnet sand from real Garnet (mining from Idaho) and it is a purple pink color. They were very helpful about assisting me in finding the best size grain of sand for me too. They could tell you if they have any reddish kinds.

 

[mistersprinkles]

Another great choice, besides blasting and play sand, and silica sand, is pool filter sand. Pool filter sand runs $5-15 depending on where you go. Nice, heavy sand, big enough granules that they don't get stirred up too easily too.
Also, pool filter sand requires much less rinsing than play sand before adding it to the tank.

 

[GreenLily]

Thanks. This was a couple of months ago, and I've switched to play sand.