what is the best sand

[mitchwheelz]

I'm looking to cover the bottom of my tank with a bright tan or white sand. What is the best hand for my money. I'm looking for a clean looking and that is not expensive

 

[Ian086]

I'm looking to cover the bottom of my tank with a bright tan or white sand. What is the best hand for my money. I'm looking for a clean looking and that is not expensive

Check out pool filter sand or blasting sand. Both are very popular and quite cheap. Just make sure to wash it really, really well before putting it in...

 

[Cactuspixie]

I'm looking to cover the bottom of my tank with a bright tan or white sand. What is the best hand for my money. I'm looking for a clean looking and that is not expensive

I have 3 types of sand in use: pool filter sand (good except a dirty kind of colour) white play sand ( nice, but very fine) and natural river sand- good size and weight grains, and looks even better in the tank than it did in the bag (lovely rich tan colour). When I rescape one if my other tanks, I will use this again. It looks great against the green plants and dark bog wood.

 

[Zimmanski]

I love the caribsea supernaturals sand, but usually runs somewhere around $25 for 20lbs of it. For plants though the Eco complete fine grade works great and looks amazing, though expensive you wouldn't need to use as many root tabs

 

[mitchwheelz]

Awesome thanks I finally got sand from my lfs and I love it!!!!

 

[Bettaorr]

Awesome thanks I finally got sand from my lfs and I love it!!!!

Looks good I used play sand td it only stayed cloudy for about 3 hours and looks so much better the gravel

 

[Jkeating8]

That's Marine sand and I would not use it! It may raise the ph and other things.

 

[mitchwheelz]

Ya i was weary of that when i bought it but the guy at the pet store said it was fine for freshwater. I also washed it then dried it out for 1 week And I have been checking my water parameters daily for 2 days and all the readings tell me the pH is staying the same.

 

[Jkeating8]

Ok. I just couldn't tell if it was aragonite sand from the package. I guess it's fine then since you dried it out.

 

[mitchwheelz]

Yes it did say argonite on the bag

 

[Mebbid]

I'm looking to cover the bottom of my tank with a bright tan or white sand. What is the best hand for my money. I'm looking for a clean looking and that is not expensive

It's still gonna change your pH since it's aragonite. I can't really say how much though.

 

[Bettaorr]

It's still gonna change your pH since it's aragonite. I can't really say how much though.

Mine went from 7 to 6

 

[Jkeating8]

Yes it did say argonite on the bag

I would be concerned using it unless you're keeping cichlids. Aragonite raises ph. I know that. Maybe aquachem can help.

 

[mitchwheelz]

Crap..... would it change enough to harm the fish

 

[Bettaorr]

Crap..... would it change enough to harm the fish

That's y fish are not back in the main tank

 

[aquandrew]

Mine went from 7 to 6

how does that make sense? its suppose to raise the ph. i have aragonite in one tank and the ph is 8-8.2 while my sand tanks are about 7.6

 

[mitchwheelz]

Actually I just put them in today.

 

[Bettaorr]

how does that make sense? its suppose to raise the ph. i have aragonite in one tank and the ph is 8-8.2 while my sand tanks are about 7.6

No idea I was hopin to raise mine to 7-8 but it droped

 

[mitchwheelz]

I just checked the pH and it is still normal. But if it raises even a hair I'm taking it out

 

[Zimmanski]

I would also closely monitor all of your other parameters, being that its live sand there may be swings in other areas due to a massive die off of bacteria and organisms along with the already stated ph issue