H.D Play Sand

[Kasakato]

Can I use the play sand for planted tank? Next week I will be changing my graval to something else that looks better with plants. My tank already has fish in it and is already cycled. I can move the fish to another tank for a while if needed. And how do you wash out the "junk" in it?

[Toro Driver]

I have HD play sand in my two cichlid tanks. I have changed gravel or sand with the fish in it, depends on your fish (i did remove the loaches though).

To rinse the sand fill a bucket about half full with it and stick a hose in there. The lighter particles with washout with the overflow. Move the hose around until it is nearly clear. This will realy reduce the clouding you get when you first set up the tank.

Hope this helps.

[christopher1260]

When I rinse sand, I put it in an old pillowcase and stick the hose in that. I don't know if it is more or less effective than the bucket method, but I have used a pillowcase with good results.

[Kasakato]

I guess I will have to do that in my bathtub because the hose outside is frozen. Is sand good for plants?

[jonah]

Playsand can compact and become like brick. I've got a 29g that has a little sandstone island attached to the bottom from using regular playsand. I prefer pool filter sand instead. It's got larger grains, so it doesn't compact as much. It also settles quickly. You could use Malaysian trumpet snails to break up the sand, but they can get out of hand.

If I was doing plants, I'd either use Flourite, or if I wanted to go cheap, kitty litter with gravel on top. I've done both and they worked about even for me.

[Paccula]

Playsand can compact and become like brick. I've got a 29g that has a little sandstone island attached to the bottom from using regular playsand. I prefer pool filter sand instead. It's got larger grains, so it doesn't compact as much. It also settles quickly. You could use Malaysian trumpet snails to break up the sand, but they can get out of hand.

If I was doing plants, I'd either use Flourite, or if I wanted to go cheap, kitty litter with gravel on top. I've done both and they worked about even for me.

you can use kitty litter in an aquarium? I assume you mean the regular clay lumps, not the "super absorbant clumping bacteria reducing flower scented" stuff. do the plants grow right into it and make it like soil/mud? Does it cloud the water any? I would think if you gravel vac it would turn the entire tank grey/white.
also, what is playsand?

[clachtimad]

I am a newbie in the tank world I have a good friend who loves to discuss fish and tanks so i thought I would give it a go. I have gravel currently in the tank and I am going to convert to sand,it is play sand mind you and i think i will go with the advice of the bucket theory letting the small particles run out with the water over flow and allowing the water to run clear coming out of the bucket this seems to make the most since and also makes rinsing alot easier than the other posts not to be picking at anyone. I will post other comments as my test comes along from start to finish. Thanks for the insight for a beginner.

[Jason01]

you can use kitty litter in an aquarium? I assume you mean the regular clay lumps, not the "super absorbant clumping bacteria reducing flower scented" stuff. do the plants grow right into it and make it like soil/mud? Does it cloud the water any? I would think if you gravel vac it would turn the entire tank grey/white.

I have kitty litter in my 29 gal. planted tank. The plants are growing like nuts....well, weeds I guess, 'casue they are weeds.....

Any ways, if you use kitty litter, make sure that it is ONLY clay. I used the cheap wal-mart "special kitty" stuff. I put it under my UGF plate(it is not being used, I just have the plate there to keep the kitty litter under the gravel), and then piled like 1.5 - 2" of gravel on top. It clouded the water for the first few days, but then settled out. I gravel-vaced bout every day, until the gravel looked clean. I don't have a problem with it in the places that I gravel vac, mostly cause the plants cover most of it(substrate). I don't even see the kitty litter, so I don't know what kind of mess is under my UGF plate. I really hope I don't have to tear down the tank anytime soon, I don't want that kind of mess to deal with.....

[jonah]

also, what is playsand?

Playsand is sold in DIY stores like Home Depot and Lowes. It's marketed for use in childrens play areas like around swing sets or to fill sandboxes.

I used Special Kitty from Wal-mart. It think it was about $3 a bag, it's been a long time so I'm not sure. It's the cheap kind that doesn't have any additives. Just clay.

[clachtimad]

the long awaited sand tank is up and running with the new live plants and old fish. Tricks I used were the play sand from Home Depot $3.00 a bag, to rinse I used the bucket trick and filled it half way with sand and the rest water and let the bucket overflow pushing the sediment out. Next made the sand bed in the tank and mixed a few stones in, the trick to keeping a fairly clear tank is running the water in as slow as possible. We used a cup and let the water trickle on the side glass of the tank (this minimized the cloudy water) Next we bit the bullet and set the statues and the live plants started with a clean fresh filter and cycled this for about 12 hours or so adding what chemicals were needed along the way. After everything was regulated we set in the bubble bar and hooked up the aireator this moved some of the silt from the sand around after this cleared up we added the fish back into the tank with a stable environment for them. Patience is a virtue for sure with sand and you have to be willing to go slow for each move to minimize the milky cloud effect from the sand

[Harlock]

the long awaited sand tank is up and running with the new live plants and old fish. Tricks I used were the play sand from Home Depot $3.00 a bag, to rinse I used the bucket trick and filled it half way with sand and the rest water and let the bucket overflow pushing the sediment out. Next made the sand bed in the tank and mixed a few stones in, the trick to keeping a fairly clear tank is running the water in as slow as possible. We used a cup and let the water trickle on the side glass of the tank (this minimized the cloudy water) Next we bit the bullet and set the statues and the live plants started with a clean fresh filter and cycled this for about 12 hours or so adding what chemicals were needed along the way. After everything was regulated we set in the bubble bar and hooked up the aireator this moved some of the silt from the sand around after this cleared up we added the fish back into the tank with a stable environment for them. Patience is a virtue for sure with sand and you have to be willing to go slow for each move to minimize the milky cloud effect from the sand
Just so you know, as the cycle completes, the sand sort of "gets heavier" and won't stir up as much. For anyone else considering it, I like Pool Filter sand a little better, as it tends to be rinsed better and less cloudy, cutting the rinsing time for you down a lot.