gravel/media at home improvement stores

[hle_81]

does home depot/lowes have gravel or filter media that i can use in my tank? how much do they cost?

[Unome]

You can go to either and get the 'pea gravel'. A 50 lb. bag will run you about $4. :) Usually at Petco & PetsMart, a small bag will run you about $15 - $25. :eek:

You can also buy river rock and stepping stones real cheap. A bag of river rock weighs about 15 lbs. and costs about $5. I've seen 6 small pieces(less that 2 lbs.) at Petco/PetsMart cost $8-$10.

All you really need to do is wash it real good to remove the sand. We use a spaghetti(sp) strainer and garden hose. We have put it in strainer and boiled it in large pot but this takes a little longer.

[clayt101]

I agree, much cheaper at home depot or Lowes. In addition, you can get slate there, pots, PVC, aquarium silicone etc. Just rinse it well, especially sand or gravel.

[Tightdog1]

rinse all very well and this is a very inexpensive way to make your tank beautiful. you can also get lights (if you dont have live plants or fish requiring certain types of light) sometiems they have filter media like micon pads/floss .

[Tyler718]

Just like everyone already stated, I got river gravel for my tank real cheap. It's a 150 gal tank so I saved a lot of money just doing this. I also got clay pots from there for decor / hiding places for cichlids.

I have also read where people have gotten sand & pool sand for substrate there. But I'm not an expert on this. So maybe will chime in on this.

[hle_81]

what section of the store can i find the gravel?

[Tyler718]

I found mine in the Garden Section. Just be sure to read the bag to make sure that the rocks weren't treated with any chemicals.

[FASTRAKR]

How about laterite? Is this stuff actually available anywhere other than an aquarium store?

[Luca Brazzi]

Instead of HD, I got my black beauty substrate (sandblasting sand) from a local equipment rental shop. Cost 9.00 for 100 pounds.

[carpguy]

I've seen a few fishstores sell bulk gravel, so many cents a lb. One of them didn't even bother taking it out of the, um, pool filter sand bag and putting into a different container. Have heard a lot of folks mention using different kinds of sand-blasting sand.

FASTRAKR, there is a type of kitty litter that is apparently very similar to laterite. I don't think its baked as well and may be a bit messier. Never used it myself. Try a search for "kitty litter" and "substrate" together on google, or try over at the SkepticalAquarist.com (http://skepticalaquarist.com/) -- I think WetMan has a section on it over there.

[Heady]

Luca, do you have a pic of your substrate? It sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

[thom336]

i havent used it myself, but i know that kitty litter can be used as a substitute for laterite. however, it is very controversal and may have certain side effects. but like i say, im not in the know, because i havent used it myself.

[karfixer]

From what I've read "kitty litter" is laterite, but you must be careful to avoid litter that is "treated" for clumping and odor suppression. IIRC Walmart's generic kitty litter is untreated and has been successfully used. I have some "Schultz" brand Aquatic Plant Soil. It is a kiln-fired soil called"Arcillite" and I have used it in one of my plants on a limited basis-just to hold some plants on pots, there was no clouding or problems with the fish or plants.

[Glenstorm]

Originally posted by FASTRAKR
How about laterite? Is this stuff actually available anywhere other than an aquarium store?


I just got some of the Schultz Aquatic soil. It is very lightweight. I used it and some laterite in my 20L. I am just restarting my tank so all I have is plants in it right now, but I fear the presence of fish may prove that the Schultz product is too light. Any quick acceleration by a larger fish may stir it up and cause "drifts". we shall see. . .

But at $7/bag (1 Bag = 10lb or .3ft^3) I had to try it out. . .


Dan

[Stephen]

The sand I use in my tanks either came from lowes or the river locally. My nephew used small pebbles from a river he nears near in the mountains. No problems so far. I've used sand from the 2 sources I mentioned for years. He's used the pebbles for around a year now. The next tank I set up is going to have a sand/small pebble mix. I plan on getting it from the same river as my nephew. It's easier to buy at a lowes or home depot but it's free if you have the time to get it locally.

[Dr. Fishenstein]

Heady,

No I dont have any pics but basically this stuff is tinyl, black, glass beads about 1mm in size. I ended up using the whole 100 lbs in my tank.

[Heady]

Luca/Dr. Fishenstein: Do you have cories or burrowing loaches in there, or any other kind of bottomdweller that digs through the sand? Have they been injured by that type of substrate?

I really like the look of onyx sand but can't afford it at $200 for a 100 gallon tank.

[anonapersona]

I just saw a 40 lb bag of the pool sand for $8.50 at the LFS. Unfortunately I forget exactly what the name was....

[Dr. Fishenstein]

Heady, the Black Beauty sand has been used in this hobby for eons so... there shouldnt be anything to worry about. I do have cichlids that like to dig and it doesnt bother them.

[Heady]

Thank you for the reply.

I am purchasing 5 bags (77 lb) Onyx sand at $97.92 total from my lfs ($18 a bag). I realize this will probably not be enough to properly fill my tank, so I'm looking for something to make up the difference.

Is your black beauty sand really really black? If so, how do you think it would look mixed in with the Onyx? Here is a link to a pic of Onyx in action...

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=281

[Dr. Fishenstein]

Yeah its jet black.