Is play sand ok?

LIBPA

LIBPA

I got the money hat
May 30, 2006
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Need info please! Is play sand ok?

i found a 50 pound bag of play sand, and i was wondering if this would be ok to put in a fish tank? and does it get cloudy?
 
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i put the play sand in, i put it in a bucket and rinsed untill it overflowed clean, i put it in my ten gallon, tryed to pour the water in carfuly and its really cloudy, i guess ill just let it sit, and cycle it in a few days.
 
Let it sit for a while and the sand will settle. It is just the nature of sand that no matter how careful you pour the water in it will cloud to some extent.
 
this afternoon when i got home, it was so bad i couldnt see the back, should i take the water out and try again?
 
Are you running a filter? If the tank is empty turn everything off so that there is no water circulation and let the sand settle. Once it settles then turn your stuff on.
 
I used play sand, too. I took 3 5g buckets, divided the sand up, and rinsed out each sand batch at least four times--until it looked clear after I swished it around. It's a bit of work, but worth it.
 
Moving water--as long as it's not digging into the sand and kicking up more--will clear faster than stagnant water. Think about a clear, fast moving stream versus a big, slow river. Start the filter up, and make sure that it won't be spraying directly on the sand anywhere. And plan on pulling out the impeller and cleaning it more frequently--the fine particulate can build up and damage it. Won't be a big deal once the bacteria colonize the sand.

And, in all honesty, rinsing the sand removes all those itty-bitty bits that provide such fabulous surface area for the bacteria to colonize.
 
My 72G is just over one year old and I have used play sand from day one - nothing wrong so far. Under the lights it shows a nice bright white sand colour, not the wet brownish sand colour I thought I was going to get. Just place a bucket at the bottom of the tank, pour water into the bucket to fill the tank. That will minimize the water getting clouded up.
 
OrionGirl said:
And, in all honesty, rinsing the sand removes all those itty-bitty bits that provide such fabulous surface area for the bacteria to colonize.
Click to expand...

Thanks, OG, that's good to know!! Love that great bacteria. I was just following someone else's recommendation. Learn something new all the time!!
 
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