Estes marine sand review

[mooman]

Well I just got done moving my 29g apisto display tank and took the opportunity to switch over to sand (been wanting to do this for awhile). Although I've used pool filter sand in tanks before, I was told by lfs guru (This guy know more about fish than Jesus) that silica based sand can cause damage to fishes gills when sifted. So I went with the Estes Marine sand which is not silica based, but still inert. I mixed one bag of black with two bags of white and came up with a color that accented my slate caves and HUGE piece of drifwood nicely. The 15lb gave me just the right amount of coverage for the 30x12 footprint.

I put the sand in straight from the bag (no rinsing) and filled tank by pouring water over the driftwood. Some of the sand floated but with a little aggitation it dropped like...well like a little stone. Long story short, There was next to no cloudiness at all, and it looks great. I was very impressed. The higher price (1.00/lb) was totally outweighed by the ability to skip the hours worth of rinsing and two days of cloudy water. The mix of black and white shows of the cichlids better also (They tend to look washed out on white sand).

I would recomend this product to any and all cichlid owners.

 

[0828dawn]

I also have used sand in my aquariums (Cichlid tanks, community tanks, etc.)...However, I've used the black Tahitian Moon Black sand by CaribSea which I've always found at Petsmart for like $20.00 for a 20Lb. bag.
It's great! Never discolors, stays on the bottom where it's supposed to be (doesn't float up when fish dig in it..and boy do mine love to rearrange the stuff into mounds!), Plus it looks fantastic with a black background (black backgrounds give aquariums a false sense of extension...like the space extends beyond the back of the tank, if that makes any sense at all)...also it's good for hiding heaters and filter components since most are black...and if their not then you can always use :idea:Krylon Fusion for Plastic Spray Paint to make them black (available at most walmarts for like $5.00).

Recently I've come across other colors of Aquarium sand by other manufactures...:mad2:AquaTerra sand linked here--> http://www.pets-warehouse.com/vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=98363 that claims it can be used in Fresh and Saltwater Aquariums is complete garbage. This stuff comes in some really dramatic colors and is sold in small bags (Mine was purchased in 5Lb. bags and the color was emerald Green). I played it safe and did the pre-rinse numerous times and this stuff kept oddly clumping together and particles would constantly flow to the top of the water. When placed in the aquarium I would see bubbles of sand form in the clumps and when the hob filter was turned on (emperor 400 on back of a 55gal.) it was a nightmare...it looked very un beach like and particles continually swirled to the top of the water. Definately Avoid this brand of sand!

:drool:Today I came across Estes Aqua Sand Blue Aquarium Substrate 30lb Case for $17.99 plus shipping of course linked below:
http://store.seacorals.net/esaqsablaqsu1.html
I'm wondering if anyone has tried this stuff yet? It's a tad pricey (for me it would be $106.95 for 90lbs to be shipped to my door) but I think it would look awesome with my cheapo aquarium background ($3.97 @ PatCatans) 3-d project board that is almost the same exact color!:grinyes: Plus I have some newly made Caves that were made from cylinder glass vases (long and skinny with aproximate 1&1/2" opening), G.E. Silicon 1, and a bag of mixed blue gravel that I picked up @ Petsmart.
Please, If you've used this stuff...let me know if you liked it and why or why you did/didn't.

 

[beviking]

Although the name says Marine Sand, it is safe for fresh water correct? It says so on the bag but I've long tossed them. I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff I put in a 20long shrimp tank. The initial floaters are due to trapped air and quickly sink. Yes, I would say this stuff is a great product!

For any who want it, ask the local fish store if they can get it. Might spare you the shipping cost.:idea:

 

[helix149]

I recently purchased the estes black in 5 lb bags at a pet supply plus for $3.89 still a little pricy but less than the moon sand. Also I spent alot of time researching the different black sands available currently for fresh water looking for sand that would not alter water chemistry and would be safe for bottom dwellers and sifters. One of the things i did was to acually get samples and place them in glass viles filled with water and what I found was that the moon sand not only was slightly magnetic, many are, but when I inspected it closly if appeared to be nearly the consistancy of finely crushed glass, yes I know silica is basicly glass. What concearned me was that it appeared to have very sharp edges and to be fairly large grain. The estes is about the same grain size but without the sharp edges as well as being relitivly easy to clean. I had some clouding when I introduced it to an already exsisting 55 gal but it was prolly due to poor cleaning on the second batch. Also I used 10, 5 lb, bags and ended up with about 2.5 to 3 in layer more than most would want in a standard 55 with 4 ft length if you would like more info email helix149@hotmail I would be happy to relay my experiance with it as time goes on

 

[mthommy1013]

Estes Sand Problem

Hey i put estes sand in my tank and it created a layer. theres watere between the two layers. Can you helping me please? does it settle on its own?