Has any1 used ''play sand'' in their tank from kent or home depot?if so pls read

quikrete

i just called home depot and the sand they have a premium washed and dryed playsand . but it is in fact silica sand.. so is silica sand a problem?
 
Silica sand is more abrasive, In the rock production industry, silica is the factor we use to guesstimate abrasiveness before testing. I don't know if it will or won't hurt your filter because I haven't tested it, but I imagine it shouldn't be a big issue even if it does cause a little wear. most impellars can be replaced easily and cheaply when they get worn. Whether or not it would actually ever get in your filter would largely depend on how much current you have I would guess. Prefilters are never a bad idea IMO, but I wouldn't say you absolutely need one to protect your filter either.
Other than the possibility of filter wear( trivial IMO), silica sand whould be fine for your tank.
Dave
 
one last note

The reason that silica sand is damaging to fish with barbels is that these cats by nature dig in the substrate, the abrassiveness of the silica sand can cut their barbels leading to infection-fungus-death.
 
I'll add to the silica sand is harmless brigade here. I use play sand - the exact pre-washed kind you get from home depot. I've also used argonite sand in the past, and it was more abrassive by far than the silica play sand which is very rounded because your young child is expected to grind their bodily parts into it when playing.

Silica sand won't hurt your bottom feeders, will be silty at first and could clog up your filter at first (so what - wash everyting, take the impeller out and wash off the magnetic part of it and it's fine). Personally, I break down the filter and clean the impeller and all every few months (while keeping the filter media wet to keep all those nice biological friends alive), and the impeller is just as good as new despite the sand. I do keep the intake about 3 inches or so above the sand since my altispinosas sand sift a bit, and I'd use a prefilter if I had messier digging cichlids just so they wouldn't spit sand into the intake for fun which could cause your filter to clog up (I'd be less worried about the impeller breaking down and more worried about the sand clogging the area magnetic area which could cause your motor to overheat - and a convict or texas cichlid could easily spit argonite sand into the intake, too).

Eric
 
I bought HD tropical play sand and it was way too fine. It stuck to the walls of the tank and got sucked up the filter. Way to fine = very messy. Try pool filter sand.
 
I used it, the only problem I ever had was that I had too much, was like an inch to two inches, I dotn remeber now, but it got all nastified by the bad things. cant think of it right now. ended up killing all my fish and stinking really bad. once I settle into my new trailer home in the spring and get my new bigger tnak im gona try it again with alot more plants.
 
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