Landscaping Pea Gravel

[vaderbanger]

thats a pretty tank

 

[Cuvier]

ive heard so many people talk about using sand from home depot in their tanks, this just freaks me out lol. playsand can be really harmful. its labeled as cancerous on some bags but yet people put it in their fishtanks?? it doesnt make sense

As I understand it, this is attributable to inhalation of crystalline silica dust.

 

[rosita]

The bag I bought definitely had a smaller overall average grain size than what you are describing. 3 centimeters is over an inch. My gravel averages large pea size and I do successfully use it in other tanks for guppies.

As requested, I do also have a picture online of what the tank looks like with sand. You can actually see 4 or 5 month old pictures of most of my tanks online by clicking on my signature.

mvigor, I checked out your tanks/website. Absolutely wonderful!!! Some of my students (9-12, Art), low to mid-low income, keep fish--one does cichlids with his dad, never knew until I started mine and put up pix in the room!! It was a surprise to me--he tries to put off such a hard attitude--but there we were, talking plants, food, water changes!, fishy personalities (I'm getting ready, finally, to stock my 55g w/smaller cichlids--finally cycled!!) I wish I could have a tank in the classroom, but we're talking students who destroy/throw away rulers, scissors, glue, pencils, paint materials, even their own work--I'd hate to think what they'd put in a tank! Congratulations on what ya'll are doing, esp. with your son--what great learning opportunities!! Thanks for sharing. ~Renee

 

[turtlefish]

Thanks alot for all the help. Regarding the safety of landscaping materials-I agree that some should not be used but in the area of simple gravel materials, the landscaping rock is the closest to natural you'll find. Alot of the fish stores sell rock thats been colored, treated, coated etc. Landscaping rock, which is as cheap as it can get, is not treated with anything thus far in my experience. If it was it would say specfically on the bag and be more expensive. IMO just read labels carefully and consult experience of others. I can't do sand because if it gets into power filters itll wreck their motors. I will continue searching for the perfect gravel-I've been looking into schultz's aquatic soil

 

[vaderbanger]

not that it would be "treated" but it could come from a source that has god knows what in it
there not washed and are very filthy. i wont use dyed aquarium gravel only natural gravel. its not treated, its been prewashed and is inert.
landscaping material is meant just for that, landscaping.
i had to search high and low before i found a company that sells fresh water aquarium sand in its natural color. i needed 120 pounds so getting a deal was important. i bought in bulk and 120 pounds of aquarium sand only cost me 70 bucks including shipping, so that was very reasonable considering what they would have charged me in the petstore.
it also was pure and prewashed. i didnt even have to rinse, i just added it straight to the tank, the water has been crystal clear since day one.
no sand gets in the filter if you raise the intake at least 6" above the sand.
i have sand spitting cichlids that stir the sand constantly and so far i havent had any clogged filters

 

[mvigor]

thats a pretty tank

mvigor, I checked out your tanks/website. Absolutely wonderful!!! Some of my students (9-12, Art), low to mid-low income, keep fish--one does cichlids with his dad, never knew until I started mine and put up pix in the room!! It was a surprise to me--he tries to put off such a hard attitude--but there we were, talking plants, food, water changes!, fishy personalities (I'm getting ready, finally, to stock my 55g w/smaller cichlids--finally cycled!!) I wish I could have a tank in the classroom, but we're talking students who destroy/throw away rulers, scissors, glue, pencils, paint materials, even their own work--I'd hate to think what they'd put in a tank! Congratulations on what ya'll are doing, esp. with your son--what great learning opportunities!! Thanks for sharing. ~Renee

I'm glad you liked my web site. I will have to get to work on updating it again! Rosita that's a pretty cool story about how it opened up your student a little bit more.

 

[Raychem]

not that it would be "treated" but it could come from a source that has god knows what in it
there not washed and are very filthy. i wont use dyed aquarium gravel only natural gravel. its not treated, its been prewashed and is inert.
landscaping material is meant just for that, landscaping.
i had to search high and low before i found a company that sells fresh water aquarium sand in its natural color. i needed 120 pounds so getting a deal was important. i bought in bulk and 120 pounds of aquarium sand only cost me 70 bucks including shipping, so that was very reasonable considering what they would have charged me in the petstore.
it also was pure and prewashed. i didnt even have to rinse, i just added it straight to the tank, the water has been crystal clear since day one.
no sand gets in the filter if you raise the intake at least 6" above the sand.
i have sand spitting cichlids that stir the sand constantly and so far i havent had any clogged filters

Hey Vaderbanger,
Do you know if the store you bought from sells sand in bulk for SW aquariums b/c I am in need if 200 lbs myself.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[turtlefish]

Just an update- went to petsmart and found some pretty nice gravel. My local petsmart uses it in their tanks, small sized and pretty smooth. Its a darkish brown color with red pieces mixed in-all in all looks very natural and pretty. It was made by top finn i believe.