Iwant the next tank to be different and i wasthinking of using play sand.... any difference to do when using this ,,,,,, any known problems with this ?? thanx its gonna be another 29 gallon
Next Tank .... White Play sand??
- Thread starter daytonaguy1111
- Start date
I got mine from Lowes for two fifty, enough for fifty five gallons. I got it for my eartheaters. But I will tell you it is not to fun to clean so if your fish don't need it don't get it.
I recently used a smattering of sand in a new goldfish set-up... a couple of things to remember.
Sand compacts very well. Anaerobic bacteria can form and create toxic gases if the sand is deep and not disturbed / vacuumed / sifted through regularly- whether manually or by bottom fishies.
Sand compacts a bit too much for plants to do well.
Sand can get into the working parts of a filter very easily and cause problems.
A white substrate can be stressful to many types of fish- it is not calming to them at all. Because of this some fish can lose color when housed over too bright a substrate.
On the other hand I find sand to be very easy to keep- detrius just lays on top waiting for a siphon to come along. I use a light only for viewing on this tank, so the stress / color loss thing doesn't concern me. I just have to remember to let the dust settle before I turn the filters back on after a cleaning.
As long as the fish you intend to house are sand friendly and you keep a few of these points in mind, sand can make a lovely display.
Sand compacts very well. Anaerobic bacteria can form and create toxic gases if the sand is deep and not disturbed / vacuumed / sifted through regularly- whether manually or by bottom fishies.
Sand compacts a bit too much for plants to do well.
Sand can get into the working parts of a filter very easily and cause problems.
A white substrate can be stressful to many types of fish- it is not calming to them at all. Because of this some fish can lose color when housed over too bright a substrate.
On the other hand I find sand to be very easy to keep- detrius just lays on top waiting for a siphon to come along. I use a light only for viewing on this tank, so the stress / color loss thing doesn't concern me. I just have to remember to let the dust settle before I turn the filters back on after a cleaning.
As long as the fish you intend to house are sand friendly and you keep a few of these points in mind, sand can make a lovely display.
White playsand is crushed marble, a carbonaceous rock that will raise your kH and pH. It is also difficult to keep clean.
good luck
good luck
re sand
Forget using playsand it has too many pitfalls. However you can use pool filter sand. It is much larger grained pure silica sand. It does not compact ,does not stay in the water column when stirred and is easy to maintain. You can buy it at spa /pool supplies retailers. I paid 11.50 for 50 lb bag. I used a 1.5 bags for my 70 galoloach tank. Very happy with it.
kuhli
Forget using playsand it has too many pitfalls. However you can use pool filter sand. It is much larger grained pure silica sand. It does not compact ,does not stay in the water column when stirred and is easy to maintain. You can buy it at spa /pool supplies retailers. I paid 11.50 for 50 lb bag. I used a 1.5 bags for my 70 galoloach tank. Very happy with it.
kuhli
ALright that sounds great.... maybe ill go with the pool filter sand.... sounds alot better than the playsand...
Originally posted by famman
It is also difficult to keep clean.
good luck
ditto, have to change mine after a month, first week it was awesome but it looks nasty when dirt sets in... I got brown play sand now (med brown) haven't notice any diff since the day I got it, 3 months ago...
Kuhli I think play sand is silica sand also. At least that is what it said on the bag I used, maybe there are differen types. Are there different types because it has not effected my pH or KH at all, its been maybe three weeks, I would expect an impact by now.
It is still a pain to clean though.
My eartheaters sift all day long and I don't see it in the water column, of course I have never seen pool sand to compare.
It is still a pain to clean though.
It is still a pain to clean though.
My eartheaters sift all day long and I don't see it in the water column, of course I have never seen pool sand to compare.
It is still a pain to clean though.
There are many different types of play sand. SW hobbyists search out SouthDown playsand (now called Old Kastle) because it is finely crushed coral/aragonite, which helps buffer a tank and keep pH up. Most playsands are not in fact going to impact pH at all, and are fine to use.
For cleaning: Don't use a regular siphon, just use the hose. Slower, yes, but it works. I lose about 1/4 cup of sand with each siphoning, on a 55, and less than a 1/4 teaspoon on the smaller gallon tanks (currently have 2 5 gallons, and one that's 2 1/2). Keep the end of the hose about 1/2 above the surface, and you'll get most of the waste. Make sure you either have lots of rooted plants, digging fish, and a thin layer *OR* do not disturb the depths at all (means no digging fish as well).
In my newt tank, I put about 1/4 inch of sand, then topped it with 1.5 inches of aquatic plantic soil. It works nicely, and I don't mind it mixing.
For cleaning: Don't use a regular siphon, just use the hose. Slower, yes, but it works. I lose about 1/4 cup of sand with each siphoning, on a 55, and less than a 1/4 teaspoon on the smaller gallon tanks (currently have 2 5 gallons, and one that's 2 1/2). Keep the end of the hose about 1/2 above the surface, and you'll get most of the waste. Make sure you either have lots of rooted plants, digging fish, and a thin layer *OR* do not disturb the depths at all (means no digging fish as well).
In my newt tank, I put about 1/4 inch of sand, then topped it with 1.5 inches of aquatic plantic soil. It works nicely, and I don't mind it mixing.