Sand for aquariums

[trigoudarammi]

What is the best sand to use as the first layer substrate to cove a substrate heater. I was reading in a book that they use silver sand but ive looked everywhere and can not find this stuff. Maybe there talking about silica sand i dont know one guy mention i should use western desert sand but but that sounds really fine grained I want a sand thats not gonna compact and stagnate easily. Oh and how do you clean sand a colander holes would allow the sand to slip out wouldnt it?

 

[carpguy]

I didn't suggest you use Western Desert Sand: I said its what I used in my first setup. After I gave up on finding the silver sand I was looking for because I read the same book that you're reading. I later got rid of it. Its actually more coarse then a lot of sand, variable size and little pebbles. It'd make a decent top if you're going all sand and wouldn't clash overly when the layers inevitably mix.

If you're using substrate heating go look for pool sand. Its very regular: I'd top it with something else that looks more natural and does something for the plants.

There are some very good folks here but if you really want to go full bore planted you should also be looking at Aquabotanic Aquatic Plant Central and the Planted Tank. You'll find a lot of the same faces as here and many more planted folk.

I have no experience with substrate heating: I know Hiscock recommends it but I don't think it ever really caught on. I'd go to one or all of those other places and ask around. Personally, I'd put the same money into Flourite or EcoComplete. (Flourite=much rinsing, EcoComplete=no rinsing; settled it for me).

I did see a nice little cable set at Drs. F&S the other day. Don't know much about it but I think Hydor has a decent reputation: I found while looking for their inline heater.

 

[trigoudarammi]

So how do I clean this pool sand its probably not gonna show all that much since its gonna be the bottom base and all so i'm not all that worried about it looking natural and believe me i am anal when it comes to things looking natural.

 

[carpguy]

I just went and tracked down this thread over at the Planted Tank. Plantbrain (aka Tom Barr) can be a tad curmudgeonly but he's one of the more authoritative voices out here. Most? I'd at least take it into consideration. There are other threads where the conclusions are more or less similar.

When you put the water in the tank there will be mayhem. Lots of crap will rise up out of the substrate and into the water column. That's what the rinsing is for. Folks have rigged up some fairly elaborate setups for this. The collander and a bucket or two worked for me. Yes some sand will go through holes in whatever it is you're using as a sieve. Most of it won't. This is not generally a tidy operation. Whatever rises will settle in a day or two but may get into equipment, clog the filter, get into the impeller. I think I broke a (horizontally placed) heater once with the sediment that settled on it during a switch to flourite.

If I were you I'd look at a somewhat larger tank (a 20 high or a 25g have almost the same footprint as a 10g and you'll appreciate the extra height) and into some plant specific substrates.