Silica (silver) sand

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jamjarjames

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May 31, 2004
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sorry to ask soo many questions on sand i just don't want to ruin my nice new tank!

I have heard that Silica or Silver sand can be used in an aquarium, is this so and would you recommend it?

I would use Seachem but being in the UK its hard to get hold of and very expensive!

Will silver sand stirr when fish swim over it? Will the weight of the water hold it down?

Iam planning on mixing my old gravel (smooth glass stones about 10mm dia) to the sand.

Ive ordered a tank vac will this pull all the sand up with the muck? would a siphon be better?

Whats the chance of cloggin my filter with this?

Finally how well do i need to wash it, its comming from a DIY shop so its not pre pared in anyway.

Thanks
 
It should stay down, unless you have big fish, in fact it compacts so well that anaerobic spots could form-something to watch for. Not sure what type of tank vac you have but a siphon can easily suck sand along with detritus if not careful. Use a sponge prefilter over power filter intakes to prevent sand from getting in and ruining impellers. Rinse in a bucket to remove the dust and the water is fairly clear.
 
here's what I found when I checked into this: all natural sand is silica, man-made could be something else but don't know anything about that. Not really sure on the "silver sand" as to what that is, might just be the stuff you're looking at. Some sand has a coloring to it like hermit crab sand, not a good idea cause you don't know what chemicals it could release in the water so make sure it is either pure natural sand of whatever color you like or it is made for an aquarium with fish. As to the stirring up part, it all depends on the grade/size. I recently set up a shelldweller cichlid tank and saw many people mention pool filter sand (PFS) and how its grains are normally larger so they won't get stuck in the gills of any fish that sift or move sand with their mouths. I went after PFS because none of the local LFS's carry any good sand other than high dollar reef sand. I went to a local swimming pool supply store and found a 50lb bag of #20-#30 sand for less than $10 which is half the cost of the little bags at the LFS anyway. I saw the mention of how I needed to wash my sand and turn all filters off so they don't suck the sand up, etc. etc. I started washing this sand but noticed there was absolutely no dust in the sand and then I realized, it's already pre-washed to go in a pool filter anyway! I poured it into a half full tank expecting it to cloud but it immediately sank to the bottom and no cloud! My aquaclear 300 on a 20 long tank was too much current for the sand though and would erode the sand at the front of the tank directly in front of the filter. I used some carefully placed shells and broke up the current and eliminated this but decided to remove the HOB for a sponge filter so that I can utilize this area for my shelldwellers (needed more territory) and also to keep from sucking up fry but a taller tank and less oversized filter you wouldn't have any problems at all. I HIGHLY recommend pool filter sand unless you want a specific color. depends on the size of the fish stirring up the sand but it shouldn't float around, just move around a little. it takes a little practice with the vacuum, I found that removing the large tube on the end and just using the hose end works best, just wave the tube over the sand about 1/2" or so above the surface (depends on the suction from your vacuum) and you'll suck all the crap off the top. I'm very pleased with what I ended up with. Kyle
 
the idea of "silver sand" is a british thing its what we call silica sand its usually used in patios etc. Its lime free and sometimes washed to prevent you staining your patio if its damp. i will look for pool filter sand but means not many people of swimming pools over in the UK it might be difficult to get hold of
 
Whether or not you can find "pool filter sand" what you should be able to find is a sand with a diameter of roughly 3mm. Check local quarries (if you've got any) also landscaping and sandblasting suppliers. I got 40kg of sandblasting grit and pool filter sand (20kg of each) from a quarry a half hour out of town as a free sample. Just pure silica sand. Wish I had the same no rinsing needed story, it was pre-washed, but after the transport it had ground up a bit of dust. Pretty easy to rinse though.
 
correct spartan, drop it in and go. the sand I bought was regular tan colored sand and I don't know if there are different colors being that you don't care about color in a pool filter but I would assume that natural sand being different colors in different areas of the world then it is possible to find black colored sand, just don't know where. I wondered about that jamjarjames but didn't know how the weather was around the UK for swimming pools. I just figured I'd give you the option if you can come across it. the other option would be like happychem said and find a sand blasting supply store. sandblasting sand comes in all grades and possibly colors but just make sure you wash it good. Kyle
 
Pure silica is the chief ingrediant in glass, and is pretty much white in color. You will want to rinse it excessively before use, as the fines can tear up your pump motors. The larger particles shouldn't be a problem so long as you have your intake near the water surface.

Silica sand is used for sandblasting and is available from welding supply shops at comparitively low prices.
 
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