substrate question

audio77

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Jan 19, 2003
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i've never used sand before and i'm setting up a stingray tank. I'm told to use sand. will a python clean the sand, or just suck it up? also, the guy at my lfs said no t to buy sand from him, but to go get playground sand from home depot. any thoughts?
 
Welcome to AC! :)

To clean sand with a python, just hold the tube about an inch or so from the sand. You will suck up the crap and not the sand. If you want, go a little closer if it works better, or, if you are getting the sand, just move it further away.
 
playground sand?

sounds simple enough. any thoughts on using playground sand, instead of sand from the lfs? i've read about getting sand without silica? i think..not sure what it is or if its in playground sand. they actually had a 300g tank with "playground sand" with their stingrays in it.
 
Sand without silica is crushed coral: no silica all carbonates. Suitable for high pH in marine tanks.

Playground sand is good. Construction site sand is good (if it doesn't have dobs of concrete in it).

Sand substrates don't get much debris down in them-- unless you or your fish dig it in. Cleaning a sand substrate involves almost as as much blowing it up into the water for the filtration to take as it does sucking it up in a siphon.

Don't mix enrichments with sand.
 
"Sand substrates don't get much debris down in them-- unless you or your fish dig it in. "

well it sounds like the rays will do a lot of digging

"Cleaning a sand substrate involves almost as as much blowing it up into the water for the filtration to take as it does sucking it up in a siphon."

can you explain what you mean please?

thank you
 
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