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Hey guys! Well I'm setting up a 55gal cichlid tank and wanting to use sand for a substrate. I was thinking to mix black sand with either pool filter sand or play sand! Yet I've not used any of those before and was wanting some advice on which would look best with a black backround and some texas holey rocks. Also I've got eggcrate in the bottom so should I put 1-2" on top of the eggcrate so there is enough to sift and stur?

All I am going to say think twice about the sand and any fish that stir it up. Reason being it can and will be very hard on any moving parts in the the filter especially the impeller and its housing.

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Im going to run a canister. I have a puffer tank with sand in it but it that colorful stuff you buy at the LFS

Pool filter sand is the way to go. It has really worked well for me. Just be sure and do vacuuming with the filters off, and don't start them up again until things settle down.
There can be issues when sand particles get inside the impeller housing.

________________________________________
The calming qualities of a good aquarium are irrefutable

Were can you find it as lowes and homedepot said they dont have it?

Hi,
The large hardware stores carry play sand and it is very
inexpensive. Look in the phone book under pools and find
a nearby company that furnishes pool supplies. They will
carry the "pool sand" in 50 pound sacks.

Really, the only difference between the two (play and pool)
sands is the amount of precleaning. Play sand will be
"dirty" with dust, silt particles, and pieces of twigs
and branches. Pool sand is a uniform grade and has been
washed and strained to remove the dust & dirt and wood
pieces.

Play sand will have to be washed, and washed, until the
runoff is clear. The pool sand will also need to be
washed, but the runoff will clear sooner than with the
play sand. Always wash the sand to rid it of not only
the foreign material, but especially to wash the dust
(silica dust) away and prevent or ease the clouding of
the water when filled.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Well all I can seen to find is playsand. the pool/spas places I went dont carry pool filter. So would playsand look ok? and is it ok to use? I'm thinking to mix it with some black sand to give it a little different look, Any thoughts on how that'd look? I plan to run a canister with a HOB.

I used play sand.

Even with the intake of my filter covered the sand got in and killed the impellers. Not to mention by covering my intake it reduced the flow and function of the filters.


Unless you're using sponge filters, I don't think I'd recommend play sand to anyone not after what I went through with it!


^_^

If you can raise your intake up so it is away from the substrate, it tends to cause less problems.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hi,
I'm not sure where you are but I simply cannot picture
a true "Pool Supply Company" not stocking sand for pool
filters. If you went to a Pool/Spa store, that makes sense
as it is the large outdoor and indoor swimming pools that
use sand filters. The dinky hot tubs and spas mostly
use over grown inline filters that one exchanges filter
elements in canisters.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Yea all I've seen is pool/spa places. Tho he did send me to a concrete place. but they weren't open.

I remember being warned about concrete sand when I was looking at sands. Something about how it's a different type of sand and will actually raise the PH.... something like that.

Perhaps someone knows what I'm talking about or can confirm or deny.


^_^

I've heard the same thing babel but Im not exactly sure why either. Sand is just eroded rock right? Maybe concrete sand was once some PH raising monster rock. I dont know if that made sense. Its close to my bedtime.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Is that possibly the sand with lime in it?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Could be. Would make sense. Might be even a mixture of lime and a few other types

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

As far as I know concrete and brickies sand is a fatty sand

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Fatty sand? What is that? A fatty sand? so there are diffrent kinds of fatty sands?

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Hi,
"Fatty Sand" is a term generally used by bricklayers and
is used to describe a mixture of sand and clay that
repels water and is designed for use as brick mortar.

You would not want to use it in your aquarium as the clay
particles would "get loose" in the water column and turn
the water very cloudy, to nearly opaque. It would take a
diatom filter to clear the mess up so you could see the
fish.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

yea well i have used pool filter sand never play sand. wat type of cichlids are u talking about? u are gona need some fish that mix up the sand for u or u have to run ur fingers threw it.

if ur getting some south american cichlids get a deamon earth eater. sweet fish that will mix the sand for u.

u have to take care of ur filters they do get sand in them a lot so more care is needed.