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Hi guys,

i wasnt sure wether this belonged in the Lake Tang section, here on in water quality. i want to set up a 4 foot shellie tank and need something to buffer the water.

coral sand is kinda outa the question because
1) its white (iv heard they feel safer in darker substrate)
2) its quite expensive (ok this is the main reason because i am broke!)

iv heard some people use pool sand, its darker and this also buffers water. what are the pro's and cons of using pool filter sand? does it buffer well? for how long?

or is it better just to use plain sand and say marble chips in the filter? would a canister filter basket full of marble chips be enough to buffer a 55g?

what do you guys use?

Last edited by sumthin_fishy at 01-Apr-2005 08:09

I'm pretty sure pool filter sand is white and inert, so no buffering there. Aragonite sand will buffer to 8.0 or so, but is kinda beige in color. I've seen Cichlid sand that buffered to 8.5 and was a mix of black and white sand. Cool looking, but expensive.

I'd suggest going with inert dark sand (Onyx by Seachem or Tahitian Moon by Caribsea), and putting crushed coral, marble chips, etc. in the filter. That way it can be easily replace, or refreshed.

ya ur right, pool sand is inert. sorry i was getting mixed up with pool dust and pool sand!

ya those cichlid sands are too expensive... thanks why im trying to look for better alternatives

try crushed coral and grind it down to the size of your choice,it will buffer the water brilliantly.failing that limestone rocks will also buffer the water and then you can use whatever substrate you can afford.

Gibson SG you know you want one!!