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	Sand as substrate.
cichlidiot Hobbyist Posts: 142 Registered: 14-Apr-2004	Is it safe to use play sand as an aquarium substrate?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
sirbooks Moderator Sociopath Posts: 3875 Kudos: 5164 Votes: 932 Registered: 26-Jul-2004	I think it would be ok if it was washed out thouroughly. Remember, no soaps or cleaners, you'll wind up with dead fish. And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
Mike R Fish Addict Posts: 593 Kudos: 830 Votes: 322 Registered: 27-Jul-2004	Do you want brown? I used Quiktrete Commercial Grade sand. It's clean white sand, looks great. I tried Play sand once and every time I vacuumed the tank was cloudy for hours. Not so with the Commercial stuff. I got it at Home Depot. Mike
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
cichlidiot Hobbyist Posts: 142 Registered: 14-Apr-2004	Thanks for the info, but is white the only color it comes in?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	It's play sand. You're going to get white, brown, tan, or somewhere in between. They don't make play sand that's colored like candy for good reason.:%) LoL, sorry, just pulling your leg. You looking for a specific color? Play sand doesn't really come in many colors, but the (really good) upside is that it's much cheaper. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
nattereri Mega Fish Posts: 1075 Kudos: 1157 Votes: 39 Registered: 16-Aug-2003	Play sand has lots of drawbacks. I had some in my 80 gallon, but since it is clay based, it is imposssible to clean no matter how much you rinse it. It will make your water dirty and your filter sponges will be black in a week from trapping all the sand. My playsand was light brown. I switched mine with pool filter sand, a BIT more expensive, but nicer and much much cleaner.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
trystianity Mega Fish Posts: 1028 Kudos: 926 Votes: 49 Registered: 20-Mar-2004	If you're looking for a specific colour you can sometimes find it at good prices from craft and landscaping stores. I've seen natural red and black sand a few times but it'll take a lot of hunting around to find the colour your looking for. One good thing about playsand from a design point of view is that IMO it looks really natural. Nothing wrong with that. I aggree with shini on the last point. The main rule to saving money in this hobby seems to be to buy as much as possible from anyone BUT your LFS. EDIT: I haven't seen clay-based play sand around here. If it's clay based, though, don't buy it. . . clay is really something you want to stay away from in substrate unless you're using it for plant nutrients. [span class="edited"][Edited by trystianity 2004-08-22 21:53][/span]
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	LoL tryst, so true. Half of the stuff I currently use is second hand. So much cheaper! There may be a possibility of a black play sand. I'm not entirely sure, but since it does occur naturally (Hawaii has basalt-based black sand), there is a possibility. Then again, it's SO hard to find aragonite-based play sand these days. Us marine keepers look everywhere, but that sand is so elusive... Anyway, nattereri does bring up an alternative. Pool filter sand is a commonly used enough sand that is okay to use in your aquarium, though I'm not sure if there are different types that are okay and others that aren't, as I haven't given it much research.:%) [span class="edited"][Edited by Shinigami 2004-08-22 21:54][/span] -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
sham Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3369 Kudos: 2782 Votes: 98 Registered: 21-Apr-2004	I had no clouding with washed playsand. Various types of sand are called playsand. You can find anything from black to white and in between. Some sand sold as playsand is exactly the same thing as argonite which will raise ph. I used quartz sand. I've heard silica sands can cause a really bad brown algae problem.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
sirbooks Moderator Sociopath Posts: 3875 Kudos: 5164 Votes: 932 Registered: 26-Jul-2004	I don't know where you could find that black play sand, though. I've lived in Hawaii, and the black sand is only at a few beaches. (though there is a place with green sand) And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54
Mike R Fish Addict Posts: 593 Kudos: 830 Votes: 322 Registered: 27-Jul-2004	I've only seen the quikrete in white. I'm pretty sure it's quartz, it's kind of sparkly. If you wanted black they make a type of sand for sandblasting called copper slag. Thats exactly what it is, the stuff that gets poured off the top when they smelt copper. I'm not sure what's in it or if anything would leach out into the water. Mike
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:54


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