airforceb2
Active Member
I have a cannister filter (Cascade 1500) and am not quite sure what all to put in it. I know i can put floss in it to help filter but can I put a lot of play sand in nylon and lay that on each of the shelves in the filter?
Hey Mud
- Thread starter airforceb2
- Start date
mudplayerx
Active Member
I would go with aragonite sand rather than play sand if I were you. The play sand could work, but it won't buffer the water or add beneficial trace elements like aragonite would.
airforceb2
Active Member
Isn't carribean play sand the same thing as aragonite?
mudplayerx
Active Member
I think so. Theres a few brand names that is made from aragonite. 
airforceb2
Active Member
I have 200lbs of sand but there isn't a brand on it. I'll probably just put all of it in my tank and get 2-20lb bags of LS. One to seed my bed and the other to put in the filter.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Heres a thread that I found on cheap sand. Hope it helps. It also contains the instructions for the vinegar test to see if the sand is safe:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=161845
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=161845
airforceb2
Active Member
Thanks mud. I posted pictures of my sand a while ago and read up on some aquarium chemists site. It said that the vinegar test doesn't always work. It also said that it does't matter if the sand has silica in it because the aquarium glass has much more silica than the sand ever will. I'm going to look for the SKU numbers at walmart but I'm not going to bend over backwards for it. Thanks again.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Good luck man. I have all aragonite sand from the lfs, but that is only because I couldn't find any of the cheaper stuff locally
If you really want to get a good analysis, take some of your sand to the local university or college. The science department will more than likely do an analysis for you free because it is good practice for students.
If you really want to get a good analysis, take some of your sand to the local university or college. The science department will more than likely do an analysis for you free because it is good practice for students.
airforceb2
Active Member
Haha, I would be afraid to walk in the science/chemistry department of the local college. Central Missouri is #1 in the mid west for meth. I'll probably just see if the LFS will hook me up with a good deal. They have a 500gal sump full of LR/LS. Maybe they will let me grab a couple buckets for a nice price.