bobtail107
Member
Just wondering if anyone has used Home Depot Sand and if so is it ok?Have there been any problems with it? Can you tell me what sand you bought from there? Just curious..
Thanks
Jeremy
Thanks
Jeremy
Home Depot Sand
- Thread starter bobtail107
- Start date
puffer32
Active Member
Originally Posted by fender
Only if the Home Depot sand is calcium based. Southdown, Old Castle, Yard Right brand etc. are perfectly safe and fine calcium based sands.
I agree. I have always used southdown, and then add a bag of LS to seed it. Much cheaper way to go especially if you have a large tank.
Only if the Home Depot sand is calcium based. Southdown, Old Castle, Yard Right brand etc. are perfectly safe and fine calcium based sands.
I agree. I have always used southdown, and then add a bag of LS to seed it. Much cheaper way to go especially if you have a large tank.
chipmaker
Active Member
Originally Posted by Ice4Ice
You're better off with live sand. Play sand has silica in them. It can kill your fish.
Silica based sands certainly will not kill your fish. If that was the case the entire Gulf of Mexico which is primarily silica based due to it being quartz would be in peril. Sand does not really have to be live either as long as its got live rock in the tank it will become alin=ve in short order, so if the sand is suitbale and its dead do not let it hinder you if the price is right.
Don't rely on that bagged sand with water in it that has the high $$$ tag on it to be alive, as its highly doubtfull since its exposed to all sorts of extremes in shipping and storage, so a bag of sand from home depot would have as much value as what that will supply. If yu really want a guarantee of live sand get it right out of the ocean or from a tank thats been up and running....anything else is just wishfull thinking.
You're better off with live sand. Play sand has silica in them. It can kill your fish.
Silica based sands certainly will not kill your fish. If that was the case the entire Gulf of Mexico which is primarily silica based due to it being quartz would be in peril. Sand does not really have to be live either as long as its got live rock in the tank it will become alin=ve in short order, so if the sand is suitbale and its dead do not let it hinder you if the price is right.
Don't rely on that bagged sand with water in it that has the high $$$ tag on it to be alive, as its highly doubtfull since its exposed to all sorts of extremes in shipping and storage, so a bag of sand from home depot would have as much value as what that will supply. If yu really want a guarantee of live sand get it right out of the ocean or from a tank thats been up and running....anything else is just wishfull thinking.
fender
Active Member
Many people have had success with Silica sand - personally I wouldn't use it - I just like the calcium based stuff. Be aware that some critters have issues with it because it has rougher edges than calcium. As far as live sand goes... What makes "live rock" or "live sand" live is that it has bacteria on it - that is what you buy in the bag, sand with bacteria on it. Stick a rock and a handful of dirt in your tank and in a month they'll be live. Doesn't mean I'd advise it just that "live" means different things to different people.
I have over 100lbs of Southdown sand that is quite live, it was dry and dead as a bone when I got it. Now it is full of bacteria, worms, and tons of other stuff.
I have over 100lbs of Southdown sand that is quite live, it was dry and dead as a bone when I got it. Now it is full of bacteria, worms, and tons of other stuff.
aw2x3
Active Member
I use nothing but QuikCrete medium grain, white sand in my tanks...same stuff used for making concrete.
It's silica based, white and THE BEST stuff I've ever used. Since using it, I've never had an algea outbreak and it doesnt cause any harm to anything.
$3 for a 50lb. bag, at the HD. To me, that's alot better than spending $40 on a 20lb bag of aragonite sand, from the LFS.
It's silica based, white and THE BEST stuff I've ever used. Since using it, I've never had an algea outbreak and it doesnt cause any harm to anything.
$3 for a 50lb. bag, at the HD. To me, that's alot better than spending $40 on a 20lb bag of aragonite sand, from the LFS.
chipmaker
Active Member
Originally Posted by AW2x3
I use nothing but QuikCrete medium grain, white sand in my tanks...same stuff used for making concrete.
It's silica based, white and THE BEST stuff I've ever used. Since using it, I've never had an algea outbreak and it doesnt cause any harm to anything.
$3 for a 50lb. bag, at the HD. To me, that's alot better than spending $40 on a 20lb bag of aragonite sand, from the LFS.
How right you are. The bagged aragonite calcium bsed sands that HD used to carry was a lfs worst night mare as iot cut deep into the high priced bagged sands they so happily sold to unsuspecting customers. All it takes is a single piece of live rock or a cup of real live sand from an established tank and yur in business. Think about hat bagged wet sand...Its a gimick unless you can verify that its fresh and that it was inded processed, shipped and stored under conditions that would not degrade it. Other than that its just way over priced southdown. Silica based sands are perfectly safe and in no way add to algae blooms or other problems as most would like to have yu belive. Its just BS. I will agree there are some critters that may have problems with it, like any sand sifters, but that is not to include all sand sifters. $40 bucks will buy enough bagged silica sand that is pure white and will work that would be sufficieint to fill a 210 to the top......but maybe thats why its frowned on by so many. They indeed spent big bucks to buy sand from the lfs and support the company that bags and sells the wet packed sands, that anything short of what they spent can not be any good. Sand is not that big of a player when it comes to buffering the tank anyhow as compared to what LR does.
I use nothing but QuikCrete medium grain, white sand in my tanks...same stuff used for making concrete.
It's silica based, white and THE BEST stuff I've ever used. Since using it, I've never had an algea outbreak and it doesnt cause any harm to anything.
$3 for a 50lb. bag, at the HD. To me, that's alot better than spending $40 on a 20lb bag of aragonite sand, from the LFS.
How right you are. The bagged aragonite calcium bsed sands that HD used to carry was a lfs worst night mare as iot cut deep into the high priced bagged sands they so happily sold to unsuspecting customers. All it takes is a single piece of live rock or a cup of real live sand from an established tank and yur in business. Think about hat bagged wet sand...Its a gimick unless you can verify that its fresh and that it was inded processed, shipped and stored under conditions that would not degrade it. Other than that its just way over priced southdown. Silica based sands are perfectly safe and in no way add to algae blooms or other problems as most would like to have yu belive. Its just BS. I will agree there are some critters that may have problems with it, like any sand sifters, but that is not to include all sand sifters. $40 bucks will buy enough bagged silica sand that is pure white and will work that would be sufficieint to fill a 210 to the top......but maybe thats why its frowned on by so many. They indeed spent big bucks to buy sand from the lfs and support the company that bags and sells the wet packed sands, that anything short of what they spent can not be any good. Sand is not that big of a player when it comes to buffering the tank anyhow as compared to what LR does.
aw2x3
Active Member
I've never even had a problem with it, when having sand sifters in the tank. As of right now, I have 200 - 300 Nassarius Snails in my tank and we all know how those things dig...sometimes, I'll see them at the very bottom of the tank...under 4" of sand. I also have 3 - 4 medium to large hermits, who dig thru the sand constantly, with no problems.
I've heard of people, who use acrylic tanks, saying "well, I wont use silica sand cause it'll scratch the tank too easy"...any grain of sand will scratch an acrylic tank. Sure glass tanks will scratch, but not from some grains of sand.
Other say that since is silica based, it's jagged and not rounded grains, like aragonite. Another BS excuse...I've used the HD stuff with fish as delicate as Banded Cat Shark pups, who are VERY susceptible to stomach irritation from rough sand and NEVER had a problem. I've had friends use the same HD sand in their Sting Ray tanks...NEVER had a problem.
People can use what they want, but I'll never use anything but QuikCrete, when it's available.
I've heard of people, who use acrylic tanks, saying "well, I wont use silica sand cause it'll scratch the tank too easy"...any grain of sand will scratch an acrylic tank. Sure glass tanks will scratch, but not from some grains of sand.
Other say that since is silica based, it's jagged and not rounded grains, like aragonite. Another BS excuse...I've used the HD stuff with fish as delicate as Banded Cat Shark pups, who are VERY susceptible to stomach irritation from rough sand and NEVER had a problem. I've had friends use the same HD sand in their Sting Ray tanks...NEVER had a problem.
People can use what they want, but I'll never use anything but QuikCrete, when it's available.
