SAND AND ROCK HELP!

[kymekat]

i am having problems with the sand for aquarium. Just left pet store and wasd told to go to Home depot and get play sand that has been cleaned and safe to use for fish. I found one brand that says it's safe. Can someone tell me if this is a good thing or not. I am lost at what to do. If I get that sand, am I suppose to place live sand on top of that sand? Do I make the salt water first before placing the sand in tank? when do I place the dry rock and live rock in tank? Help!!!!!!

 

[deejeff442]

i was going to use the play sand then did some research on it.i cant remeber why it was no good ,it was a while ago.just go to ***** or petsmart and buy aragonite sand.i would mix the water in a separate tub,place the rock in the tank the way you like it,add the sand.then put a culunder in the tank like the one you use to rinse off veggies.the round bowl with holes in it.then pour the water through the bowl so the sand doesnt cloud up as much.personally i like to wash new dead argonite first by putting it in a 5 gallon bucket and adding water to the top ,stir it up and let it settle for 5 seconds then pour out the cloudy water.this will help the dt from getting cloudy on set up.

 

[kymekat]

Wow, thanks for the help because I have been so lost at this. I figure ask the people that have saltwater tanks not the people that don't. Lol... Thanks again and have a great day!

 

[dmanatee]

one of the problems with using "play sand" is you really dont know whats in it. Does it have lots of silica or misc. metals. The other problem is that this sand doesn't normally contain the normal buffers needed to keep a saltwater aquarium where it needs to be. Your argonite sand as mentioned above is far better. You may also come in to contact with crushed coral sands (cc) allot of people dont like this because of the size and the availability to Haber bacterias and waste, I add about three to four cups of the stuff just to the top of my sand bed to add some natural texture but not to mess with the healthy sand bed. best of luck!

 

[gemmy]

Hi, welcome to SWF. Looks like you're getting some good advice.

 

[deejeff442]

i hope this dude knows our rules.if we help pictures are mandatory.

 

[acrylic51]

Silica isn't really the issue.....The problem is not knowing what "other" stuff is mixed in....Again Silica isn't an issue.....Playsand which I'm pretty sure I know what he used is safe, but most avoid it because of color of the sand......

 

[aquaknight]

Quote:
Originally Posted by KYMEKAT http:///forum/thread/382986/sand-and-rock-help#post_3346163
I found one brand that says it's safe.
You really found a bag of sand at Home Depot that says it's safe for aquarium use specfically? Or safe for what?
As noted, I'm of the opinion play sand is generally safe to use, however, it's the pretty ugly color (even the 'white play sand') that looks nothing like 'real' reef sand, that would prevent me from using it/recommending it.

 

[acrylic51]

Also the topic of the buffeting abilities of sand is a debatable topic as well.

 

[kymekat]

 
Thanks! Yes, I found the info online at home depot.com. The company was Sakete I think and it states online it can be used for fish. Once I went into the store and looked at the bag it only states for sandbox only. So, I didn't get it.

 

[deejeff442]

you mean sakcrete play sand.also when its wet its alot darker and has too big of gravel in it.i use it to make my concrete countertops.just get some argonite from ***** and you wont have to worry about anything.i would wah it first or it will take days to clear up in the water.plus if you disturb the sand at anytime it will cloud up the water if it isnt washed first.

 

[fishhugger]

I used quikcrete play sand in my cichlid tank for a long time without any problems as a result...obviously its not really a GREAT comparison. But it was VERY cheap and the color wasn't bad under good lighting.