Best sand option

[Hopfrog]

I know there are a lot of opinions and perspectives on substrate here, so I was hoping for some suggestions. I have a planted 40g breeder currently with Eco-Complete, and while I know that many do not like it my plants are doing well in it. However, I have been looking around at some different set-ups and I like the idea of carving out a section of the tank and replacing the gravel with sand as I like the aesthetic effect of having a "beach" area and it would be better if I decided to try to keep any bottom dwellers in the future. I have seen that many here use play sand or pool filter sand, and I would be interested in considering them but I would like to know if the color of the sand would blend well with the dark gravel I already have? I know there are black options out there like BDBS but I am not sure if I want to go dark/dark as some contrast might be nice. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Anonymous Fox]

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or

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[ThatFishGirl6231]

i use play sand which is like $4 for a 50 pound bag from home depot. i don’t know if it’ll blend with your dark gravel. it looks like normal tan sand.

 

[Byron]

My first comment is that mixing different substrates rarely works out in the end, as they will naturally mix unless you have some sort of permanent divider that is attached with silicone to the tank bottom glass. Water movement alone will do this in time, and fish activity usually quickens it. Different substrates also draw attention to themselves, and visually make the space seem smaller.

You also do not want Eco-complete exposed with substrate fish as there are some issues. Aside from the roughness, there is a bacterial risk. If substrate fish such as Corydoras are intended, it is best to get rid of the EC and use just sand.

As for the type, you can buy aquarium sand which will be more expensive, but certainly good sand for fish. Make sure it is inert, not calcareous (sand intended for marine tanks and rift lake cichlids will be calcareous). Then there is play sand; provided it is quality play sand, it is probably the best general substrate for an aquarium, as it is safe for all fish, and plants grow very well in it. When I say quality play sand--not all play sand is the same. As you are in the US, you should be able to get hold of Quikrete brand at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. There is a buff tone and a dark grey, though I understand both are not available everywhere. I have the dark grey in all my tanks now, and it is very good.

 

[Hopfrog]

My first comment is that mixing different substrates rarely works out in the end, as they will naturally mix unless you have some sort of permanent divider that is attached with silicone to the tank bottom glass. Water movement alone will do this in time, and fish activity usually quickens it. Different substrates also draw attention to themselves, and visually make the space seem smaller.

You also do not want Eco-complete exposed with substrate fish as there are some issues. Aside from the roughness, there is a bacterial risk. If substrate fish such as Corydoras are intended, it is best to get rid of the EC and use just sand.

As for the type, you can buy aquarium sand which will be more expensive, but certainly good sand for fish. Make sure it is inert, not calcareous (sand intended for marine tanks and rift lake cichlids will be calcareous). Then there is play sand; provided it is quality play sand, it is probably the best general substrate for an aquarium, as it is safe for all fish, and plants grow very well in it. When I say quality play sand--not all play sand is the same. As you are in the US, you should be able to get hold of Quikrete brand at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. There is a buff tone and a dark grey, though I understand both are not available everywhere. I have the dark grey in all my tanks now, and it is very good.

I have seen the Quikrete recommended before, and it is available to me locally. What is the grain size on this particular sand? I only ask because I have a canister filter and I am concerned that it might be sucked up too easily and harm my filter if it is too fine. I see on the Home Depot website that Quikrete also make a commercial grade sand that is a larger grain size that actually says that it can be used for aquariums in the product overview.

 

[Byron]

I have seen the Quikrete recommended before, and it is available to me locally. What is the grain size on this particular sand? I only ask because I have a canister filter and I am concerned that it might be sucked up too easily and harm my filter if it is too fine. I see on the Home Depot website that Quikrete also make a commercial grade sand that is a larger grain size that actually says that it can be used for aquariums in the product overview.

I would like to see a link to that sand before commenting on it...I do know that their play sand is the most refined sand they produce, and thus the smoothest and very safe for any fish. As for its grain size, I've no idea, but it is certainly working out very well in my tanks. I never had issues with the sand in the larger tanks with canister filters; have the filter intake about 5-6 inches above the substrate and you are OK. And don't mess with the sand once it is in the tank, like stirring it up. I sometimes do a light vacuum along the front, depending upon the tank, but never touch it elsewhere.

 

[Hopfrog]

I would like to see a link to that sand before commenting on it...I do know that their play sand is the most refined sand they produce, and thus the smoothest and very safe for any fish. As for its grain size, I've no idea, but it is certainly working out very well in my tanks. I never had issues with the sand in the larger tanks with canister filters; have the filter intake about 5-6 inches above the substrate and you are OK. And don't mess with the sand once it is in the tank, like stirring it up. I sometimes do a light vacuum along the front, depending upon the tank, but never touch it elsewhere.

Here is the link to the other Quikrete product I mentioned: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-50-lb-Commercial-Grade-Medium-Sand-196251/100318480

 

[Byron]

Here is the link to the other Quikrete product I mentioned: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-50-lb-Commercial-Grade-Medium-Sand-196251/100318480

One would have to view this sand under a microscope, but I suspect it is not suitable. "Grit" sand is likely to be rough. Some fish would have no problems with this, but others will.

 

[Hopfrog]

One would have to view this sand under a microscope, but I suspect it is not suitable. "Grit" sand is likely to be rough. Some fish would have no problems with this, but others will.

I think I will go and pick up a bag of the sand that you recommended and give it a look. It is cheap enough and if I find I don't want to use it I am sure I can find a use for it elsewhere. You do make a strong case for it though.

 

[Uberhoust]

I have recently converted substrate on two of my tanks to Quikrete play sand. I can use some sand in my yard for other projects I might see if I can pick up a bag of the medium sand and compare it to the play sand, but I haven't found a source nearby.

In regards to particle size I measured the size of the play sand before I used it and found grain sizes from 3.0 mm to 0.1 mm, I don't have mesh percentages but the majority appeared to be in the 0.5 to 0.3 mm range. One thing that has been making me think about play sand is that for play sand you want it to hold its shape if it is slightly damp. The larger particles do not have enough surface tension to support their weight when slightly damp so it is important to have some real fine particles in the mix. That is you cannot make sand castles with well sorted sand.

I think the commercial medium grade might be good, but it does specifically mention it is silica sand so it might be very white. https://www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-commercial grade sands.pdf