Different Sand Options?

[Soul Of The Night]

I've heard of people using pool filter sand. I read this somewhere and now I cannot remember where. But many sands are either too sharp for alot of fish or have unwanted chemicals. However, i have read that pool filter sand is just right, the grain are supposed to be rounded instead of jagged or sharp. And i guess its supposed to have nothing harmful to fish added. Ive seen it VERY cheap. like $10 for 50 lbs. What do you guys think? Would it work. I was thinking of tring it in a 10 gallon first with some guppies or something. and if it works fine then moving up to one of my 55 gal.


Think it's worth a try?


oh and im sorry if this is in the wrong place.

 

[ryguy]

i have heard of many people doing this, and i use something similar (play sand) and it is perfectly fine.

 

[Rooster]

I use "play sand" in all my aquaria... although I would love to try pool sand (cant find it locally in UK !) as its a little larger grain, playsand is fine, and tends to "pack"

Anyone know a UK (Nottingham ?) supplier of pool filter sand ?

 

[jgray152]

pool filter sand is WAAY to fine. It will cloud your water. I use this sand for my Diatom filter and the stuff clouds your water bad. Unless there is a different type of filter sand that I havn't seen before or im forgetting.

 

[ahyro962]

i use pool filter sand in my tanks. it works well and looks great. it is easier to clean the pool filter sand than play sand. play sand packs to tight i think in the bottom of the tank.pool filter sand is more uniform in its size. i believe it is all pretty much 20 microns in size. if u wash it before hand it shouldnt cloud up ur tank at all really. i really never noticed anything to bad myself.

 

[Lateral Line]

I use pool filter sand. The evn grain size prevents compaction to the same extent that sands with varied grain sizes can do. There are no "small" grains to fall between the "large". It still needs a poke and a prod from time to time, I use a chop stick, but it is the best of the various sands I have tried.

Rooster, there was a pool shop in Camberley called "Porpoise", which was part of a chain. There were other "Porpoise" shops around Hampshire. Have a look for that, or "pool supplies" in Yellow Pages? Ask here maybe.