How many lbs of sand?

[Freshyfishy]

i don't keep cories tho

 

[connorlindeman]

This is not good for fish like cories. A post on CorydorasWorld a while back listed several problems with PFS for cories.

PFS works by having sharp edges which are used to catch dirt. Over time all of these sharp edges fill with collected material, wear down, and the sand needs to be replaced.​

Reef keepers with sand sifting fish won't use PFS because it is sharp edged and, while it may not kill the fish, it is likely uncomfortable for sharp edged sand to pass through soft gills.​

That makes sense @Byron.
I had corys on it but I guess ill never know if it was uncomfortable for them.

 

[Byron]

i don't keep cories tho

Think ahead. Tearing down a tank to replace the substrate is work, and I prefer doing things right the first time.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Also, can my tank have water in it when i put it in..

Yeah, you can technically add the sand even with water in the tank, although you'll probably want to drop the water level at least a little to make it easier to work in it. You want to rinse the sand REALLY thoroughly in buckets outside with a hosepipe first, then rinse it some more. Even after all that, the water will likely be cloudy for a while. Worth running the filter with some fine filter floss and changing that out a few times once the sand is in, then being patient while it settles and the filter does its thing.

 

[Freshyfishy]

how do you wash sand.. doesn't it turn into dirt..

 

[Playsander]

how do you wash sand.. doesn't it turn into dirt..

Chuck it in a bucket. Fill bucket with water. Swish the sand around in the bucket full of water with your hand, the water will become cloudy thats the dust and debris from your sand, the sand itself won't degrade. Pour water away. Repeat a LOT.

 

[Uberhoust]

PFS works by having sharp edges which are used to catch dirt. Over time all of these sharp edges fill with collected material, wear down, and the sand needs to be replaced.Reef keepers with sand sifting fish won't use PFS because it is sharp edged and, while it may not kill the fish, it is likely uncomfortable for sharp edged sand to pass through soft gills

Some of the above does not fit my observations or research. I have examined both pool sand, the silica sand 20/40 (used for artificial turf mostly now), and Quikcrete play sand under the microscope and the play sand had the most angular fragments of all three (actually have examined a number of other substrates as well). Below is a recent image I took of the Target 20/40 Silica sand, which is similar to the PFS (I wouldn't doubt in some cases it is the same thing). Pool filter sand works by having a relative small range of particle sizes which means they don't have a lot of fines that will block the inter-particle spaces, this is what provides the filtering. Here is a description from one of the PFS manufacturers, miners?, https://www.pfsaggregates.com/products/water-filtration-sand/

Play sand will have a lot more variability because it does not have any strict requirements for size, where as pool sand, and sand blasting sand, is required to be much more carefully screened so that it doesn't damage the machinery that uses it.

Note the red marks are approximately 1mm. This sand is very rounded. Target Silica Sand 20/40.

This is what silica sand looks like in after a rinse. It looks between the two colors when in the tanks. Color only comes from the occasional bit of feldspar found in the mix.

 

[Uberhoust]

Continuation of previous. Below is QuikCrete playsand sourced from Nanaimo Home Depot last year. It is very angular.

Below is pool filter sand sourced from Nanaimo Canadian Tire store in 2021, it is much rounder than the play sand.

 

[sharkweek178]

And make sure that it's Quikrete. I was at a Lowe's the other day looking for play sand. They had a brand called Sakrete Play Sand. Before buying it, I looked it up online and the manufacturer said that Sakrete wasn't suitable for aquarium use.