Is This Sand Safe For Me To Use In My Tank?

[cooledwhip]

I just bought HTH pool filter sand and I checked the label and it has all these warnings. WTF???
 
Can someone confirm if this is safe to use or not? Why the hell does it have all these warnings? I'm scared.
 
http/imgur.com/qtJVJ9V
 
Thats a picture of the label.

 

[Byron]

These warnings are more concerned with dust from the sand, which is indeed a health issue if inhaled especially.  Once you have it wet it shouldn't be leeching any toxins if it is pure silica sand.  Just be very careful when rinsing it, as all sand has lots of dust.

 

[cooledwhip]

These warnings are more concerned with dust from the sand, which is indeed a health issue if inhaled especially.  Once you have it wet it shouldn't be leeching any toxins if it is pure silica sand.  Just be very careful when rinsing it, as all sand has lots of dust.

as for my hands? It says if on hands or clothes switch clothes immediatley and rinse hands for 20 minutes.

 

[Byron]

As a layman, I can't offer much of an explanation.  I will admit that this is a bit odd.  I've never used this type of sand, I only use play sand, and that is certainly safe.

 

[cooledwhip]

As a layman, I can't offer much of an explanation.  I will admit that this is a bit odd.  I've never used this type of sand, I only use play sand, and that is certainly safe.

I'll just purchase some play sand. Its not worth the risk

 

[Fishmanic]

I have been using pool filter white sand for two years in my 29 gallon tank with no ill effects. Corys love it. I just started a new 10 gallon tank and used this in there too.

 

[Fishmanic]

if pool filter sand was so dangerous,  would they use it to filter swimming pool water in which millions of people swim in several times a year.    If it's good enough for people to swim in, then it's perfectly fine for fish to swim above it in an aquarium.  

 

[cooledwhip]

I thought the pool filters dont even touch the water that people swim in? Isn't it pumped away from the pool?
I'm also looking at using gravels for my breeding setup. Where can I get lots of cheap good sized aquarium gravel?

 

[Byron]

I thought the pool filters dont even touch the water that people swim in? Isn't it pumped away from the pool?

I'm also looking at using gravels for my breeding setup. Where can I get lots of cheap good sized aquarium gravel?

 
Pea gravel can often be acquired from landscape and quarry suppliers.  If you're lucky, you might find some finer gravels, like river gravels.  The cost will be a small fraction of the cost for "aquarium" gravels.  Just make sure it is inert (unless it is intended for hard water setups obviously).  You don't mention the fish you intend to breed, but if they are substrate-spawners or interact with the substrate, sand is better if not mandatory.

 

[cooledwhip]

 

I thought the pool filters dont even touch the water that people swim in? Isn't it pumped away from the pool?

I'm also looking at using gravels for my breeding setup. Where can I get lots of cheap good sized aquarium gravel?

 
Pea gravel can often be acquired from landscape and quarry suppliers.  If you're lucky, you might find some finer gravels, like river gravels.  The cost will be a small fraction of the cost for "aquarium" gravels.  Just make sure it is inert (unless it is intended for hard water setups obviously).  You don't mention the fish you intend to breed, but if they are substrate-spawners or interact with the substrate, sand is better if not mandatory.
 

 
Cory cats (sand for them obv), guppies, endlers, shrimp, rainbowfish, and I will have a pair of GBRs so I might as well try isolating them and trying to get them to breed.
 
Would I use sand for all of them? I'm just worried because I will be changing lots of water as I only have bubble filters/sponge filters and the water changes will be quick and fast, so would sand not be the way to go as it will go everywhere?

 

[Byron]

Cory cats (sand for them obv), guppies, endlers, shrimp, rainbowfish, and I will have a pair of GBRs so I might as well try isolating them and trying to get them to breed.
 
Would I use sand for all of them? I'm just worried because I will be changing lots of water as I only have bubble filters/sponge filters and the water changes will be quick and fast, so would sand not be the way to go as it will go everywhere?
 

 
You could use sand for all of these.  Mandatory for corys and rams.  I know, someone will likely say rams don't matter, but rams like most cichlids are substrate feeders and they like to pick up mouthfuls of sand and sift out food particles (same as corys) and providing sand is much easier for them.  I am an aquarist who always tries to provide what the fish "expect" rather than making them "accept" something, at least whenever feasible.
 
Where gravel, like pea gravel, is nice in an aquascape is where you want a stream or river habitat, such as for Central American/Mexican livebearers, or rainbowfish, or Indian barbs.  Of course, substrate fish in these setups might dictate sand.  But the point is, that nice gravel can work in some situations as being authentic.  I used a lovely brown-shade pea gravel mix in an amphibian tank (aquatic toads and newts), and I had a black-shade pea gravel in a river habitat tank for barbs and loaches but I later changed this and must say the loaches have been happier with sand, as their tunnelling under chunks of wood is easier for them.  Like many cichlids, they like to arrange their environment.
 
As for water changes, I have never had issues with sand which I now have in all 8 tanks.  Obviously don't get too close to the sand or it will suck up (gravel does too for that matter), but with the Python water changer I can even run it over the surface of the sand and it pulls up the detritus and only a few grains of sand.  I don't do this in every tank, only a couple for specific reasons.  I have sponge filters in all tanks up to 40 gallon, and canisters on the 70g and 90g.
 
Byron.

 

[fluttermoth]

I would also add, that for substrate spawners like rams, you don't want to be disturbing them by doing too much gravel/sand cleaning, as they won't like it, and could even eat their eggs or fry.
 
As long as you do the water changes (from one corner, lights out) and the mulm on the substrate is only fish poo and/or bits of dead leaf, rather than left over food, it won't do any harm, and will help prvide of good source of food for the fry as well

 

[DoubleDutch]

I love PFS and am using it in 6 of my 8 tanks. Loving it. What grainsize is it?

 

[cooledwhip]

Do I even need to gravel vac? I Know lots of aquarists on youtube that dont gravel vac because the poop becomes good plant ferts. I'll use sand for all the breeding aquariums. For guppies and endlers, can I go bare bottom? Thanks
 
Also any good recommendations for sand? I won't use PFS but play sand I'm okay with. I think the play sand at my Local hardware store is really fine grained and I wanted something a little larger grained.

 

[DrRob]

The advice on the package is mandatory stuff, it's all perfectly valid, and not of great concern if you're careful with the dust. It's not vastly different to the advice to wear dust masks and eye protection when doing any dusty job, entirely up to you, but still recommended. If you've got the stuff then I'd not worry about it in the tank. As for pool filters, it does indeed come into contact with the water and is returned to the pool after that.
 
Generally no need to gravel vac sand. Lighter colours can show mulm more, which can be removed with a syphon with gentle disturbance just above the surface with the hose, but if you stick a gravel vac in it you'll be taking out substrate. The easiest way I know of to remove sand is by syphon, if you want to change substrate.
 
Bare bottom can be great for breeding projects, except for bottom feeders/spawners. It's brilliant for removing left over scraps that the fry don't eat to keep the water quality up when you don't want to do big water changes.