Need answers ASAP

[foxgirl158]

Is Quickrete all purpose sand the same as play sand? I need it for my tank that I’m setting up tomorrow morning and it’s not at the place that I thought it was, but they have the all purpose.

 

[Byron]

No it is not the same. Quikrete's Play Sand is the most highly-processed of their sands. This makes it the least rough and thus safe for children who are liable to be getting in their eyes and mouths. This makes it ideal for a fish aquarium. I discussed this with someone at Quikrete a few years ago.

Try your nearest Lowe's, or Home Depot; they carry this sand. Other retailers may too, I don't know. It also comes in a dark grey and a buff tone, I have and prefer the dark grey but both are the same otherwise.

 

[foxgirl158]

Thank you! It turned out that NONE of the hardware stores in the area we are going carried it except for one, but the price was $7.30 vs $3.30 at a different place. My mom is amazing and said she would stop by the other place on her way home to get it <3

 

[foxgirl158]

Will I need to rinse it before it goes the in aquarium? There won't be anything living in it for at least 4 days, plant or animal

 

[drizzy_052248]

Will I need to rinse it before it goes the in aquarium? There won't be anything living in it for at least 4 days, plant or animal

i would say better safe then sorry so you should rinse. And you should not be adding anything live except plants before you cycle. Cycle usually takes 2-6 weeks depending on your methods

 

[Byron]

Yes, give it a rinse. It is quite "dusty" and I found over the years that not fussing too much was OK. A rinse maybe 4 times in a bucket. Other tricks to avoid thick cloudiness is to dump all the wet sand in, the arrange the hardscape, then add enough water to allow you to plant any substrate-rooted plants. Then drain all that water out, and carefully fill the tank running the fresh water into a bowl or similar to avoid disturbing the sand. It is just dirt and harmless.

 

[Colin_T]

always rinse sand and gravel before adding it to an aquarium.