Play sand questions

[Byron]

I donot have personal experience with any of the three sands linked in post #1. But members in the UK have mentioned the Argos being OK in aquaria. Maybe some other UK members know something about the other two as well.

Do not mix any other substrate with the sand. Substrates will mix due to normal thermal water currents and some fish will dig and mix them up. Basic play sand is probably the best substrate because plants will grow very well in it (it is after all what they grow in naturally, sand and mud), substrate fish have no issues (assuming the sand is not rough and play sand should be OK here), and it is inert so no water chemistry issues.

Areas under wood and rock can compact, but so will gravel, and this is a necessary part of a healthy substrate, having anaerobic and aerobic areas.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I donot have personal experience with any of the three sands linked in post #1. But members in the UK have mentioned the Argos being OK in aquaria. Maybe some other UK members know something about the other two as well.

Do not mix any other substrate with the sand. Substrates will mix due to normal thermal water currents and some fish will dig and mix them up. Basic play sand is probably the best substrate because plants will grow very well in it (it is after all what they grow in naturally, sand and mud), substrate fish have no issues (assuming the sand is not rough and play sand should be OK here), and it is inert so no water chemistry issues.

Areas under wood and rock can compact, but so will gravel, and this is a necessary part of a healthy substrate, having anaerobic and aerobic areas.

Will the Argos one, its 15kg, make 3" of sand in a 80x35cm tank?
Is the first linked sand safe?

 

[Byron]

Will the Argos one, its 15kg, make 3" of sand in a 80x35cm tank?

I doubt it. I used a 25kg bag in my 40g which is 90cm by 45 cm and it is 1 to 1.5 inch depth. Three inches is pretty deep...is there a reason?

Is the first linked sand safe?

No idea, I do not know any of the linked sands.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I doubt it. I used a 25kg bag in my 40g which is 90cm by 45 cm and it is 1 to 1.5 inch depth. Three inches is pretty deep...is there a reason?



No idea, I do not know any of the linked sands.

Do you mind checking at them? I have looked at them and they do seem tank safe to me, but I ain't an expert.
The 3" would be for my amazon swords. I've got moneywort, anacharis, cryptocoryne of some kind, limnophila sessiliflora too. Soon I'll have hornwort, cabomba, another amazon sword and some other plants I haven chosen yet.

 

[Salty&Onion]

So which sand should I take

 

[Salty&Onion]

I'll just postpone the sand then

 

[Byron]

I'll just postpone the sand then

The Argos sand has been recommended by UK members, @essjay and perhaps @seangee .

 

[Salty&Onion]

The Argos sand has been recommended by UK members, @essjay and perhaps @seangee .

I'm getting it straight from Argos today, I have found it for only 5 pounds and I can get one 15 kg pack and the siphon and then next week another pack of the sand which would be 30 kg together. Should work for my 80x35cm tank?

 

[Byron]

I'm getting it straight from Argos today, I have found it for only 5 pounds and I can get one 15 kg pack and the siphon and then next week another pack of the sand which would be 30 kg together. Should work for my 80x35cm tank?

Yes.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Yes.

As in the 3" for my amazon swords?

 

[Byron]

As in the 3" for my amazon swords?

What I do for this is wash the sand and have about 1.5 to 2 inch overall depth when the sand is spread over the floor of the empty tank. Then while aquascaping I push up some for such plants. In time it all evens out of course, but that doesn't hurt the plants. Most of my swords have their roots partly above the substrate. My cories like to dig around them when filter feeding, and in some cases a couple pebbles of river rock may help.

 

[Salty&Onion]

What I do for this is wash the sand and have about 1.5 to 2 inch overall depth when the sand is spread over the floor of the empty tank. Then while aquascaping I push up some for such plants. In time it all evens out of course, but that doesn't hurt the plants. Most of my swords have their roots partly above the substrate. My cories like to dig around them when filter feeding, and in some cases a couple pebbles of river rock may help.

I keep few rocks around mine for now and it spread its roots slightly.

 

[James7]

I used the argos sand in my last setup.. it took a LOT of washing but then they probably all do.
I'd be tempted to put a thin layer of soil or gravel at the bottom to help the roots. Play sand is very fine and can get quite compacted, especially if you're looking at doing a 6" layer

The play sand I have (from Homebase) is very fine, I think the roots will find it hard to form in it so try and go for a corse sand if you can feel it. If others have had success with the sand from Argos then it might be all you need.