Sand & Filter ?

[carlie]

Hi All,

Just thinking about getting sand for one of the tanks but how does it affect the filters ? i mean does it get sucked up inside it and clog it or once it settles will it be fine ? Might be an easy question to answer but I have only ever used gravel before lol


Thanks
Carlie

 

[adamgreen240]

no just keep a few inches from the filter intake from the sand and u will be ok.

when you are putting the sand in - i would turn the filter off to prevent it getting sucked in .

hope this helps

adam

 

[carlie]

Hiya,

Thanks for the reply will be mid week doing a complete overhaul of the tank lol will be washing all teh sand in teh shower first to try and take the clouiness out when we first put it in. the filter will definately be off. Thanks for help

Carlie

 

[adamgreen240]

no problem

glad to be of aassistance

adam

 

[Teelie]

Also, be sure to do a thorough pre-wash first as well. It's going to cloud no matter how much you wash it but the more you do, the less there will be in the aquarium.

 

[2day]

As Teelie said, make sure you wash the sand really well; otherwise you will be standing there looking at a cloudy tank!

If your talking about a canister, just keep the intake tube a few inches from the sand. it will prevent the sand from being sucked up and down into the filter... Make sure the filter is off, and wait until the sand settles to aviod sand flying everywhere.

Once it settles, it will be fine!

Have fun

 

[carlie]

Thanks i am looking forwards to chaning it over we will wash it really well its of into the shower with my husband before it gets anywhere near my tank lol

Cheers
Carlie

 

[emmuscat]

Help i got across this topic and i am interested in it , what is the best sand to use . I guess sand which is found near the beaches is not good .


Emmanuel

 

[Teelie]

What sand depends on a few things. What kind of fish do you have, what color sand do you want, etc. Usually just plain pool filter sand or playsand will work fine although there are more expensive ones like Black Moon Sand and White Sand. Crushed Coral (good for Rift Lake Cichlids mostly) and then there are different grain sizes too.

 

[emmuscat]

Thanks Teelie for your help , i am setting an aquarium for malawi ciclids and i was thinking about white sand .

Emmanuel

 

[Matty P]

Is playsand ok for Figure Eight Puffers??

Cheers

Matt

 

[DarkEntity]

Yes its fine, although be careful of Anearobic pockets

 

[Matty P]

OK, I'll give it a stir every time I do a water change.

 

[Teelie]

Nah, I wouldn't worry about the pockets. I get them in my shellie tank from time to time and they don't do anything more than rise to the surface and dissipate into the air, not the aquarium. Only a few times were any actually large enough to give a faint smell and none have ever harmed my fish. I think a fish would have to swim directly into or swallow one of those air bubbles to harm themselves.

 

[Matty P]

OK, thanks Teelie. Oh, just wondering how do they form in the sand??