Should I Replace Gravel with Sand?

[vanalisa]

Nope, PFS does not get sucked into your filter(s), or the siphon tube...if you jam the siphon tube into the sand (which you shouldn't do), it will suck some up, but if you use gravity to vacuum, it will fall right out, it's too heavy to be gravity-vacced out of a tank...

Okay, I like the look of it better than the sticky looking play sand, no offense, it looks great in other tanks. Wish there was a dark one; I think it would go better with my fish

 

[Slaphppy7]

Okay, I like the look of it better than the sticky looking play sand, no offense, it looks great in other tanks. Wish there was a dark one; I think it would go better with my fish

It looks better in person....I really like it, and so do my corys/snails/loaches....have it in 3 of my tanks

 

[Slaphppy7]

And, it gets darker with age, BTW

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

...Can someone teach me how to use a syphon for vacuuming sand?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

...Can someone teach me how to use a syphon for vacuuming sand?

Ugh, it’s so hard to explain over text...

I would look on YouTube for some tutorials.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Ugh, it’s so hard to explain over text...

I would look on YouTube for some tutorials.

Aha, thank you! Sorry, I'm pretty bad at this ?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

@itiwhetu We have sand in our local creek. Usually mixed with gravel and/or mud, but sometimes just normal sand.
@PlasticGalaxy Just get a siphon and give it a shot--you'll figure it out. Basically the gunk is lighter than the sand, so if you get it right, the gunk gets siphoned off, but the sand falls back into the tank. Hopefully you'll figure it out BEFORE you get distracted and siphon water all over your floor. (Hint: The first couple times you do it, have more buckets handy than you think you'll need. It's easy to start watching the siphon in the tank and forget that all that water has to go somewhere. I won't tell you how I know that. )

 

[madmark285]

I'm fond of the look of the pool filter sand.
Is this kinetic sand, and is that the same as the play sand?

I agree, I will be using the pool filter sand for my Mbuna tank.

A requirement for play sand, the ability to make sand castle! The stuff packs well and I been experiment casting cement objects with the sand (OK, I been making rocks ). But that may be an issue concerning anaerobic condition deep in the sand (the dreaded swamp gas issue).

A requirement for pool filter sand, the water must be able to flow thru it else you burn up the pump motor. This should help on the anaerobic issue. I also like the color of the pool filter sand but what kind of sand you can buy locally may vary.

 

[madmark285]

Aha, thank you! Sorry, I'm pretty bad at this ?

Try this one from Girl Talk Fish. She one of my favorites on Youtube. First, she has a master degree in engineering which is always a plus for me. Second for her newer video, she tries to limit the length to 5 minutes for her videos. So many Youtubers talk too much, just get to the point.

Mark

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Try this one from Girl Talk Fish. She one of my favorites on Youtube. First, she has a master degree in engineering which is always a plus for me. Second for her newer video, she tries to limit the length to 5 minutes for her videos. So many Youtubers talk too much, just get to the point.

Mark

Ooh, I love her videos! I think I'm subbed actually!

 

[Mick85]

Which sand?

I ended up using regular play sand as i had a bag left over from when i set up my daughters sand pit.

 

[madmark285]

Ooh, I love her videos! I think I'm subbed actually!

OK, help me here, I am one of those silly North Americans.

Subbed
The act of being humiliated for an extremely long period of time, most of the time the subbing subject is about grades, how smart the aggressor is, or how much more intelligent he/she is, which can be quite “funny”. Usually done by an extremely smart individual that is also funny and humble. Being subbed can entail the victim being humiliated and “roasted” by the more intelligent aggressor.

She is great, she can sub me anytime

 

[PheonixKingZ]

@itiwhetu We have sand in our local creek. Usually mixed with gravel and/or mud, but sometimes just normal sand

That’s usually not a good idea. There’s a lot of bad critters and microorganisms.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

OK, help me here, I am one of those silly North Americans.



She is great, she can sub me anytime

Oh God no! Just shorthand for subscribed, lol.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That’s usually not a good idea. There’s a lot of bad critters and microorganisms.

He's not taking substrate from the wild. Only describing it to @itiwhetu to show that some freshwater waterways have sand.