switched to sand

[enchanted]

smithrc, what you thought was Pool Filter sand is just another variation of Playsand.

Playsand looks different at various places because it gets hauled no further than necessary. Read the bag sometime and compare with others in different areas. You will find that most of the time the playsand comes within the same 200 mile radius as the person buying it.

This is why people need to watch what they buy when purchasing play sand. Some may be so dusty you can't even use and other may be half rock.

 

[Storm]

Sorry to jump in on the thread, but i'm thinking of changing to sand too. How should it be washed? Looking at the posts sound like just put it in a large bucket or bin then fill with water and let it overflow. It this the best way?

I recently set up a tank with Tahitian Moon Sand. I scooped about 4 cups of sand into the bucket at a time and started by swirling the sand around with my hands. It kept getting under my fingernails and driving me crazy so I proceeded to stir and move around with a long plastic measuring spoon. I added enough water to cover the sand, stirred and emptied about seven times for each bucketful. I had a tiny bit of cloudiness but it quickly went away. I got a tip from someone to cover my filter intake tube with a sponge filter to keep sand from entering and destroying the motor. It does slow down the gph a little but so far, it's been working like a charm. HTH.

 

[Joby]

I switched one of my tanks to sand yesterday. Washed it in a bucket like others have said for an hour plus and its only a little murky 24 hours on. I put the fish in as soon as it was warm enough and my cories are loving it! I have put the fine filter in my fluval 2+ and hope that this can clear it up so its nice and clear.

 

[MrMashashin]

I put my sand in a 2g mop bucket and just held the hose in it so there was like a whirl pool. The quickest and easyest way to wash sand

 

[Paul_MTS]

well i put the fish in at night when it had just about cleared.

I'ved just added 4 pim pictus and planted it up so thats made it all murky again but i'ved cleaned the filter out again and it's turning it over again nice and fast so should all be well again soon.

I didn't wash any of my sand before but it was the last of the bag I bought so probable had must of the dust.

The sand we sell in bags at work only need to have a quick rinse like i did with mine and it's ready to be used, I was well surprised that it didn't cloud a tank we were changing around, but it's pretty expensive at 3.99 a bag for 5kg, where as next door at the agregates place i got fine dried silica sand for 3.99 for 25kg!!

I do like my sand though, it gives you a complete range of fish, i don't think there's anything that prefers stone/gravel to sand is there?

it's also alot easy to plant in it, I don't have to use any lead weights, where as in my fine gravel tank i have to stick lead weights on the plants.