What types of sand affect ph?

[k2snowboards88]

I bought play sand. Does that affect ph? Is it only coral sand that raises ph?

 

[clutterydrawer]

it'll be fine. a lot of people use playsand in their tanks. coral sand raises it, so does anything made of part coral or part crushed shells/

 

[jflowers]

FAIK no it doesnt, depending on the supplier I suppose. Coral sand is just crushed coral and yes this does affect PH not sure if any other sand does though. I Have used sand from an lfs, local building supplier and DIY shop with no bad results or affecting the fish . Just needs a good wash b4 adding, and with Building and play sand it means a good wash an hour running water through it and mixing with hands at least. Sand bought from an lfs will usually have been washed, but will still need some. When washing use your own judgement as to when the water runs clear from your cleaning.

Jon

 

[k2snowboards88]

well i just added it. It took 4 hours to get 50 pounds of sand in the tank. I never ever want to do that again. Is there anything i should take into consideration, now that i have a sand substrate?

 

[freddyk]

The biggest concern you need to watch out for is hanging power filters. When sand is sucked up it can ruin the impellers. To avoid this keep the intake well off the sand bed. Some people use filter sponge on the outside of the intake as an extra precaution, though this reduces the efficiency of the filter somewhat.