White Sand?

[xamy_valox]

Hi there,
Going to be upgrading to a 125 litre in the next few weeks (fingers crossed) and am looking at having sand for the first time. I was dead against it at first but the white sand looks so clean and really makes the light bounce, giving a clean and fresh feel. Also, I have a group of cories that I would love to see rummaging around in the sand as they try to in my gravel but can only really get in through the gaps!

So just a few questions about sand:
a) Does the poo just sit on the top looking gross and if so, as I have cories, will the help turn the poop over so its not just sitting there making me want to clean the tank every five minutes?
b) I like to do a gravel vac every 2 weeks, if I do this with sand will it all get sucked up the pipe?
c) Does anyone know of a nice white sand that is safe for fish and doesn't cost a bomb? Or if not pure white, I don't mind a few flecks of other colour, but I don't want typical brown beach looking sand.
d) Anyone got any nice pics of their tanks with white sand? Or a light coloured sand? just to give me some ideas on how to scape my new tank when I get it.

I keep scouring the images forum to get some ideas but I'm so rubbish at aquascaping I don't think I'd be able to create those looks! I really like the idea of building up some height with slate or rocks for the fish to get in and out of and getting some kind of plants that will attach themselves to it (anubis I think? I'm rubbish with the names I just buy it cus it looks good and then it ends up dying =/)

Wish my brother would hurry up and get on with the tank swap!!

Thanks, Amy xx

 

[mike455555]

i dont know anything about sand but aquascaping isent that hard give it ago =] if u want a plant which will attach itself youv got afew options anubias , java fern and java moss are the most conmen

 

[xamy_valox]

I always have these big ideas and then when I try and make them appear in the tank it just ends up looking rubbish!!
I like a lot of plants but never seem to be able to get the height with them as they die before they can get tall =\

 

[mike455555]

what substrate do you have? and how highs your tank? and how much lighting?... iv not lost a plant yet..or a type of plant ( unless i got rid of it )

 

[xamy_valox]

At the moment I have small rounded gravel thats a popcorn colour, and my tank is 40cm high. I have a jewel 700 so I just have the lighting that came with that but no reflectors.
It's just one strip light across the top.
My plants seem to disintegrate after a while or get hairy algae so I throw them away.

 

[Delloy12]

I have white sand it definitely looks amazing, don't worry about cleaning it, you may suck up a few sand grains every now and then.

But poo does stand out but if you keep on top of it, it looks great

 

[mike455555]

what plants did u put in ? cos some are not true aquatic plants and some are grown emersed and shred there leaves once they go under water (they normally come back though) if its something like a Amazon sword(at the back in my sig) they are heavy root feeders so need a iron rich substrate you could get away with fertilizer tabs i think if youv got hair algae get some amano shrimp they eat it =]

 

[Aqua Tom]

I recomend Argos Playsand, nice & cheap & looks the busness.

 

[Delloy12]

I recomend Argos Playsand, nice & cheap & looks the busness.

But that's not white, still looks nice though

 

[Aqua Tom]

I recomend Argos Playsand, nice & cheap & looks the busness.

But that's not white, still looks nice though

True, but at £3 ish for 15 kilos its a brilliant.

White sand would have to be imported from somwhere exotic so will be expensive.

 

[mike455555]

isent play sand treated with chemicals ? which could then go into the water? (just wandering for future)

 

[Delloy12]

I use this make and at my lfs it was only 6.99 for 20kilo

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/unipac-ice-white-aquarium-sand-125kg-p-5200.html

It looks like the sand from the Caribbean

 

[xamy_valox]

I use this make and at my lfs it was only 6.99 for 20kilo

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/unipac-ice-white-aquarium-sand-125kg-p-5200.html

It looks like the sand from the Caribbean

Yeah I had a look at this website earlier. That pic makes it look really stark though, like it might be a bit TOO white haha, have you got a pic of your tank so i can see it? I can't see people's sigs for some reason?!

And yeah I looked at play sand but don't want brown unfortunately =\

And lastly I have absolutely no idea what plants I have, they never have the names of them on the tank! They are kinda long grassy leaves but they are fat leaves rather than thin swirly ones? I have a few others, I'll have to upload a pic to explain haha

 

[mike455555]

all right give me a pic and i'll try to identify them =] or tell you what they look like they might need

 

[Delloy12]

http/www.flickr.com/photos/66152649@N08/6025141196/in/photostream/

That's the only close up I've got...if your wondering why the glass is showing because the filter was a bit mad