Play sand in a reef tank
31 posts • Page 1 of 4
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mattman9543 - Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:05 am
Play sand in a reef tank
What is your opinion on putting play sand in a reef tank. I've heard that it's not a good idea espicially from fish stores, but I'm also reading that it's ok as long as you wash it. I know I don't want to spen $500.00 on live sand. Any other kind of cheap sand I can use?
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
you can use it.......BUT.....it HAS to be silica free. Or else you will have BIG problems.It cant have any silica in it at all........or your defeating the purpose compltely. Ever thought about bare bottom?
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Snowboss4492 - Posts: 2098
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 pm
play sand is "clean" usual light brownish sand you can buy at like lowes or home depot here Puff, doesn't have sharp shells or coral chunks for lil ones to get cut on, it's used for sandboxes and under swing sets on playgrounds
Serial32 used it in his 29 gallon fresh water tank and it was beautiful, you have to wash the shit out of it first, but it looked really natural and he never had any issues.................still useing it as far as i know - - - but thats a fresh tank - -i would imagine "neutral" sand is fine for either salt or fresh ............no?
the only problem he did have with it was he had to move his filter intake up to about the top 2/3rds of the tank because the fish would stir up the sand sometimes {very little amounts} and suspended sand would get into the filter and trash the impellers. he put a power head in there once and it lasted about 3 days before it dtonated itself on sand particles
so low flow tanks should be fine, high flow tanks will be a sandblasting factory...lol
Boss
Serial32 used it in his 29 gallon fresh water tank and it was beautiful, you have to wash the shit out of it first, but it looked really natural and he never had any issues.................still useing it as far as i know - - - but thats a fresh tank - -i would imagine "neutral" sand is fine for either salt or fresh ............no?
the only problem he did have with it was he had to move his filter intake up to about the top 2/3rds of the tank because the fish would stir up the sand sometimes {very little amounts} and suspended sand would get into the filter and trash the impellers. he put a power head in there once and it lasted about 3 days before it dtonated itself on sand particles
so low flow tanks should be fine, high flow tanks will be a sandblasting factory...lol
Boss
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
Its an oolite grade of sand basically. A buddy of mine uses it in his tanks.....he got a bag of (special dry reef sand). We opened up the bag........it looked like play sand without any silica. which is basically what it was I think. Had an intial bloom on the surface, but now its gorgeous and perfectly white.
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mattman9543 - Posts: 4
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:05 am
I can not find any silica free sand. I keep reading about different sand that doesn't contain it, but it's never available also most of the forums questions are about 3 years old.
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jnelson1983 - Posts: 38
- Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:39 pm
So rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse....keep rinsing and rinse some more?
I got 100lbs of play sand, no mention of silica in it. Looks somewhat like sand you'd see on the beach...slightly finer though. Anyhow, I went through above 400 gallons of pure hot water rinsing this stuff out. At this point, the water is only slightly cloudy now when i mix the sand around. So I have a few questions:
1) How much more do I have to rinse it?
2) Do i have to soak it in water for a while to absorb any anti-fungal or other chemicals out of the sand?
3) Do I have to boil the sand?
4) Is there anything I'm forgetting.
5) Should I put my skimmer on the water in this thing to pull stuff out of the water (I was told the skimmer can pull copper and medications out of my tank)
And the BIG question:
6) Will this help or function with (or as) a Deep Sand Bed?
I got 100lbs of play sand, no mention of silica in it. Looks somewhat like sand you'd see on the beach...slightly finer though. Anyhow, I went through above 400 gallons of pure hot water rinsing this stuff out. At this point, the water is only slightly cloudy now when i mix the sand around. So I have a few questions:
1) How much more do I have to rinse it?
2) Do i have to soak it in water for a while to absorb any anti-fungal or other chemicals out of the sand?
3) Do I have to boil the sand?
4) Is there anything I'm forgetting.
5) Should I put my skimmer on the water in this thing to pull stuff out of the water (I was told the skimmer can pull copper and medications out of my tank)
And the BIG question:
6) Will this help or function with (or as) a Deep Sand Bed?
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
lots of questions there. Ill list them in the order you asked them
1) you cant rinse enough. :) If you think it should be rinsed again.....do it again. The more thats out of it now, is that much less you will have to take out of it in your tank.
2) same thing....if you want to soak it in saltwater.....it wont hurt. You could even jump start it first that way. :)
3)Nah.......boiling......nah. never heard of it.
4) Not that I know of. when was the last time you changed your underwear? I always forget that. :)
5) Always run your skimmer. ALWAYS. As long as theres water to run it......run it. :) It will always help your water......as for pulling out medications and copper.......never heard that.......I think they are full of poo.
6) THE BIG ONE.......Yeah, as long as it stays stirred by sand sifting creatures your sand will do the trick. Maybe a few cucumbers and nassarious snails out the ying yang. :)
1) you cant rinse enough. :) If you think it should be rinsed again.....do it again. The more thats out of it now, is that much less you will have to take out of it in your tank.
2) same thing....if you want to soak it in saltwater.....it wont hurt. You could even jump start it first that way. :)
3)Nah.......boiling......nah. never heard of it.
4) Not that I know of. when was the last time you changed your underwear? I always forget that. :)
5) Always run your skimmer. ALWAYS. As long as theres water to run it......run it. :) It will always help your water......as for pulling out medications and copper.......never heard that.......I think they are full of poo.
6) THE BIG ONE.......Yeah, as long as it stays stirred by sand sifting creatures your sand will do the trick. Maybe a few cucumbers and nassarious snails out the ying yang. :)
