PLAY SAND

[cichlidicted]

Hey .. am looking for the cheapest place to get play sand for aquarium use... am thinking of changing to this gorgoues beige coloured play sand.... ??
anyone tried them with cichlids ?

[elk]

home depot
10.00 20kg bag

[Nerine]

Can't go wrong with home depot

[Sharbuckle]

rinse rinse rinse this stuff, i used it in a tank a long time ago and it was sooo muddy and cloudy for the longest time, make sure to rinse and learn from my mistake

[markw]

Don't use play sand with cichlids! Use silica sand. $7.50/50lb bag at any pool store. It is much finer, and will not clump. When you use play sand it not only is virtually impossible to clean before using, but it will clump up and almost crust at the bottom, causing bacteria locks under it. The toxins that will collect and be released as giant bubbles eventually will kill! Silica sand is so much lighter, and cichlids can ingest it with food and expel it without doing damage.

[cichlidicted]

folks that suggest home depot .. thanks alot now i know where to get it ... but what do you have to say regarding marw post ?

what substrate would create the most realistic and bueatiful look ?

[fischkopp]

folks that suggest home depot .. thanks alot now i know where to get it ... but what do you have to say regarding marw post ?
what substrate would create the most realistic and bueatiful look ?

I use silica sand in my (SA dwarf) cichlid tanks. Its personal taste, but I like it and it does have a natural look. My choice was white silica decor sand from HD, a bag was $10 for I think 40lb. It's the finest sand I have seen. I also use black Tahitian moon sand, but that stuff is a bit pricy since you get it in the LFS.

[markw]

http://www.fmueller.com/home/aquaristic/125g/decorations/substrate/
Here is a link to someone I consider an expert.
I've seen hobbyists tanks who have told of unknown deaths of all their fish. Couldn't figure out why...everything was perfect, and when I see the play sand substrate, its easy to understand what happened. Unless you constantly stir up the entire bottom releasing those airlocked bubbles of decaying material, it will build up into a toxin.

[PMurphy]

I just picked up some pool filter sand from Mermaid and I am quite happy with it. I had tried play sand before and it was a nightmare to rinse. The PFS needs essentially none. Larger grain size and they are heavier, making it easier to vacuum.

Highly recommended.

[Adam]

Isn't play sand made out of silica? SiO2?

[Bwhiskered]

Hey .. am looking for the cheapest place to get play sand for aquarium use... am thinking of changing to this gorgoues beige coloured play sand.... ??
anyone tried them with cichlids ?

Play sand I find is a bit too fine. It is the same as what is called brick or masonary sand. I use the coarser sand from a builders supply that they call coarse building sand or concrete sand.
Some of the larger garden centers carry a coarse horticultural sand which is the same thing.
For an even more natural look mix in some pea gravel like they use on a flat roof.

Anyone that has a cloudy problem is just too lazy to wash it properly. Nobody is going to say that it is easy. Just wash a small amount at a time in a dollar store dishpan. After the fifth or sixth rinse it is usually good.

[cichlidicted]

Alright so what i've read from you guys and some resources u've kindly provided..... am giving up on play sand and heading towards silica for my cichlids. What would a good rocks be ??
Limestone, river stones, holey rocks , etc .. ?

[dpatte]

I have been using pool filter sand for years, it looks great and is cheap and safe. But i believe the colour that used to be available is no longer available at mermaid pools.

[PMurphy]

When I went to mermaid earlier this week all they had was a tan colour in a white bag.

[robt18]

Coral rock is probably the best, limestone is also geat if you can find nice pieces. Tufa rock is good too, but takes a little longer to work, however it's light (and therefore cheap) and easy to aquascape with. If you're willing to use a buffer in your water to bring up the pH, you don't acutally need pH increasing rocks... Lava rock and lace rock are both really nice and easy to use.

[dpatte]

my pool filter sand is a light tan, and white bag as well. top notch sand.
If mermaind has the same as I got - go for it. People see it in my tank and love it. Noo air pockets either.

[elk]

I got a bag today from Club Piscine
7.99 for 50 pounds
Black colour

[Heidi]

where is that store located???

[Stussi613]

OTTAWA (Nepean)
285 West Hunt Club Road Tel. 613.274.7665
Fax. 613.274.7315

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OTTAWA (Orleans)
1887 St-Joseph Blvd - Unit 0105 Tel. 613-837-6777
Fax. 613-837-2392

where is that store located???

[Ormarr]

I got a bag today from Club Piscine
7.99 for 50 pounds
Black colour

Would it be possible to post a picture of this sand?  I have a feeling quite a few of us have been looking for a cheaper alternative to Tahitian Moon when it comes to black sand.