Loaches Online Forum

OK, folks I need some input here. For years I have used regular old run of hte mill play sand from Home Depot/Lowes in my tanks with no troubles. Please note I am in the US. I know alot of you are from Canada/UK/other parts of the world. So products that are available in US as well, will be most helpful.

I am looking to get my hands on some white play sand this summer for a new tank that I will setting up. My questions are these......Does anyone have a recommendation for white play sand that I can get from hardware store? Reason being, I am on a budget here and need about 100lbs of it so I don't want to be spending $25 a bag for 4-5 bags. I am not into spending good money on sand or rocks just because it says "Aquarium" on it. Honestly, my rocks all came from the beach, and were boiled same as my driftwood. My sand like I mentioned comes from Home Depot. It's currently Quikrete Play sand.

I idealy I would like two 50lb bags like I get of the tan play sand.

Next question, I did come across some white play sand at Home Depot, it was called "KolorScape" (Apparently it used to be called Durascape) and said right on the bag "NOT FOR USE IN AQUARIUMS".....Hmmm I wonder why? What is actually in this sand? Anyone used it in a Freshawater tank? I know of a few that have used it saltwater with no problems, but it's freshwater I am concerned with.

It does not seem to state what is acutally in this sand. I want Silica! I know that sounds crazy.....Silica produces Diatoms and grows algae like crazy. I don't care I want that to happen. It will provide some extra munching for my Hillstreams.

So has anyone used White Play sand? Where did you get it? How big are the bags and how fine is the grain?

Thank in advance for any info you may have.

Oh and sorry for my typos....I can't type.

I think Kolorscape has color added.

Go to a rock yard and ask to see a sample of Olympia #1 sand. This is a bulk material used in mortar mixes, but has no additives. Most rock yards will also sell it by the bag.
Roughly 1 cubic foot = 100 lbs.
Look in your local phone book under Rock, Masonry, Landscape Material, Soil and similar headings.
Go to a swimming pool supply store and ask to see their pool filter sand, too.
Another option to sand is 3M Color Quartz. See their web site, and look for the search for local suppliers part. I do not know for sure that it is available in white, but probably it is.

Silica can encourage Diatoms, but after a while they tend to die off. This would not stop me from using sand.

The diatoms are not a problem for me. That is the least of my worries. I just did not want to use a product and found out too late that it had ill effects on my water and fish.

I'll check out the 3M sand and also check with my local mason supply yard. Thanks!

Check Target or any place that sells pools filter sand should work for you too.

I just bought pool filter sand in a 50# bag for $8 at a pool supply store called Pinch a Penny. So far my fish love it.

I have used play sand and had dead pockets in it. But the MTS help with that.

I'm really happy with my pool filter sand so far. It's not pure white, but it's pretty close (closer than I'd like, actually). I remember reading on here that the actual color varies region to region.

I bought it at Home Depot - ~$5 for a 50lb bag.

I had heard the colorquartz sand kind of sticks together and fish don't like to sift it through their gills. I don't know if that's true or not, or whether I read it here, or on a cichlid forum. Just thought I'd raise the question if anyone has first hand experience.

starsplitter7 wrote:I just bought pool filter sand in a 50# bag for $8 at a pool supply store called Pinch a Penny. So far my fish love it.

I have used play sand and had dead pockets in it. But the MTS help with that.

What is a dead pocket?

NDininno wrote:

starsplitter7 wrote:I just bought pool filter sand in a 50# bag for $8 at a pool supply store called Pinch a Penny. So far my fish love it.

I have used play sand and had dead pockets in it. But the MTS help with that.

What is a dead pocket?

Sorry, a made up expression of my own. The play sand is so fine it packs very tightly (like someone at my LFS said -- it is sand made to pack together to play with!) and so no oxygen gets done there and the bacteria would build up. When I just broke down my last tank with play sand, the lower areas had turned black and when I sifted through it, big bubbles of yuck and smelly stuff came up. The first inch was fine, because I had MTS and burrowing fish. But below that the sand turned bad.

As Tanya stated pool sand is safe and inert. I have seen it in white and light brown/tan depending on manufacturer so try a few different pool places before you buy the wrong color. It is usually 5.00 for 50#'s so cheap and safe....hard to beat that....

I have tried several substrates & none seem ideal for both loaches & plants.

I have 2 kinds of pool sand, a creamy white that shows all waste & a tan color that seems to allow some waste to fall into the top layer. It's heavy enough that it can be vacuumed with only a very small amount getting sucked up.

The play sand I got was tan & very dirty. It had varied sized grains & some seemed sharp. I tried ia in a Q tank but was too worried about anaerobic bacteria to use it in a regular tank.

3m colorquartz "T" grade, pool sand & Tahitian Moon sand all have rather squared off grains. I don't think it's much of a problem for fish that poke through it but might be sharp for sand sifters that spew it out their gills. The 3M "S" grade is very fine, round grains, I may try it next in a dark color, the white is very white, artificial looking to me. The 3M site is http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... ducts/Buy/ I hadn't read of the clumping problem but have heard of some oily residue once. That may have been the type sold for roofing.

I also have small gravel (great color), Eco-complete (ok) & black Flourite sand ( too fine)

starsplitter7 wrote:

NDininno wrote:

starsplitter7 wrote:I just bought pool filter sand in a 50# bag for $8 at a pool supply store called Pinch a Penny. So far my fish love it.

I have used play sand and had dead pockets in it. But the MTS help with that.

What is a dead pocket?

Sorry, a made up expression of my own. The play sand is so fine it packs very tightly (like someone at my LFS said -- it is sand made to pack together to play with!) and so no oxygen gets done there and the bacteria would build up. When I just broke down my last tank with play sand, the lower areas had turned black and when I sifted through it, big bubbles of yuck and smelly stuff came up. The first inch was fine, because I had MTS and burrowing fish. But below that the sand turned bad.

The reason I asked is because I have these dead pockets you described. I bought a 50lb bag of play sand and sifted it to get out the larger pieces. I thoroughly cleaned it and replaced my old gravel with it. I can see 2 spots against the glass that are black. They are small spots now, but from what you just said they may get bigger.

I really wanted to get that Colorquartz in S grade black, but there are no distributors near me. I called all over the place. also the 3M ite has a locator and none of the stores liste said they carry it.

Looks like I am going to be spending a forture on tahitian moon sand at the pet store, as I have come to like the look of black far more than the white substrate.

I have some very nice black sand that came with a tank I bought off of craigslist. The lady didn't know what it was, just that she'd got it at the petstore. I think it was black estes sand. Not sure how much it cost, but you might check around and see - it's got to be cheaper than tahitian moon sand, and I don't think it's as sharp.

Munkee, try swimming pool contractors. They build pools, and may have a source for this material. (Or maybe even a little extra they would let you have!)

Tile stores might have colorquartz too. I'm sorry the distributer list isn't accurate, there's supposed to be a place near me.