# Which Sand to Choose



## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

*What sand should i pick*​
Black723.33%White723.33%Brown1653.33%


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

I plan on buying/cleaning sand for my 75 gallon mixed malawi tank but arent 100% on what to go with, i've seen so many picturesof brown, black and whtie sand in tanks and dont know what would be the best choice, so im basically looking for someone experienced to help me choose. I have red lava rock so im wanting something that will work well with that.

White looks hard to keep clean, and apparently it drowns out color, is that true?

Black is really dark, but it looks easy to keep looking good and brings out colors, true?

Dont know if i want brown, but it looks more natural in my opinion.

Also how much would i need for a standard 4 foot wide 75g tank?


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

Buy white pool filter sand. Its really nice. I bet it will look really nice with the red rock. Anything is better than that electric blue **** you have now. I have a whitish brown sand that im very happy with. I paid like 1.99 for it.

I have a nice thick bed with a 50lb bag. Its a 55 gallon tank.


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## klumsyninja (Aug 14, 2008)

I think brown looks more natural but black looks sharp. I have brown sand in my Malawi tank and black substrate in my 90G Planted tank.

I used 6 20lb bags of substrate in my 90 to achieve 'give or take' 2-3 inches of substrate (sloped back to front for depth)

If I did it over again I'd still go brown for my malawi tank. It looks good with my rock there isn't a lot of contrast and the natural look of it all is soothing to watch..

Now if I had a painted black background and dark dark rocks I'd change my mind..

Just my 2 cents.


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Cost isnt really a problem, im only 16 so i dont really have bills. I HATE theblue stuff i have right now. Is white really hard to keep clean though? I have alot of algae and it comes back pretty quick.


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

Every time i do a water change i stir up my sand, prevents algae very well


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Does your tank get cloudy afterwards?


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

no it doesnt. I washed the **** out of that sand though. At least an hour for each 5 gallon bucket. No clay on that sand at all. It spits up for a little but settles down within minutes.


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

thanks for the info, it helps alot when looking for product


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

As far as what colorâ€¦ Youâ€™re the one that gets to see it every day so pick whatever will make you the happiestâ€¦

But if you go with Blackâ€¦ I highly recommend paying the extra few dollars and getting 3M color quartzâ€¦

If you go with a light tan to whiteâ€¦ I highly recommend using Pool Filter Sandâ€¦

Whatever you doâ€¦ I highly recommend finding large grained sand and avoiding the finer stuffâ€¦


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

i have white right now. debris is very visible, and after having it for 3 months its not as white anymore. I think i will try something different with my next big setup


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I tried dark (black) and everything seemed dismal.
White shows too much debris.
Pool filter (tan) sand is excellent and Target play sand works well too.


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder... You should choose what you like best. I'd go for brownish, because thats the most natural looking color. But in my case red lava rock would be out also  I try to make my tank look as natural as possible. :thumb:


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## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

Beige :lol: - between brown and white is nice - not too unnatural, not too unsightly white.


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## khaki (Jan 12, 2008)

my sand is not white or black or even brown. i would say it is grayish. looks good.


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## DanDee (Mar 7, 2008)

SeaChem Onyx looks great! It's not black, more gray than anything. Good partical size also.

Dan


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Im slowly converting my tank to a more "natural" look, hence looking for sand. The only reason i ask is because i love all three. I didnt really think about how i would feel in the future about my tank, thats why i have blue and red. The lava works really well for caves and interlocks itself nicely with the other pieces, its very sturdy. Plus it doesnt look as red anymore, algae has found its way into my tank so its tolerable for now.

Khaki, nice sand, what is that called?


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## khaki (Jan 12, 2008)

*BurgerKing*

it is called Silica Sand


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## Ssssssspit_Fire (May 30, 2005)

I'll let you decide on yourself


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Im just becoming more torn, i'll just look around at the selection then make my decision i guess


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