# worth getting pool filter sand



## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

Even if I already bought quikrete play sand? I'm setting up a 20 gallon shell dweller tank, and just bought quikrete play sand. 44 pounds 6$, I have read mixed opinions on it, a lot say it's good but some say otherwise. I can't find pool filter sand anywhere, I am in canada (quebec) is it worth looking around for pool filter sand? Or will the play sand be ok?


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

sorry couldn't figure out how to edit. this is all i can find so far lol

http://www.clubpiscine.ca/723-product-p ... ation.html


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

For looks, I prefer playsand - but it is significantly more effort to rinse it. That is where PFS really shines.


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

nodima said:


> For looks, I prefer play sand - but it is significantly more effort to rinse it. That is where PFS really shines.


i don't really mind the rinsing, i'm a perfectionist with obsessive compulsive disorder, so i do something until i do it right, or i don't do it at all.

I got the play sand easy, quikrete, at my girlfriends work, 6$, its the pool filter sand that's **** near impossible. will this play sand turn out to be a pure brown? or more of a beige after its cleaned and under the lights?


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

There aren't any pools in Quebec? You need to go to a pool supply shoppe.


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

I called a bunch, no luck lol. The play sand I have should be good I hope. All of the hardware stores and pool shops don't have the sand, they said only in the summer.


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## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

I use play sand in all my tanks. It's not brown brown. It looks lighter in the tank. I like it. You may find you have issues with it getting in your filters, depending on what filters you are using. I only use Rena XPs and sand gets in them all the time but never has any effect. You may have a different experience if you're using HOB filters. Cleaning it isn't bad with a hose outdoors. I'll fill a 5gal bucket about a 1/3 to 1/2 way with sand and then three rounds of thorough mixing and dumping the dirty water seems to work for me. I wouldn't recommend doing it in a bathtub. A lot of sand will go down the drain. On the other hand, washing sand outdoors in Canada in winter doesn't sound appealing either. Just dress warmly and you'll be ok.


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

My filter is a aquaclear 30, what should I do to help sand to not be a problem? I've heard of putting a fluval edge black pre filter on it. Can that work?


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## The Cichlid Guy (Oct 18, 2014)

iceshade said:


> My filter is a aquaclear 30, what should I do to help sand to not be a problem? I've heard of putting a fluval edge black pre filter on it. Can that work?


That's the best solution I've found. Cheap, fits well, easy to clean when needed. If your 20 gallon is long, not tall, you'll definitely want a pre-filter.


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

Well its 24 long, 12 deep, and 15 or 16 high. I'll keep it as far from the sand as possible I have little river rocks, I can even make a little river rock bed under the filter.


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## RyTheFryGuy (Jan 23, 2015)

I wasn't able to locate pool filter sand either. So I picked up Play Sand

I had to rinse it like non other. What I did was put 2 large measuring cups into a bucket and just sprayed the **** outta it with the shower head and all the light debris built up and I would stir them out with my hand. I would stir the sand and if it didn't settle within a few seconds then I would continue rinsing and rinsing and rinsing. I think I finished rinsing about 40lbs of PBS within 4 hours last night... Some sand got down the drain but not much. Simply just fill the tub up with a bit of water once your done and let it drain. Should clear any left over sand. I also got a 20lb bag of eco cichlid substrate that comes with its own bio.


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## RyTheFryGuy (Jan 23, 2015)

P.S. I noticed a smell of chlorine or bleach when rinsing the sand. Could have been all the city water I was running though. I let the sand sit over night with some water in the pail, put some water conditioner in it this morning. Introducing aquarium water to the pail shortly, letting that brew for a handful of hours then introducing the bio mixed cichlid substrate I got to the Play Box Sand.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The chlorine smell was probably from the tap water and the water conditioner took care of that.


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## RyTheFryGuy (Jan 23, 2015)

Everything went flawless! The pillow case trick was amazing. Simply scooped 5lbs of sand or so into the pillow case, put the pillow case in the 5gal pail, run it under the fawcet swish the sand around like crazy with your hands (softest hands of the year award goes to this guy right now) then dump the residue water out, the pillow case sucks to the inside of the pail and acts like a filter mat catching all the small sand particles therefore no sand going down drain, just milky water! =) Make sure you use a low thread count pillow case though, high thread count will act like a water sealed bag...

The play sand actually washed off very easily, however that bio injected water substrate I got was milky big time. It is supposed to be like that though. I decided to rinse the cichlid sand thoroughly as well.

All in all I had 3, 5 gal buckets, 1 for mixed dirty sand, 1 for clean sand, 1 for sand cleaning bucket, oh and that awesome pillow case 

Looks great with the dragon stone! I'll share some new photos soon


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## iceshade (Feb 6, 2015)

Hmm I'm gonna try that, just gotta get my tank light then I'll set it up. Got 44.5 pounds of sand. That enough for a 20 gallon high?


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## RyTheFryGuy (Jan 23, 2015)

I used a 20kg bag of Play Sand + 20lbs of Cichlid sand in 60g


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## RyTheFryGuy (Jan 23, 2015)

Here are some photos:










Right after play sand + dragon stone (still milky after easily 5 hours of sand rinsing lol....) I found using a becel margarine bucket handy to place the sand with. Just filled it up with the wet clean sand and gently placed it into the aquarium, then pour when your at the bottom. If you're removing substrate, rip to the store and get a 2l milk jug, consume and make a shovel like this - 




I filled a tote with the aquarium water and put the fish in there. Tossed in the craggy rock structure to give some hidey spots while they were in wtf mode lol... Used an air stone for aeration. One of our dogs "Jack" kept guard and made sure "OB" & "Dexter" weren't chewing everyone up 

















I used my quick filter powerhead to filter alone for 1 hour before turning on my main filters. I ran my main filters for 30 minutes, did water tests then re introduced the fish back into their new "world" (changes again on Tuesday once another 50lbs rock arrive)









That's all these fish turds get from me this weekend though!


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