# white Pool Filter sand



## gusto (Jan 7, 2003)

Hello Everyone,
I want to change my substrate to white pool filter sand, does anyone have any suggestion of what brands are safe and have a whiter sand..

Thanks Gus


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Poll Filter Sand is meant to filter pools :wink:

The people buying it for it's intended purpose don't give a hoot about the color, and I expect neither do the manufacturers. There is no guarantee that the color of PFS will not vary widely from batch to batch. On the other hand, people using the sand for pool filtering care a great deal about the sand not leaching anything in the water, and the manufacturers will have quality control in place to ensure that. That's why I am confident saying that any pool filter sand should be aquarium safe.


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

Aqua Quartz PFS. Safe and nicely colored (whiter). Popular with Discus keepers.


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## gusto (Jan 7, 2003)

Thanks, I did find the HTH brand online, just have too look for it locally...


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## beachtan (Sep 25, 2008)

Leslies Pool Supply pfs sand is more natural-beige sand colored with varied colored grains (better for disguising poo, algae etc) but all the other Pool stores in my area have the smaller grained whiter pfs. I used the whiter stuff at first, but because of the silicates, I had a hard time with algae making the sand dingy-looking. Also the whiter pfs had no variation in color so EVERY turd showed really bad! I was vacuuming daily. So I switched to the Leslies pfs, and I've had less algae problems for some reason and its much easier to keep looking clean. But if you really wanna try the whiter sand, I would just stop in any pool store and ask to see it. Often they'll have a broken, partial bag that they'll sell you real cheap (at least in my experience!) :wink:


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## a7oneal (Dec 30, 2004)

beachtan said:


> *Leslies Pool Supply pfs sand* is more natural-beige sand colored with varied colored grains (better for disguising poo, algae etc) but all the other Pool stores in my area have the smaller grained whiter pfs. I used the whiter stuff at first, but because of the silicates, I had a hard time with algae making the sand dingy-looking. Also the whiter pfs had no variation in color so EVERY turd showed really bad! I was vacuuming daily. So I switched to the Leslies pfs, and I've had less algae problems for some reason and its much easier to keep looking clean. But if you really wanna try the whiter sand, I would just stop in any pool store and ask to see it. Often they'll have a broken, partial bag that they'll sell you real cheap (at least in my experience!) :wink:


I wanted the beige sand, as well. I like it.


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## gusto (Jan 7, 2003)

Thanks Beachtan for the advice, I will probably go buy a bag at leslie pool supply and put a few cups in too see how it looks because I'm probably better off with the beige..


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## thegundog (May 1, 2012)

Look for *MYSTIC II* pool filter sand made ny US Silica.

Very white - Very clean - you DO NOT have to pre-rinse the sand prior to installing - there is no dust created during the install or when cleaning.

$11.00 for 50 Pounds

Great sand......


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

And if you have good lighting, the buff colored sand is pretty bright anyway.


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## edgez0rz (May 14, 2012)

Gusto. make sure if you buy the PFS from leslies(the Beige color) to rinse it well. i poured two 50lb bags into my 125gal and their was so much silt and soot once the water was put in. but do not worry NutraFin makes a wonder water clarifier called clear fast

this is of my 30gal tall with i first added the water


the second pic is about 12 hours after i added the NutraFin Clear Fast to the tank


and this last photo is of the Sand that i had bought from leslies 


i hope this helps!!


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

It's true, you do need to wash the sand first. If you do it right, it will not cloud at all.


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## beachtan (Sep 25, 2008)

hmmm.... I use Leslies pfs in all my tanks and it has always settled within 4-6 hrs without any rinsing at all, crystal clear.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

I don't doubt that, some products will be cleaner than others, and it will likely vary from batch to batch, but I wouldn't put sand in without washing first, just to make sure.


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## Guest (May 19, 2012)

I'm starting another tank this weekend and I found a Leslie's not too far from my house.

So I should basically just grab a bag of pfs sand with the store's name brand on it? Does it come in different colors?


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

phister said:


> I'm starting another tank this weekend and I found a Leslie's not too far from my house.
> 
> So I should basically just grab a bag of pfs sand with the store's name brand on it? Does it come in different colors?


Filter sand is normally used inside a pool filter and therefore is not sold by color. Only in aquarium use do we care about the color. Just shake the bag so a little leaks out, and you can see it for yourself. It varies in color by the source, but is usually an off white, bone color.


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## FishLover66 (Feb 15, 2012)

I wish I would have read this post BEFORE I purchased white sand and swapped out the gravel from my tank. Initially, I loved it--the tank was much brighter and the Sterbai cories really stood out. Unfortunately, so does the fish poop--a million, kazillion little poops all over the place (and I just vaccuumed the heck out of it three days ago). On the bright side, it's obvious that my otos are getting enough to eat! Between that and the other stuff that floats around on top of the sand, my tank looks perpetually grimey. I can't stand it!

Benny's is the only hardware store around us that carries PFS, but the natural colored one is pretty dark. I guess I'll look around to see if I can find a lighter one--now that it's almost pool season, I should be able to find it more easily. UGH! I can't believe I need to swap out the substrate again!


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

FishLover66 said:


> Unfortunately, so does the fish poop--a million, kazillion little poops all over the place (and I just vaccuumed the heck out of it three days ago).
> 
> UGH! I can't believe I need to swap out the substrate again!


Why don't you try installing a wavemaker or two on a timer to sweep the tank just enough to get the poo into the filter intake?


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## FishLover66 (Feb 15, 2012)

Thanks, I can certainly look into that.


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## Guest (May 22, 2012)

i went out to Leslie's this past sunday and grabbed a bag of their pfs. i actually like this natural beige colored sand alot better than white sand :thumb:


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