# Where do you get the sand you guys are using for your tanks?



## Malhavoc (Dec 27, 2008)

I see in a lot of the pics here that the nice tanks seem to use either white or brown sand instead of gravel. It looks like sand, is that correct? And if so do you guys pick this up at your LFS? I haven't seen it before.


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## Grey Legion (Apr 11, 2005)

Look for "Play Sand" at Home Depot or Lowes, usually kept in the building supply section.


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## willny1 (Nov 17, 2008)

I also use play sand. Its in a mostly clear 50lb bag with red and green writing made by quickcrete.

Cost was around 3 bucks. Like Grey mentioned, in Home Depot or Lowes.

People also use 3m Quartz, Pool filter sand, beach sand etc...


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## zackdmb (Feb 28, 2007)

i like play sand and i also like the Quickcrete brand masonry sand (medium grained).

Like it was stated earlier 3M color quartz is used alot and looks great, but might be harder to come by. Pool filter sand is also excellent. It really depends on the look your going for and sometimes the species of fish you want to keep, but for the most part just get what you think looks good.

If you have HOB filters i suggest getting a coarser grain so it does not damage the impellers in the filter, and no matter what you get, clean it good.


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## is300soon (Nov 2, 2008)

I use pool filter sand, but hard to clean before u use it. Took alot of time until i started doing half a 5 gallon bucket full at a time vs a huge tote.

If i remember correctly, its cilica #30 ?

Anyways, it was 2-3 different shades of brown and white in that sand, so what i did was use some old sand I got from a LFS, the sand is black and has a great look to it. So now my sand has some black, white, brown. Im VERY happy.

David


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

I got a 100 pound bag of silica sand from the local building supply store for 8 bucks. Only used like half of it in my 55 gallon tank.

If you buy silica or play sand from a building supply store make sure you wash it thoroughly.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I use pool filter sand purchased at a local pool store... $8 per 50 lbs...

In the end, sand is sand. It's all ground up rock... although ground up fancy rock costs more...

The biggest differences in sand is it's intended use. Since play sand is meant for sand boxes, there is no reason for them to sift it, they just creush the rock (or harvest rock "crushed" by nature)

But with pool filter sand there is a regulation that it should be bigger than X and smaller than Y. Which means there are less fines to wash out than with play sand or construction grade sands. Buying PFS somewhere besides a pool store may be risking getting a lower grade sand that is not quite as strictly held to the regulations.


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## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

another vote for PFS here.


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## bobberly1 (Dec 2, 2006)

I've been reading some old posts and got mixed feedback about quickcrete. Regardless, I just bought 100 pounds for less than $6. What Should I expect as far as rinsing goes?


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## VT4Me (Mar 23, 2008)

If you go to Lowes check if they have any split bags. I got 50lb for 75c!


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## willny1 (Nov 17, 2008)

bobberly1 said:


> I've been reading some old posts and got mixed feedback about quickcrete. Regardless, I just bought 100 pounds for less than $6. What Should I expect as far as rinsing goes?


If possible, put the sand in a large tote/bucket or whatever that will hold water. Then stick a hose in it and keep turning the sand over until all the dirt and debris is gone and teh water runs clear. Rinse and repeat. It can take a while but eventually it will be cleaned.


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## khaki (Jan 12, 2008)

i use silica sand. you get it aw Lowes..they are about 7bucks for a hundred lbs.


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## bobberly1 (Dec 2, 2006)

How long would this take, approximately? Also, is it safe for sifters and movers like shellies?

Sorry to poach your forum, by the way.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I bought a 70lb tube of sand normally used in the back of pickups for traction from a local hardware store... cost me $3. Pretty coarse sand, but I like it. It looks natural. Once I get this new tank filled up I'll post a pic for ya.


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## jzyjack (Dec 31, 2008)

I use silica roofing granules. I don't know where to get them locally other than talking to a roofer that uses them for foam roofs. I love them. Take a little while to clean, but are coarser than play sand and have some interesting colors. We get ours from a company called 'sesco' in texas, but we buy them by the skid of 4000 lbs.


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## bobberly1 (Dec 2, 2006)

I just put the sand in my shellie tank and I love it! Very natural looking with all kinds of different grain sizes ans types. Didn't require too much cleaning but I went overboard to ensure that it was pristine. I put 2 1/2" in which seems like a little much, what do you think?


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## Malhavoc (Dec 27, 2008)

Thanks guys.

Now do you have any recommendations on how to properly drain an aquarium for redecorating..removing all gravel and putting in sand...while keeping fish alive? I assume I just get some buckets and fill them up with the water and put the fish in them..maybe save about 50% of the water? I have a 46 gallon tank. Thanks for the help.


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## frozennorth (Dec 16, 2008)

I changed my 25g (tetras, cories and 1 neon blue rainbow) from gravel to sand before Christmas. This tank has been running 6 years.

I siphoned most water into a good sized rubbermaid container. Put the driftwood and plants in there too and then the fish. You can put the heater and filter in too. Make sure heater doesn't touch plastic.

My tank went through a mini cycle for 3 days after the change. I had readable ammonia but nitrite stayed at 0. Daily water changes and Prime got my fish through it. I also ordered another bigger HOB to increase biological filtration. Also make sure no sand gets in your filter. I had to put a nylon stocking over the intake for a couple days to protect the filter.

Good luck on your change. Hopefully you won't have a problem with ammonia but check your water for a couple days after to be sure.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I think the above is an excellent approach...

The other approach I would consider is to use a strainer to remove the gravel and then add the sand. If using this method take the above suggestions to protect the filters after sand is added.


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

If you have enough decorations and a good HOB filter with a bio wheel, you can probably just drain the tank into buckets or totes and then dump the rocks and add your sand. I didn't get any spikes in ammonia or nitrates in my 30 gallon when I switched from gravel to sand.

Just make sure you let all of the sand setting before turning your filters back on. Sand in the impeller isn't really a good thing unless you need an excuse to buy a new filter. (i.e. the old one grinding to a halt)


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## OhioCichlids (Feb 19, 2005)

local quarry/sand company. They have huge piles out by the road, different shades of color and I have permission to get a bucket or two when needed

It's obviously dirty sand but after a while of spinning in a bucket, draining, risning and repeat it's great sand


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## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

I got my sand at a Pool supply store. Pool filter sand/Silica sand is about $5 for 50lbs. As for putting it in my tank....I rinsed the sand , lowered the water level in the tank by 50%, turned off my filters, scooped the gravel out(about 90% of it, left some for baterial purposes), then slowly introduced the sand using a cup to pour it in. I got the cup as low as I could and gently released the sand. Filled the tank and allowed the sand to settle(about 20 mins) before turning my filters back on. No problems, no cloudiness! The fish never left the tank!


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## xWingman48 (Apr 8, 2008)

I've read that removing gravel with the fish in the tank is a pretty dangerous thing to do. When you churn it up that much, you release some really nasty muddy sludge into the water. I would rather not subject my fish to that.

When I changed mine, I drained the water down to about half an inch over the gravel into buckets that I was keeping, and moved the fish into them. Then I carried the tank outside and dumped the sludge and gravel out. I thought about using the hose on the tank to clean it up, but decided to let as much healthy bacteria stay on the glass as possible.

I added the sand and all of my water / decorations / fish. The whole process took me about an hour and a half, and I haven't had any problems since.

You're going to love sand by the way. The tank seems way cleaner since food doesn't settle into the rocks to rot, and the fish love it. Let us know how it goes and post some pics when you're finished.


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## frozennorth (Dec 16, 2008)

I agree. I couldn't believe all the crud that came out, but I also had a lot of gravel in there. Also my sand is so fine it would have been very hard to put it into a half tank of water. I wished I could have found larger grained black sand but no luck.


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## ilikebeer1985 (Dec 21, 2007)

Is there a brand name of pool filter sand that is a more white color that people have used?


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Hate to be the odd one out, but I use coral beach sand. Looks really well under actinic lights.


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## Nicolas Rodriguez (Jan 4, 2009)

Just another note here, if you want to keep the tank from doing a mini cycle, fill up 2-3 socks with the old gravel and keep them in the tank for a week or so, this will allow time for new bacteria to build up in the sand, while the old bacteria from the gravel helps keep ammonia and Nitriate in check.


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## Our_Tanks (Jan 6, 2009)

with sand just remember, RINSE RINSE RINSE!!!!


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## VT4Me (Mar 23, 2008)

I found that with play sand I hardly had to rinse it. Very little cloudiness and once in the tank none at all - a first in a new tank for me. I found in the past that silica sand did take a lot of rinsing though.


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## Our_Tanks (Jan 6, 2009)

when i had my 80 gallon i used play sand and omg i had to rinse the **** out of it over and over and then i had to let the tank run for a week with nothing in it just to get the water to clear up from the sand... maybe i just bought the cheap stuff.....


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## Our_Tanks (Jan 6, 2009)

oh wait i need to mention that i had a bad filter then. I had the filter the tank came with which was a sump filtration, custom made in some 12 year olds garage. I got rid of that one about 4 months later for a magnum 350. Then the water was crystal clear


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## vfc (Feb 13, 2007)

I changed my gravel in two stages. The tank was set up for over two years and I didn't want to totally eliminate the BB in the substrate. I made the switch over from large pebbles to sand in a three week period.

My only regret is I should have used the larger grain sand that I have in my other tank. The black Tahitian Moon sand if too fine and gets into the filter motors.


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## air4ceguy06 (Dec 28, 2008)

try this site if you or anyone needs help on cleaning thier sand.. I did my 55gal. tank of sand in like 15 mins. I just used a huge pastic container and did it all at once. Worked great..

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cleaning_sand.php


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