stsetter Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Hey, just wondering how I can find out if the sand I have would be ok to put in my tank and what I would need to monitor in order to find out if it's ok? I've heard playsand can be used but I have some other stuff I want to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 what is the brand name and type of sand you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsetter Posted July 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 I don't remember the brand name but it is a decorative sand from Michael's that we used for a Sand Ceremony at our wedding. If you don't know if it's safe or not I do have a 5G fry tank that is currently almost done cycling that I could put it in first (don't care if the two fish in there pass away) but I don't know what signs to look for (other than a dead Molly and Platy). Should I monitor calcium, nitrates, or something else? Also, how detrimental is a calcium based sand in a planted tank? I am assuming it would destroy my tank but just curious. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Calcium based sand will raise your GH and pH. One way to teat it is to put some in a cup and add some vinegar. If it bubbles, it will affect you aquarium. If not it is less likely to cause any change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
425nm Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Be sure to cover any filter intakes if you're fish are intent on rearranging the sand. They will spit it right into the intake and it'll bugger your filter/.s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsetter Posted July 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Jvision - obviously I don't want to kill my fish, how accurate is the vinegar test? 425nm - What should I cover the intake with? Just a filter media bag or something finer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
425nm Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Bit of filter sponge should work. Should even be able stuff into the intake and have it stay there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 The vinegar test will tell you if the sand is basic or not. I don't know how to test for toxicity except to try it on expendable fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsetter Posted July 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Ok, I will give it a whirl! Thanks for the replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 what i would do with a sponge pre-filter is bore a hole into a square piece of sponge that is not much bigger than the end of the intake tube. shove the sponge onto the intake tube. a small piece of sponge inside the tube can clog too quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsetter Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 So, I added the sand last night (after running a vinegar test, a pH test and a nitrate test) only to realize that I am a dumbass and the sand is too fine to put into an aquarium. Needless to say as I poured it in it formed one long string of sand (cool pattern though) and did nothing but make a mess. After about two hours and a 80-90% water change I went and picked up some playground sand and my big tank is just waiting on the dust to settle. So far all the fish and shrimp are still alive and seem to be doing well. As my spare tank is only a 5g I moved my two red rams, one ottocinclus, and my two livebearers back into the newly renovated big tank and I left my electric blues (as they are a little more finicky) in my 5 basically to protect them and to see if I can get them to spawn. It was a scary couple of hours but all turned out well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I bought an 40kgbag from Burnco 10 bucks , beige colored works great so far just rinse it 4-5times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickS Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 I see you already got some new stuff. But I found that pool filter sand works great. It's silica based so it won't scratch your tank and it doesn't clump up like playground or beach sand allowing better circulation, it's also heavier than sandbox sand so it doesn't get kicked up into the filter as easily. It's the same colour as regular beach sand and costs about $20 for a 50lb bag so it's quite affordable for big tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.