Coral Sand

[msgyorkie]

Hi all.
Im new tokeeping fish and have just ordered my first tank. I also ordered some Coral Sand....is this ok for a freshwater tank or will there be salt in the sand?

 

[msgyorkie]

.

 

[fluttermoth]

Coral sand can be used in freshwater tanks, but it can raise pH and hardness and is too sharp for bottom dwellers like corydoras.

 

[msgyorkie]

Coral sand can be used in freshwater tanks, but it can raise pH and hardness and is too sharp for bottom dwellers like corydoras.

Ok thanks. I shall have to find an alternative.

 

[fluttermoth]

Playsand is suitble for nearly all fish and is much cheaper then the stuff sold especially for aquariums. It just needs a really good, thorough, rinsing through

 

[Jay-93]

Coral sand/gravel raises the PH, I took it out for this reason. If you're keeping cichlids, this would be okay.

I learnt the PH effect of coral gravel on here

 

[fluttermoth]

Depends what kind of cichlid though.

It's ok for Rift valley ones, pH and hardness wise, but even then it's still too sharp to be used 'neat' and needs mixing with gravel so it buffers the pH and hardness but can't be picked up by the fish and expelled through the gills, as it would irritate the gills.

For South American cichlids, coral sand is a definite no-no.