Diatomaceous Earth/ Pool filter sand

[ANIM4L]

I have just bought 25 pounds of this DE and i was wondering if anyone knew anything about it. I am using it in my plnted tank, because many casinos in the area use it in thier tanks and i was wondering what people knew about it. What does it do to water chemistry if anything, how do i gravel vac (sift the top like sand of churn like gravel???), ANYTHING you can tell me about it please do!!! I am going to have 62 pounds of flourite on the bottom with this on top. I need to know everything i can about it, experiences, likes, dislikes, whateber you can tell me to help me out! Please!

DE is pool filter media, if that helps

also, how much flourite should i use and how much of the DE should i use for my 60 gallon tank?

 

[freddyk]

Pool filter sand is inert and safe to use. In a well filtered tank with nice water movement you'll find the sand needs very little maintenance - otherwise you simply hover a vacuum over the surface and it will pick up the waste.

 

[Lateral Line]

Pool filter sand and diatomaceous earth are not necessarily the same thing, and have different uses.

Pool filter sand is a quartz sand graded to have a very even grain size and shape, i.e. 99% of the grains fall between very tight size and shape criteria. It is because of that, it is often used as a substrate in tanks. It doesn't pack down to anything like the same degree as conventional poorly sorted sands where the small grains fall between the big ones and pack. Pool filter sand comes in various grade sizes, and is completely inert. I use it in my tanks as the substrate.

Real diatomaceous earth is a natural product, mostly consisting of the skeletal remains of diatoms. It is mostly silica but can contain clays and carbonates, thus it could affect water chemistry. I would expect it to be too fine to use as a substrate, although I've never tried. I'd expect it to pack down hard and be difficult to keep ærobic. When used as a filter medium, it is used to "polish" already basically filtered water, (also used for filtering in chemistry and food production). It removes very fine suspended matter, but clogs quite easily if the source water is not already pretty clean.

You used to see "Diatom Filters" being used at shows etc. A large power filter with a transparent canister, and a cloth/paper arrangment visible inside containing the DE.

All that said, what people sell as diatomaceous earth is really anyones guess!