How Much Sand Do I Need?

[pauly]

I'm getting some sand tonight (if they've got the white stuff in stock), but to save me potentially two trips, how much will I need?

Dimensions of the tank are 92 x 41 x 55cm.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[GRJ]

I dont know about the white stuff, but i used a bag of childrens play sand as its much cheaper and just needs a good wash. My Vision 180 (Mbuna set up) used just under i bag which, around 15kg i think. I got 2 bags, 1 to use as a stand by for when losing some through siphoning. It looks good too, here's a pic! Hopr that helped. GRJ

 

[rowdyburns21]

Length x width of tank (which will give you cm2 of tank floor) x wanted depth of sand (all in cm)This will give you an answer in cm3- I just roughly work out how many cm3 is in a bag your buying (length x width x height)Job donewell thats how ive done it before and it worked out pretty accurate especially for sandHope it helps

 

[GRJ]

Thanks, it took 7 hours!!!!! to set up, but i am really pleased with it! Cant wait to get some Mbunas in there now! The sand washing was the hardest part, but once i got into the swing of it, it wasnt too bad. Anyone one want any foolproof ways of washing sand, i am your man! GRJ

 

[pauly]

Looking good GRJ.

Where did you get your sand from? Did you just rinse it under the tap to clean it?

Also, is your backing an official Juwel one, how much are they and how have you fixed it on?

Rowdy - if I'd known there were Villa fans here, I never would've joined

Paul.

 

[GRJ]

I got the sand from just a local garden centre and it was £2.99 a bag! Bargain! The backing is the official juwel one and it was £3.75 from LFS, and easy to fit, minimal cutting required! The washing sand is a bit of a long process but esential, so here goes. You will need some buckets, i used 3, 10 Ltr buckets and half filled them with sand. Then i ran the hose into it untill the bucket overflowed. The water goes really dirty with scum, so just keep tipping it out and filling it, the sand will stay at the bottom. Carry on running th ehose onto it for at least 10 minutes. Then, take out the hose and let the water settle. The sand will settle to the bottom and the water ontop should clear, if its still a bit murky, repeat the process. You may find some little black bits which can easily be scooped out using a flour sieve. Then do the other buckets the same way. It took me about an hour and a half to do it, but save a lot of money and it looks ok. You will see it looks a funny colour, but once you get it into your tank, it changes colour and goes lighter. Hey presto! Remember to disturb the sand occasionally to get rid of any trapped air pockets too! Hope that helps, need any more info dont hesitate to send me pm me and i will try to help. GRJ

 

[rowdyburns21]

Looking good GRJ.

Where did you get your sand from? Did you just rinse it under the tap to clean it?

Also, is your backing an official Juwel one, how much are they and how have you fixed it on?

Rowdy - if I'd known there were Villa fans here, I never would've joined

Paul.

Ha ha well someones gotta do it mate, champions league this year my friend

 

[GRJ]

Sorry, i forgot to say, i fixed the backing on with....wait for it....Sello tape! Works a treat!

 

[flash22]

I've got the same background i had some clear silcon about so used a few blobs of that to hold it

 

[pauly]

You will see it looks a funny colour, but once you get it into your tank, it changes colour and goes lighter

I actually bought some 'natural colour' sand but once I started cleaning it, it went really dark so I stopped and decided to get white sand. Will this 'natural colour' change colour after a while to look like yours?

i forgot to say, i fixed the backing on with....wait for it....Sello tape

I've got the same background i had some clear silcon about so used a few blobs of that to hold it

GRJ - I presume you fixed yours to the back? I want mine on the inside of the tank, so it looks a bit better (I hope). Think I'll give the silicon a go.

Paul.

 

[pauly]

You will see it looks a funny colour, but once you get it into your tank, it changes colour and goes lighter

I actually bought some 'natural colour' sand but once I started cleaning it, it went really dark so I stopped and decided to get white sand. Will this 'natural colour' change colour after a while to look like yours?

i forgot to say, i fixed the backing on with....wait for it....Sello tape

I've got the same background i had some clear silcon about so used a few blobs of that to hold it

GRJ - I presume you fixed yours to the back? I want mine on the inside of the tank, so it looks a bit better (I hope). Think I'll give the silicon a go.

Paul.

 

[GRJ]

Ahhhh, you mean the proper aquascaping rock that you silicone inside the tank i think! No, i just used the poster as i have a lot of rock in there, so the poster made more sense to me for my circumstances. I think the background stuff you are talking about will cost you around £50, then you just use silicone to attach it to the inside of your tank! I wasnt going to spend £50 on a background when i spent nearly £70 on that heap of rock!LOL! GRJ

 

[Canis-Equus]

Or you can use Argos playsand which comes a fair bit lighter than the garden centre stuff.

it is quite a bit finer as well, and so far ive not bothered washing it with no ill effects at all. (the garden centre stuff you do have to wash or you have orange milky coloured water for ages).

 

[backtotropical]

Argos Play Sand

Just the same as aquarium sand but about 1/5 of the price.

 

[pauly]

Cheers for the info guys.

I got some from B&Q last night for £2. The LFS wanted £10 for about half as much!

I washed it using GRJ's method which worked really really well, better than the pillow case method I tried before.

Oh and GRJ, I also opted for the poster backround too. £2 for that seemed a lot more appealing than the £50 for two structed ones!!

Cheers,

Paul.