Picking Up Play Sand Today For My 56 Gallon...

[eaglesaquarium]

I saw one play sand in the Home Depot near me the other day, when I went to buy some, and it said it was "not for aquarium use". Now, maybe that is just a case of CYA, but it scared me off. So, I looked around for other options. The only one I found was Quikrete Play Sand. It makes no such claim. Does anyone have any experience with it in an aquarium?


Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Randi]

I have Quikrete Play Sand in 2 tanks, it is completely safe. You will have to rinse it for quite awhile before you put it in your tank, it is very dusty.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Ok, thanks!!!


Yeah, I should have rinsed my fluorite more than I did. Lesson learned! I am thinking of rinsing it in small batches. Is that the best plan?

 

[fluttermoth]

It is much easier to wash substrate in smaller batches. Hope you get a hot, sunny day, then you can do it outside; it can be almost pleasant!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

We just had a few hot sunny days, which I don't enjoy. Tonight is a nice cool clear night. I'll enjoy it anyway.


Thanks.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sand installed... hardscape in place... Just waiting for the cycle to finish up now.

My wife saw the sand in the tank and has all of a sudden taken a huge interest in the tank (first time for that). She said it reminded her of walking on the beach! Well, I might have just hooked her on fish keeping with such a simple thing as SAND! Anyway, I think she liked the way it looks now that I added some large rocks for the hardscape.


Picture of tank (sorry for the poor quality - and the the cloudiness, this picture was taken about 20 minutes after the sand was added!)

 

[Hoppo]

looks pretty nice, it'll look even better once everything settles down.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It does look good! Is the sand really as light colored as it looks? I got play sand as well, but mine is a fairly average mid-range brown color.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It does look good! Is the sand really as light colored as it looks? I got play sand as well, but mine is a fairly average mid-range brown color.

 

[KISSfn]

 

[minnnt]

I found with the sand I used it was brown in the bucket when being.washed, but now its in the tank and under the lights it is almost white. It has got to be the cheapest way to add substrate to a tank. Very impressed with mine, the corys love it, as do the plants it would seem.

Well done to you!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks folks. It does look better this morning. The cloudiness appears to be gone now.

Now I need to get a background.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I've mentioned elsewhere that I have just a black piece of fleece fabric behind all my tanks. It's inexpensive and looks great!

 

[fluttermoth]

Black bin bags are even cheaper

 

[This Old Spouse]

True, but I was looking for something that wouldn't reflect any light.