Sand Question

[Craig89]

Hello all. Just a questions about sand for my tank i don't want to use the play sand from argos as i don't like the colour i was wondering if you could use sharp sand/river sand from a builders yard as that's the colour i prefer or can anyone point me in the direction of a more natural colour sand.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Sand from a builders yard would work.

For a 100% natural color, why not use sand from a lake, river or stream? All you need to do is make sure you clean the sand before putting it in your tank, such as boiling it to make sure it is free of parasites and what not.

-FHM

 

[Craig89]

Well thats wot sharp sand/river sand is really just sand from a river bed i was thinking of filling a pillow case with it and letting the water run through for a while

 

[fatheadminnow]

The pillow case method works well, along with the bucket method.

Step 1: Get a clean bucket that is free from any detergent.
Step 2: Fill the bucket with ¼ sand.
Step 3: Take a garden hose, if you are outside, or take a shower hose if you are inside and place the hose all the way down into the sand until the hose hits the bottom of the bucket. Note: If you are inside, this is best done in a bathtub or near a drain.
Step 4: Turn the water on. While the water is running out of the hose, stir the sand with the end of the hose while the bucket is filling up with water.
-What this does, is it kicks up any debris within the sand and brings it to surface. Since the sand is usually heavier than the debris, the sand remains at the bottom of the bucket. Allow the bucket to over-flow with water and pour over the edges of the bucket. This brings all the debris up and out of the sand, which flows out as the water over flows the bucket
Step 5: After you have spent some time doing this, and the water begins to clear up, you can now stop the cleaning process. Pour out the remaining water and place the sand in a clean empty bucket. Repeat this process until you have cleaned all the sand you have.
Step 6: Now that the sand is cleaned, you can now put the sand in your tank.

-FHM

 

[Ben M]

isn't sharp sand a bad idea if you have fish with barbels such as corries and loaches.

cheers

 

[raptorrex]

isn't sharp sand a bad idea if you have fish with barbels such as corries and loaches.

cheers

on this, i would very much agree. sharp/silver sand, is not ideal for tanks. personally, i would suggest, it not be used at all.
builders sand is also a bad idea, in my view.
you can look into "pool filter sand" though. this has a array of colours to choose from.