I have no experience with a sand substrate, so I am wondering if someone could give me some information on setting up a tank with sand, cleaning i and everything involved!!
Thank you!
Sand Substrate
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Re: Sand Substrate
There are several sorts of sand.
1) Sold for pool filters. All the granules are the same size (often 30 mesh). This material will not pack down in the tank. PFS (Pool Filter Sand) is a silica. This means it can encourage diatoms when it is first submerged. The material available locally may vary in color a bit, but it is usually light. My local product is off white with some dark specks. Very good material. Since most of the particles are non-dust, it rinses quickly, and can be used straight out of the bag (though there is some dust)
2) Play sand. Often sold in Home Depot and similar stores. This material is often a silica material, but MIGHT be limestone. It has mixed particle sizes, and sometimes is very high in dust. It is not unknown to waste half the bag rinsing it. It can be used in thin layers, but since it packs together so well, it sort of seals off the lower layers, and anaerobic conditions can happen, and the tank become toxic if the sand is too deep. Aquatic plants bring oxygen to the lower layers, so if you can get plants to grow in it, that can help, but there are better plant substrates, so I would not use play sand.
3) Limestone based sand. Decomposed limestone and related materials. These will raise the water hardness and pH. Great for Rift Lake tanks, but not for tanks with soft water fish.
4) Things not normally thought of as sand...
There is a pool material by Pebble Tek. It is an additive to the pool finish that will make the pool dark, or light, or sparkly... Many colors. The basic material (not the sparkles) is quartz. This is aquarium safe. The colors are natural. The material is very dense, very heavy. If you can contact a pool contractor you may be able to get some. Do not get the sparkled ones. These are chips of sea shells (abalone, I think) and can raise the water hardness. This heavier material holds the plant roots better, too. Still, there are better plant substrates.
5) Sand-like materials sold in pet stores: Do not use the colored products. Natural sand is OK, but make sure it is safe for the tank you are setting up. Some are limestone, or are otherwise chemically active, and not suited to all tanks.
There are some plant specific substrates that are fine particles like sand. These are good for planted tanks, and may be OK for non planted tanks if they do not have fertilizer in them.
6) Rock yard/masonry... sand. May be fine or coarse, limestone or silica... Gotta ask, and the sales people probably do not do aquariums, so they won't always know. Take a sample and test it for particle size and water chemistry issues. If you can find bagged materials, you can get sand that is graded like PFS, so all the particles are the same size from finer than 30 mesh, to a lot coarser, almost a fine gravel.
7) Blasting sand: Sometimes it it black, but I have seen suggestions that the particles might be too-sharp edged for aquarium use. Also, some people say the bags have other stuff in them that is not aquarium safe. Buy at your own risk.
Care of a sand substrate:
Planted: Do not deep vacuum. The plants have a hard enough time getting going in sand, the last thing you want to do is disturb whatever root-substrate connection there is. Barely skim the top to remove the largest debris.
Non-planted: Hold the siphon so it does not plunge straight into the sand. Allow part of the opening to stay above the sand. Regulate how much water vs how much sand is getting sucked into the vacuum. Too much sand and the sand will get sucked all the way out of the tank. Also, keep your other hand wrapped around the outlet tube, ready to pinch it off. If the sand builds up too much in the siphon tube, shut down the flow for a few seconds to allow the sand to fall back into the tank.
Installation: Do not install it too deep. 1" is fine for play sand, maybe 1.5". PFS, or Pebbletek might be OK to 2" deep.
Other notes: Sand can kill an pump easier than almost any other material. Make sure the intake to your filter is well above the substrate, and put a sponge over it.
Many fish look their best against a dark background. Not true of all fish, but many of the soft water fish we keep came from a dark bottomed stream or lake. To communicate with the school, they develop bright colors, and show these colors in dim surroundings. In a light area they tend to wash out. This is a way of hiding from possible predators. Birds or animals that hunt fish from above can see a dark fish against the pale sand, so the fish turns pale. Not what you want in an aquarium. Pebbletek is available in black and some dark blends that look like a natural stream bed.
1) Sold for pool filters. All the granules are the same size (often 30 mesh). This material will not pack down in the tank. PFS (Pool Filter Sand) is a silica. This means it can encourage diatoms when it is first submerged. The material available locally may vary in color a bit, but it is usually light. My local product is off white with some dark specks. Very good material. Since most of the particles are non-dust, it rinses quickly, and can be used straight out of the bag (though there is some dust)
2) Play sand. Often sold in Home Depot and similar stores. This material is often a silica material, but MIGHT be limestone. It has mixed particle sizes, and sometimes is very high in dust. It is not unknown to waste half the bag rinsing it. It can be used in thin layers, but since it packs together so well, it sort of seals off the lower layers, and anaerobic conditions can happen, and the tank become toxic if the sand is too deep. Aquatic plants bring oxygen to the lower layers, so if you can get plants to grow in it, that can help, but there are better plant substrates, so I would not use play sand.
3) Limestone based sand. Decomposed limestone and related materials. These will raise the water hardness and pH. Great for Rift Lake tanks, but not for tanks with soft water fish.
4) Things not normally thought of as sand...
There is a pool material by Pebble Tek. It is an additive to the pool finish that will make the pool dark, or light, or sparkly... Many colors. The basic material (not the sparkles) is quartz. This is aquarium safe. The colors are natural. The material is very dense, very heavy. If you can contact a pool contractor you may be able to get some. Do not get the sparkled ones. These are chips of sea shells (abalone, I think) and can raise the water hardness. This heavier material holds the plant roots better, too. Still, there are better plant substrates.
5) Sand-like materials sold in pet stores: Do not use the colored products. Natural sand is OK, but make sure it is safe for the tank you are setting up. Some are limestone, or are otherwise chemically active, and not suited to all tanks.
There are some plant specific substrates that are fine particles like sand. These are good for planted tanks, and may be OK for non planted tanks if they do not have fertilizer in them.
6) Rock yard/masonry... sand. May be fine or coarse, limestone or silica... Gotta ask, and the sales people probably do not do aquariums, so they won't always know. Take a sample and test it for particle size and water chemistry issues. If you can find bagged materials, you can get sand that is graded like PFS, so all the particles are the same size from finer than 30 mesh, to a lot coarser, almost a fine gravel.
7) Blasting sand: Sometimes it it black, but I have seen suggestions that the particles might be too-sharp edged for aquarium use. Also, some people say the bags have other stuff in them that is not aquarium safe. Buy at your own risk.
Care of a sand substrate:
Planted: Do not deep vacuum. The plants have a hard enough time getting going in sand, the last thing you want to do is disturb whatever root-substrate connection there is. Barely skim the top to remove the largest debris.
Non-planted: Hold the siphon so it does not plunge straight into the sand. Allow part of the opening to stay above the sand. Regulate how much water vs how much sand is getting sucked into the vacuum. Too much sand and the sand will get sucked all the way out of the tank. Also, keep your other hand wrapped around the outlet tube, ready to pinch it off. If the sand builds up too much in the siphon tube, shut down the flow for a few seconds to allow the sand to fall back into the tank.
Installation: Do not install it too deep. 1" is fine for play sand, maybe 1.5". PFS, or Pebbletek might be OK to 2" deep.
Other notes: Sand can kill an pump easier than almost any other material. Make sure the intake to your filter is well above the substrate, and put a sponge over it.
Many fish look their best against a dark background. Not true of all fish, but many of the soft water fish we keep came from a dark bottomed stream or lake. To communicate with the school, they develop bright colors, and show these colors in dim surroundings. In a light area they tend to wash out. This is a way of hiding from possible predators. Birds or animals that hunt fish from above can see a dark fish against the pale sand, so the fish turns pale. Not what you want in an aquarium. Pebbletek is available in black and some dark blends that look like a natural stream bed.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
-
Sadielynne
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:17 am
Re: Sand Substrate
Thank you, Diana!!
Is it a good idea to set up a smaller tank (29 gal.), to get the "feel" of using this substrate, before going to a larger tank? I have a 60 gal flatback that I am hoping to set up this summer. The thought of a larger tank, to accomadate the clown loaches at the vets home is in the back of my mind, too. If I do that, I want to set it up the best way for these wonderful, fun fish!
Is it a good idea to set up a smaller tank (29 gal.), to get the "feel" of using this substrate, before going to a larger tank? I have a 60 gal flatback that I am hoping to set up this summer. The thought of a larger tank, to accomadate the clown loaches at the vets home is in the back of my mind, too. If I do that, I want to set it up the best way for these wonderful, fun fish!
Re: Sand Substrate
I sure would try a smaller tank to get the feel for it.
a) Only buy one bag of each item you are thinking about. That is enough to test in a 29 gallon, and if you do not like it you can just toss the material into the garden. Narrow your choices to maybe 2 products: A pebbletek material and PFS. Especially for the tank at the Vets home, I would really be inclined to go with the Pebbletek. It is much heavier than PFS, so vacuuming is easier: The heavy particles fall out of the siphon tube much easier, and you can siphon up the water with the debris that much more efficiently. Plus, I like the look of the black or dark substrate. You might even get 2-3 bags for the larger tank, each a different color. End result is a more natural river bed effect, perhaps dark brown, medium grey and tan.
b) Much easier to do whatever rinsing you think is needed when you only need to use one bag. As I noted above: Play sand, and any other product that has dust-like fines will need a lot of rinsing. Pool Filter Sand or other graded product will need a lot less rinsing. When I use PFS, I just rinse it in the tank. 2-3 times, pour several gallons into the tank and stir the sand a lot, then siphon the dusty water out. Does not take long when the product is pretty clean to start with.
a) Only buy one bag of each item you are thinking about. That is enough to test in a 29 gallon, and if you do not like it you can just toss the material into the garden. Narrow your choices to maybe 2 products: A pebbletek material and PFS. Especially for the tank at the Vets home, I would really be inclined to go with the Pebbletek. It is much heavier than PFS, so vacuuming is easier: The heavy particles fall out of the siphon tube much easier, and you can siphon up the water with the debris that much more efficiently. Plus, I like the look of the black or dark substrate. You might even get 2-3 bags for the larger tank, each a different color. End result is a more natural river bed effect, perhaps dark brown, medium grey and tan.
b) Much easier to do whatever rinsing you think is needed when you only need to use one bag. As I noted above: Play sand, and any other product that has dust-like fines will need a lot of rinsing. Pool Filter Sand or other graded product will need a lot less rinsing. When I use PFS, I just rinse it in the tank. 2-3 times, pour several gallons into the tank and stir the sand a lot, then siphon the dusty water out. Does not take long when the product is pretty clean to start with.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
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