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Thread: White sand

  1. #1
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    Default White sand

    Is there a brand or source of white sand that people use in their wild tanks.

    Want to change substrate from the black I have.

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: White sand

    I am using pool filter sand. It is silica sand and does not affect the Ph.

  3. #3
    Registered Member Discus-Hans's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    I use pool filter sand too, cheap, as you know I'm Dutch so it has to be cheap lol. And you know what?? The lady from the pool store wants Discus, setting up her tank and.......... some times you see those broken sand bags, they can't sell them, they call me to PLEASE pick them up........ told you Dutch ===> cheap lol

    Good thing from the pool filter sand, it's a little "heavier" as normal sand, you don't vacume too much out when you clean and if you do see.......... it's cheap lol, just add some new,

    Hans
    Last edited by Discus-Hans; 07-31-2010 at 09:16 PM.
    I've changed the Discus World.
    Visit our online store at: www.discusfishstore.com
    All advice I give, is because I've good results with it, you're free to copy it. It's not a rule, it's just my way. Ohhhh and don't take me serious, I'm most of the time kidding

  4. #4
    Silver Member DonMD's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    Quote Originally Posted by nanook View Post
    I am using pool filter sand. It is silica sand and does not affect the Ph.
    +1

  5. #5
    Registered Member Apistomaster's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    Pool filter sand is 99.4% pure silica dioxide(SiO2) and has a specific gravity of 2.6.
    The specific gravity is how many times an equal unit volume of the sand is to the same volume of water. So pool filter sand weighs 2.6 times as much as water. This is fairly dense and what makes hydrovacuuming the sand used in an aquarium relatively easy without removing much sand, No sand at all needs to be lost if the suction is carefully moderated to suit a given thickness of the substrate.
    Larry Waybright

  6. #6
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    Default Re: White sand

    Isnt pool filter sand realy dusty yellowy / orange with grains the size of ganulated sugar? (it was when we used to use it in fur seal and penguin filters) it was horrible

  7. #7
    Homesteader Jennie's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    It's pure white and the best I used yet. Fur Seal??
    Jennie,

    Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten

  8. #8
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    Default Re: White sand

    yep from my zoo keeper days, must of been different filtersand we used then because it was horrible and def not white lol

  9. #9
    Registered Member Crockett's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    I want to use pool sand in my tank which is drilled and I use a sump wet dry filter. The tank is 175 gallons and the sump which is a 50 gallon tank, works really great, but I’m don’t want to put in the labor of switching out the gravel for sand, only to discover that the sand will get sucked up an end up in the sump from time to time. Can anyone advise on whether I should be Ok or not.

    Dave

  10. #10
    Registered Member akumastew's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    I was also looking at switching to white sand.

    The only thing I could find locally was this

    http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines...rcialGrade.asp

    I was told they replaced the Silica with quartz, as silica was bad for people.

    Has anyone used this product?

    Apistomaster, I remember a that you had a post on a system you developed to be rid of the bad gas build up. I couldn't find it, could you share the link for me?
    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/album.php?albumid=94

  11. #11
    Registered Member vera's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    Quote Originally Posted by Discus-Hans View Post
    I use pool filter sand too,

    Good thing from the pool filter sand, it's a little "heavier" as normal sand, you don't vacume too much out when you clean and if you do see.......... it's cheap lol, just add some new,

    Hans

    +1, as cheap as can be , no washing just replace removed during wc
    Natalia


    We're here for a good time...not a long time..

  12. #12
    Registered Member Discus Origins's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    Quote Originally Posted by Crockett View Post
    I want to use pool sand in my tank which is drilled and I use a sump wet dry filter. The tank is 175 gallons and the sump which is a 50 gallon tank, works really great, but I’m don’t want to put in the labor of switching out the gravel for sand, only to discover that the sand will get sucked up an end up in the sump from time to time. Can anyone advise on whether I should be Ok or not.

    Dave
    I have two 90 gallon tanks set up with wet/dry filtration systems with white sand. If you rinse the sand before you put it in the tank and then turn the pump off while you add the sand until its settled in the bottom, you'll have no problems with sand going into the sump.

  13. #13
    Homesteader Jennie's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    quickrete is not the same. Go to your local spa place and get pool filter sand.

    QUOTE
    was also looking at switching to white sand.

    The only thing I could find locally was this

    http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines...rcialGrade.asp

    I was told they replaced the Silica with quartz, as silica was bad for people.

    Has anyone used this product?

    Apistomaster, I remember a that you had a post on a system you developed to be rid of the bad gas build up. I couldn't find it, could you share the link for me?
    __________________
    Jennie,

    Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten

  14. #14
    Registered Member Discus-Hans's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    Quote Originally Posted by Crockett View Post
    I want to use pool sand in my tank which is drilled and I use a sump wet dry filter. The tank is 175 gallons and the sump which is a 50 gallon tank, works really great, but I’m don’t want to put in the labor of switching out the gravel for sand, only to discover that the sand will get sucked up an end up in the sump from time to time. Can anyone advise on whether I should be Ok or not.

    Dave
    Dave, sand is always better as gravel, gravel is a dirt collector, with sand dirt stays on top.

    We have a layer of pool filter sand in our wild tanks, now cleaning the tanks is not my problem lol lol got a help for that, but if with cleaning some sand goes into the drain, just refill it now and than.

    The sand is to heavy to go trough my overflow into the filter system,

    Hans
    I've changed the Discus World.
    Visit our online store at: www.discusfishstore.com
    All advice I give, is because I've good results with it, you're free to copy it. It's not a rule, it's just my way. Ohhhh and don't take me serious, I'm most of the time kidding

  15. #15
    Registered Member yikesjason's Avatar
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    Default Re: White sand

    The color of the sand depends on the location it is quarried. There are cheaper sources than pool sand even. It is not as common now because of the lung cancer dangers of silica, but some industrial supply places will still carry silica or quartz sand. I recently bought a 100 lbs bag from Knife River.

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