Inert sand

[BigDaddyAdo]

So it looks like the sand i used as a substrate is not inert and is raising my Ph. I used washed Sydney sand.

Im not about to pay hundreds of dollars for sand from an LFS.

Has anybody tested Play Sand from Bunnings?

I believe that pool filter sand is quite coarse? Anyone used this?

[TW]

I use silica pool filter sand. It's inert. The grain is slightly larger and this makes for easier cleaning.

[brad_v]

I use a sand pit sand from bunnings. 20kg bags or there abouts. No PH problems - but it may depend on brand.

BV

[Hollowman]

I use silica pool filter sand. It's inert. The grain is slightly larger and this makes for easier cleaning.

me too

[BigDaddyAdo]

Its odd. I placed some sand in a jug of rainwater last night. I figured if it was goping to affect the Ph it would have had some noticable effect over night. Ph was 6.4 last night and was 6.4 this morning.

I tested the water in one of my small tanks that has nothing but a thin layer of sand and an old piece of dw and the Ph was very high also.

maybe its not the sand after all. I figured that rainwater sitting in a water tank would have levelled out and wouldnt change much once out of the water tank. Could it be the extra airation drinving of any Co2 thus cusing the Ph to rise?

[ILLUSN]

not really, its probably a slow leach of CaCO3 from the sand it will take a few days to make a noticable differnace, most sand harvested from water ways is infact granulated shells (thers always shell fish in water system) and so is full of carbonate, stick to the silica based sands (derived from quartz) and you wont have a problem.

[BigDaddyAdo]

What about play sand from bunnings?

I have heard of other problems arising from silica sand like increased algae and the grain size is quite large. Almost like small gravel rather than sand.

[ILLUSN]

algae from sand???? silica sand is silica dioxide (quartz) it is completly inert and un reactive (you melt it to make glass) the only way you could get more algae is that it reflects more light than dark gravel, grain size is 1mm max, way too small to be gravel

[BigDaddyAdo]

Im having a hard time finding any supplier that can confirm that they have silica sand. I had one tell me that they have "P Course Sand" and "double washed white sand" that is silica sand and inert but i dont think the bloke i spoke to knew what "inert" meant. :D

I would go with Play Sand from Bunnings if i could get someone to confirm that it would not raise my Ph.

[AHC]

Im using silica pool sand from blacktown clark rubber. Im running halides and havent had algae issues yet. Maybe because i gravel vac. Its not too big either. Its great.

[TW]

Clark Rubber at Caringbah stocks in too. Individual Clark Rubbers apparently make their own decisions about whether to stock it or not. If you ring around to various Clark Rubbers, you're bound to get.

The larger grain size actually makes cleaing a lot easier than would fine grain sand. After you swirl your vac above it to suck the debris, which mainly sit on the surface, you can actually dig into this stuff with your vac & give it a good clean - same as you would with any gravel. The sand will rise a little, but not like fine grain sand which may be sucked up & out if you tried that. It may be larger, but can't be described as gravel.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/Odd%20Bods/000_0970.jpg

Here's a pic of the pack.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/138G_523L_Discus%20Tank/000_0094.jpg

[rwel4809]

Im using silica pool sand from blacktown clark rubber. Im running halides and havent had algae issues yet. Maybe because i gravel vac. Its not too big either. Its great.

I use silica sand from Clark Rubber too... cheap and no probs... did need a fair bit of washing though...

R.

[TW]

Agree, it's filthy stuff. Wash it well. After that, it is a nice light coloured sand that brightens up your tank

[TW]

looks like this in the tank
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/TankWatcher/138G_523L_Discus%20Tank/000_0987.jpg

[BigDaddyAdo]

Rainwater
KH 0-1 (changed with first drop)
PH 6.4

Fishtank
KH 2 (changed with second drop)
PH 7.4

This would suggest that the sand, as it disolves is raising the Kh and Ph.

I was hoping that bun nings play sand would be inert but i cant really find any confirmation on this so far.

I can see that i will end up having to go with pool filter sand (silica sand).

The water i was testing has been in a jug with some sand for about 36 hours now and has gone from 6.4 to almost 7. The sand i used in the test was dry and had not been sitting in water.

[BigDaddyAdo]

Picked up a few bags of silica sand today. Its finer than i thought it would be which is good.

Patience isnt my strongest virtue so i think i will brave the cold onc the kids are in bed and wash out 60kg of sand. :D Should only take an hour or two. :eek:

[ILLUSN]

LOL know what you meen was up till 2am washing out 20kg of matrix last night, Damn external laundrys

[BigDaddyAdo]

If i can be bothered i will do it in the laundry tonight.

I will probably just remove the old substrate tonight. Just waiting to get the kids into bed.

Then i will wash the new substrate and get it into the tank tomorrow night. I want all the plants back in tomorrow night too.

Last time i had to wash out 60kg of sand it took me hours.

[bartek]

Get the kids to do it... just tell them its a game!!

[BigDaddyAdo]

You know my kids Bart. You reckon they would fall for it? ;)

I finished rinsing 40Kg (1 have a whole unopened bag left over :( ) and hated every minute of it. Got it into the tank and half of the plants back in as well as the dw. I sort the rest of the plants out tomorrow night and hopefully get the rocks in as well.

Im happy with the colour and size of the silica sand. It seems easier to manipulate than finer sand and looks as though it will stay where i put it. I found fine sand had a mind of its own.

[bartek]

[quote="BigDaddyAdo"]You know my kids Bart. You reckon they would fall for it? ;)

quote]

Yeah goodo point... maybe not!! How about the dog :shock:

Sounds like the new sand is heavier which is good.

[dean_alicia]

hey guys,

thinking of changing my 4 foot planted Discus tank from Gravel to sand, from reading this the pool sand seems to be the way to go..
a few things.. what is the best/quickest way of cleaning the sand as i dont want my discus out of there main tank too long.
do you need substrate to grow plants in sand as i dont use any under my gravel and my plants grow very well.

[ILLUSN]

bit of substrate wouldn't hurt your plants, if you can wash the sand and have it ready in buckets then remove your old gravel with a large bore tube (something like a 32mm hose) when you do a water change (just suck it out) when your done add the washed sand in, it willbe a little hazy for a day or so but should settle out.

[BigDaddyAdo]

It will settle in a few hours if you wash it well.

An alternative if to use root tabs of some description under the plants that need it.

Hopefully i will get it all knocked over tonight and post some pics.

[BigDaddyAdo]

Hmmmm. Ph had crept up a little over the first 24hrs.

Maybe i need to do a few water changes to get most of the old water out before it will settle down? Does this sound reasonable?

[BigDaddyAdo]

I believe this was just the natural Ph swing as the time of day i have testing has varied greatly. Ph is at 6.8 this morning. :D

[ILLUSN]

sounds fine mate I've never had any ph problems with pool filter sand