I used pool filter sand in mine. It's heavier than play sand. I did the 5 gallon rinse method, although I think I could have got away with not rinsing at all. Pool filter sand is pure silica sand. Rememeber when filling any tank with sand like substrate to turn off filters, some ppl put an upside down plate on the sand and use it to break the force of the water from hitting the sand directly. Here's a link w/ pictures of the 5 gallon bucket rinse method....http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cleaning_sand.php
100lbs of sand enough for mbunas?
- Thread starter AquariumNoob13
- Start date
I've never had an issue filling my tank while leaving the filters on. I just don't spray the water in real hard. I have a 250gph pump filling the tank from a separate storage tank while I siphon water from the other end of the tank. (the storage tank lets me treat the water before adding it and lets out all the little air bubbles from filling it) I've used the bucket method while running my filters too, and it never kicks up the sand, so long as I am patient and don't try to dump the bucket too fast. I'll take perhaps 45 seconds to pour in 4-5 gallons of water by hand. I have a relatively tall tank though, so just bear that in mind for much smaller tanks.
kj5kb
KEEPER OF CATS, FISH AND CATFISHES
I thought play sand was often already "sterilized" so should be just fine to use. I prefer gravel, but have had no probs with play sand. Most efficient way I've found to clean it is in a wheelbarrow...rinse, swish, dump, repeat.
rinsing the sand has nothing to do with sterilizing it. It's about getting all the fine particulate matter and 'floaty' stuff out of it so it doesnt muck up the water in your tank.
If you wanted to truly sterilize it, you'd have to either boil it, bake it, or apply some sort of chemical (the latter of which is pretty much impossible without risking the lives of your fish)
not really..I havent had any prob vacing the bottom, i got a little sand but only like a spoon full, while i was cleaning the bottom
I hold it just above the sand it stirs the surface a little but only picks up trash, befor hans i ues a plastic coated wire hanger to shift the sand a little to release and gases traped in the sand just before water change, it you do this regulary (I read) there wont be a big enough build up to harm the fish
Alot of this is info I've gotten from others here I'm still new at this, Look at these threads (where the board was giving me sand info)
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134498
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133626
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134703
hope this helps, Reddog80p added some good links to videos in this post
