Jump to content

sand in a tropical tank


helen2289

Recommended Posts

i am wanting to put sand in our tank but im needing some help!

what kind of sand should i use?

how do i clean it before we put it in the tank?

how do i clean it when it is in the tank?

also any ideas of the cost would be good too :D (the tank is 1500x500)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What fish are you sticking in the tank? Some sands alter the ph alot and the sand choice can depend on this..

To clean the sand you stick small amounts in a bucket and run the hose through it stirring it up until the water runs clear, be careful not to have too much flow and wash all the sand away. And it does take ages to clean it all, it also seems to always make the tank a little cloudy at first no matter how clean it is but this settles.

You can use a gravel vac and slow the flow with a finger over the end and also just run a hose over the surface and pick up any crap sitting on top.. Some people also say you need to run a fork or something through the sand to move it around so you don't get dead spots but my fish do this for me..

Cost depends on what you want to get, I have pool filter sand in my community tanks and thats awesome and I am assuming pretty cheap? Maybe ask around pool places..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

which beach? and any idea if you can use sand from a DIY shop? i have read on the internet that you can (but not from NZ site) but do not want to try it until i know it will be ok

as a hint.... it actually came from the south island :) wellington city council just brought it over for me....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hahahaha are you talking about Oriental Parade?

ALSO - Vindy500; how do you prevent the rocks from falling down in your tank? Did you need to strengthen your flooring foundations when you added those rocks into your tank?

Im tempted to set up a African cichlid display but worried about al these structural probs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can buy black food colouring paste which might be a bit easier to use in your case Ira - try a specialty cake shop or bakery.

Also, i think Hansells bought out a new range of food colourings that includes black.

Wouldn't hurt to try....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Silicone adhesive would be better than knead it - that's more for when you're attaching wood to glass. To colour silicone, you're best using a powder colourant, which doesn't affect the qualities of the adhesive (I think food colouring would)- there's a company in Auckland called TopMark which sells the colourant, it's pretty cheap, and 1 jar would do you more silicone than you'll ever use.

The colorant graduals would be totally encased in the silicone, so wouldn't leach chemicals into your tank either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Silicone adhesive would be better than knead it - that's more for when you're attaching wood to glass. To colour silicone, you're best using a powder colourant, which doesn't affect the qualities of the adhesive (I think food colouring would)- there's a company in Auckland called TopMark which sells the colourant, it's pretty cheap, and 1 jar would do you more silicone than you'll ever use.

The colorant graduals would be totally encased in the silicone, so wouldn't leach chemicals into your tank either.

Aqua kneadit should work perfectly fine. It's used all the time in tanks.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i am wanting to put sand in our tank but im needing some help!

what kind of sand should i use?

how do i clean it before we put it in the tank?

how do i clean it when it is in the tank?

also any ideas of the cost would be good too :D (the tank is 1500x500)

Hi I know that filter sand is excellent and of high quality and will not alter your ph try pool shop oh and hi to everyone this is my first visit but have had tropical freshwater on and off over the years :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...