fishy-fish Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Can you get silica sand suitable for aquariums from building suppliers i.e Placemakers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 yes silica sand you buy in shops is just purchased from swanson sands. THis silica sand is used for sand blasting and is very consistent, so able to pass through the nozzle. be careful, they are nice looking but gotta disturb the sand frequently. they compact in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zayne Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 yes i used to get mine from place makers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 @Zayne, is yours white? I went to mega a few weeks ago but all they had was the play sand, which is multicolored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted February 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 No dice. Placemakers, Carters, Allied Concrete, Firtha local landscaping centre and hardware store and nudda thing. Noone in Whitianga sells silica sand. :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeebee Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 yes silica sand you buy in shops is just purchased from swanson sands. THis silica sand is used for sand blasting and is very consistent, so able to pass through the nozzle. be careful, they are nice looking but gotta disturb the sand frequently. they compact in the water. Malaysian trumpet snails help with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Have you tried your local ITM? They'll be sure to order it in for you :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zayne Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 i had to go out to the wellington store to get mine, yes it as white, it was silica sand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 try the paint shops as it is used commonly as an additive in paint. Although im not sure if you can get it in "bulk" " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy-fish Posted February 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 I got a couple of 20L buckets of beach sand a couple of weeks ago from a local beach which I've been washing out. I wasn't that keen on the browner look that beach sand gives, but caved to impatience and decided to use it. The added PH buffering I'll get will also be beneficial to my africans. For interests sake, I took a PH reading before adding the sand so just straight tap water, and it was around 7.2-7.4. I added the sand, gave it a couple of hours then took another reading and it was 8.8 or possibly higher! I took a photo of the two tests side by side which I'll try and load tomorrow, but if the PH is closer to 9 it's no good for fish right? How high is to high for malawis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 8.6 is is at the higher end of their natuaral habitat i think. They could possibly handle higher though. Possably salt in you sand lifting your hardness/ Ph. I would think it would drop after water changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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