# Post your Pool Filter Sand tanks!



## halffrozen

I searched for one, but only would really find a thread for Black Beauty.

So here it is!

Our very own PFS thread to show off our tanks! Also to help inquiring minds make the jump to PFS.

Some fast facts about Pool Filter Sand(PFS): 
Pros- Cost, Appearance, Uniform Size, Availability
Cons- Inert, No CEC, May Require Root Tabs, Discolors over time
Pulled from here

Here is my tank in progress(Actually just got new plants last night.. still trying to decide on a good scape. Will post more, as I change/prune my tank.


----------



## orchidman

i love the nice clean look of PFS!! here is mine. it crashed though :'(


DSC_0167.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


----------



## NWA-Planted

Love this stuff

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


----------



## discuspaul

Here's some quartz-based white silica PFS in my discus tank:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/Sept2011

I'm currently doing a major re-scape though, and will have some new pics to show in a couple of weeks' time - a significant change in layout/set-up for a fresh new look - different type of scape - but using same PF sand.

P.S. Love your "swords" tank, Gary.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Well glad to know I am not the only one getting the rescape bug! mine is going to get a significant overhaul, more depth hardscape and going to have more plant variety! not to mention the new stand I am building and upping the Sump!

That aside, thank you Paul and I still think your tanks are some of the most gorgeous tanks! everything is so pristine looking even the lighting!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Aquaticfan

Just one of my several tanks with PFS

90 gallon Rainbow/GBR/Tetra tank.


----------



## discuspaul

NWA-Planted said:


> Well glad to know I am not the only one getting the rescape bug! mine is going to get a significant overhaul, more depth hardscape and going to have more plant variety! not to mention the new stand I am building and upping the Sump!
> 
> That aside, thank you Paul and I still think your tanks are some of the most gorgeous tanks! everything is so pristine looking even the lighting!
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


Thanks Gary,
I'm hoping the re-scape will look better - at least different - but I won't ever give up on the white PFS.


----------



## Jericho199

Difficult to photograph a 35 hex.


----------



## halffrozen

Updated look.


----------



## mrduna01

Your tanks look awesome! Maybe this is a discussion for another thread but although I love the look I had a brown diatom algea outbreak when I tried using it that wouldn't let up even after a year due to the silica content I'm guessing. I broke it down and went to Eco complete. Never had brown algea since. Anyone run in to this issue? 

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2


----------



## mebe007

Heres my 120g for now. Very empty 










my question is how are you guys getting plants to stay put before they get rooted? im having lots of trouble and lost all of my stems. my small swords seemed to have taken root though.


----------



## Mxx

What are the rest of the pros and cons of white pool filter sand by the way? 

I'm thinking of breaking down my tank and replacing my black flourite sand with MTS topped with white sand after seeing this tank by Tom Barr









But I have some misgivings about doing that as well, as for one thing with my preference for a low-maintenance jungle tank arrangement I don't have good access to clean the sand for the most part without causing havoc. My black sand stays perfectly clean enough looking, but I'm worried it might not be the same with white sand?

I'm worried about the stains/algae you get along the front pane below the top of the substrate, which aren't visible with my black sand, but certainly would be with white.

Therefore I was thinking of either painting a black band on the inside or outside around the bottom of the tank to hide that, but wasn't sure if the black band would look strange with a white substrate. I could possibly do a white band instead if that might clash less?

Another alternative would be to mix up a batch of liquid epoxy or even silicon with pool filter sand and apply a layer of that around the bottom edges of the tank to create in impermeable layer which might match?

But then I don't want endless diatom blooms if pool filter sand is constantly releasing silica.


----------



## bigstick120

Here is an old one of mine


----------



## flight50

You guys have some awesome sand tanks. I am interested in a 70/30 or 80/20 pfs with either flourite, eco or AS combo. Besides root tabs I have been curious on how to pull this off. Is it more or less certain plants that fair well in sand or can pretty much anything be planted in sand .


----------



## Sierra255

Here's my 55 gallon with PFS. The picture is a few weeks old, the aquarium looks a little different today. Mostly stuff has just grown more, though I have moved some penneywort to the middle and moved the wisteria over to just left of center.


----------



## Sierra255

flight50 said:


> You guys have some awesome sand tanks. I am interested in a 70/30 or 80/20 pfs with either flourite, eco or AS combo. Besides root tabs I have been curious on how to pull this off. Is it more or less certain plants that fair well in sand or can pretty much anything be planted in sand .


I think pretty much anything can be planted in sand. I would add some root tabs, though.


----------



## Scars

Nothing amazing, but heres my 40b with a 3" Piraya piranha.


----------



## SlammedDC2

Here is my newly rescaped tank, better pictures soon.


----------



## Zefrik

I just got some pool filter sand and it seems much more yellow than most of yours. Kind of frustrating.


----------



## halffrozen

I think there may have been SOME confusion.. from some of these tanks, they actually have a WHITE SAND and not actual POOL FILTER SAND, that you buy from a hardware or pool supply store. 

I wanted to say the same thing, that PFS is more yellow then some of these tanks I have seen posted.. I don't know, it also has to do with your lighting as well. So that may be it.


----------



## SlammedDC2

The picture I have posted above is PFS purchased from a pool store. lighting is T5HO 10,000K


----------



## Aquaticfan

halffrozen said:


> I think there may have been SOME confusion.. from some of these tanks, they actually have a WHITE SAND and not actual POOL FILTER SAND, that you buy from a hardware or pool supply store.
> 
> I wanted to say the same thing, that PFS is more yellow then some of these tanks I have seen posted.. I don't know, it also has to do with your lighting as well. So that may be it.


Actually depending on area. Pool filter sand can be different in color. A lot of it like mine started off white.


----------



## halffrozen

True, but also lighting will change the look of a lighter substrate, like a 10,000k bulb over a 6500k.


----------



## discuspaul

The PFS shown in my album of pics is a quartz-based white silica PFS, bought from a pool supply store - it's white and has stayed white for over 2 years. PFS comes in several different shades, including white, light tan, sand, grey, yellowish, and even including a pink shade -depends on the area where the rock is quarried & what type of base it has, along with other factors. Many pool/spa supply stores do not, or cannot, get the strikingly white color.
PF sands may tend to discolor over time, or get dirtied up, from the use of root tabs, algae, etc., but I've found that removing (by siphon) the top 20% or so layer of sand about every 6 months, and replacing it with new sand, will return it to it's fresh, right-out-of-the-bag look.


----------



## pandacory

Do the different colors of pool filter sand have different interactions with water chemistry?

Is one preferred for this reason?

I've seen some hardscape only tanks by adg that I would really like to emulate. I am not sure if it all of them are pool filter sand, and can't figure out what their more natural looking (tan) sand base is.


----------



## daz4321

mine before i stripped it and sold it


----------



## InannaMoon

Wow! Some gorgeous stuff here! Really inspirational!!


----------



## RukoTheWonderDog

Taken a few days ago. Details are in my sig


----------



## discuspaul

pandacory said:


> Do the different colors of pool filter sand have different interactions with water chemistry?
> 
> Is one preferred for this reason?
> 
> I've seen some hardscape only tanks by adg that I would really like to emulate. I am not sure if it all of them are pool filter sand, and can't figure out what their more natural looking (tan) sand base is.


To your first question: 
No, the color of the sand has no bearing on the water chemistry. All PF 
sands are inert sands, no matter the color.

Preferences for color of sand are all a matter of personal views, opinion, and inclination. Whatever turns you on.

And Ruko, that's a superb-looking tank ! 
Good job.


----------



## demonr6

My apologies for it looking like dog$hit right now but I recently flooded it to get the driftwood water logged and all the snot and other garbage the forms on it to start so I can get beyond that point. Only half of the tank you see will have sand'ish substrate.. it is actually zeolite which I am using in my 20L and a 4G nano as well. Neat stuff.. 










and no.. that Emperor behemoth is not going to stay. I have two Sun Sun canisters en-route for this project. The water will be crystal clear if it means I have to find a spring near here and tap it to my tank..


----------



## Itwasntme

This was the case about three weeks ago, then I changed sand to JBL Manado. The tank was rescaped in April, before that there was just some small plants with driftwood.


----------



## kezg

I tried pretty hard to get hold of pool filter sand to use in my current build but every store I went into only had zeolite. They also told me I'd be Lucky to find it anywhere at all since zeolite is preferred over sand and in pool filters.
I wanted to do a sand front beach for a lower maintenance tank in combo with my lower light plants but instead had to go with a planted carpet of Glossostigma instead which is the opposite in that it wants high light and weekly trimming.
I will always keep on the lookout for pfs anytime I come across a pool shop and even landscaping places may have something.
Maybe it's only Australia.


----------



## rocksmom

Here's my husband's 55g pfs tank. It's only been running a couple months so it hasn't filled in a ton yet, but the plants are doing well. Especially the giant aponogeton ulvaceus. It was only like 6 inches tall when we got it.










The only thing I don't like about pfs as a substrate is how it looks with diatoms on it. The otos don't seem to clean the substrate so every once in awhile he'll stir the top up a bit temporarily hide them.


----------



## JoeGREEEN

lol This picture is from my cell (sorry)l, most of my tanks are capped with PFS. 

allot of inspiring PFS tanks  this one needs some time to work on (YAY!!!) 

seriously dont know what i would do if my tanks were maintenance free ( i love plant trim day)


----------



## togified

bigstick120 said:


> Here is an old one of mine


I really like that cliff looking design.

What kind of rock and carpet plant did you use?


----------



## vinniemabuna

Heres mine mostly PFS and a little FBS next will be blackbeauty for me.


----------



## jpalimpsest

I stumbled onto this older thread while looking for inspiration for my new tank with PFS. Does anyone else want to post photos of their PFS tanks?


----------



## Knox_legend




----------



## discuspaul

Aren't these pics of tanks with PFS just great ! I Love them.

And I must say, vinniemabuna, not only do your plantings & arrangement look superb, but all set up in a Fluval Osaka 155 tank to boot - wow - it doesn't get much better than that !

Here's my Osaka 260 after a recent re-scape:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/lolliblues2


----------



## thefisherman

its my cichlid setup but i use pfs...does this count?


----------



## discuspaul

Sure it does !


----------



## somewhatshocked

A couple PFS shots from my 10gal:


















It's a few months from its full growth potential but I enjoy the natural look of this particular sand.


----------

