# Silica Sand?



## TorontoPlantMan (May 9, 2013)

Hey guys, looking to starting my first dirted tank. Going to pickup the miracle grow later on today but a bit confused as to what to cap it with. I've been doing some reading and see alot of guys using "white pool filter sand" but is this the same thing as Silica sand? They have a 50lb bag at my local hardware shop for only 15$ so i'd really like to get that. 

Let me know what your thoughts are, the link to the sand is posted below. 

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...7n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I7156856?Ntt=pool+filter+sand


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## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

if you read the overview section, it says it is pool filter sand. 

but most silica sands are pool filter, the only difference may be grain size.

that one is #25, a few of the other ones i have read on are #20. i forget which size is bigger.


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## THE V (Nov 17, 2011)

Silica is the chemical make up of the sand. Pool filter is a common advertised usage. 

And yes it will work for you.


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## TorontoPlantMan (May 9, 2013)

Aquatic Delight said:


> if you read the overview section, it says it is pool filter sand.
> 
> but most silica sands are pool filter, the only difference may be grain size.
> 
> that one is #25, a few of the other ones i have read on are #20. i forget which size is bigger.


Yeah I know it says pool filter sand, I just wasnt sure if pool filter sand and silica sand are the same thing. Pardon my lack of knowledge lol 

It says the sand is 0.55-0.65mm sand, do you know which size you have?




THE V said:


> Silica is the chemical make up of the sand. Pool filter is a common advertised usage.
> 
> And yes it will work for you.


Does the size of the sand matter? Do you think 0.55-0.65mm sand is fine enough?


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Most PF sands sold @ pool supply stores are graded #20 -#30 in density which is good as a substrate use. You don't want the sand to be too fine, as it would easily get disturbed & free-float into the water column, clouding water and making it get readily sucked into filter intakes, & clog up impeller assemblies. Also it's difficult to vacuum properly and a lot of it would get siphoned up, eventually needing replacement.
Also, being finer-sized, it compacts more readily & may cause problems with potential development of anaerobic gas pockets.


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## rexpepper651 (Mar 7, 2013)

yep i used that #20 pool filter sand in my tank and its been working pretty good so far.
just dose with seachem comp and use root tabs.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

i buy the pool filter sand yes it is silica sand but the main reason for the pool filter sand is the grain size. it does not compact like play sand. you can cap the soil with gravel but the problem i have had with doing it that way is more of the soil underneath tends to float up you would have to use a thicker layer of gravel than you would sand


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## ljapa (Jul 23, 2013)

TorontoPlantMan said:


> It says the sand is 0.55-0.65mm sand, do you know which size you have?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


#30 grain sand is about 0.6mm, so the bag is #30 grain. 

I have pool filter sand in two tanks and it is #25 grain. #30 is smaller, but still big enough that it shouldn't get sucked int a filter. Only one of the tanks is planted, and it's a low tech tank that is all sand, so I can't comment on using it as a capping material.


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