# Pool Filter Sand vs Flourite Sand



## coryfanatic (May 7, 2014)

Deciding between Flourite Sand, pool filter sand and black diamond blasting sand for my 90g planted. Livestock will include: discus, corys and plecos. Does anyone have any pictures of Flourite Sand and pool filter sand to compare with the black diamond blasting sand.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Here's an album of pics of a discus tank using # 20 grade white PFS:

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/FTS-Osaka260


----------



## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

i've been thinking about changing one of my tanks to pfs just for a change of pace (my other tanks are all black e-c).

just ordered a 50# bag of #20 pfs for $30, delivered.

paul, your many posts and great looking tanks finally convinced me this was a nice option. thanks!


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Good for you. All the best to you.


----------



## DevilDogDoc (Dec 12, 2014)

trailsnale said:


> i've been thinking about changing one of my tanks to pfs just for a change of pace (my other tanks are all black e-c).
> 
> just ordered a 50# bag of #20 pfs for $30, delivered.
> 
> paul, your many posts and great looking tanks finally convinced me this was a nice option. thanks!


Wow that's pricey, I bought 100# of #20 at my local hardware store for $8


----------



## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

honestly, for that price flourite sand was definitely the better way to go. It holds nutrients unlike PFS. People choose PFS for the price and sometimes the cosmetics but its mostly inert unlike flourite sand.

*Sent from my VS980 4G using Forum Fiend v1.3.3.*


----------



## coryfanatic (May 7, 2014)

Is black blasting sand safe for loaches?


----------



## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

I put Petsmart aquarium sand in a 3g betta tank. After a while it started to develop brown diatoms. I got a test kit for silicates and they were elevated in that tank, but absent in the tap water. I've seen some others mention diatoms with their sand. I read a number of algae threads that claimed diatoms can flourish in high phosphate and silicate environments. My hypothesis is that sand, being comprised of silicon, was somehow creating silicates in the water. I ended up replacing the sand with gravel. I know plenty of people are successful with it, I'm a noob, so it's just a heads up. 

Some other things I didn't like about sand:

1. despite the sand being maybe an inch thick, I got a lot of hydrogen sulfide smell disturbing it when I replaced it, meaning lots of anaerobes had developed in it.

2. It is not good for planted without extra work and items, putting in root plugs, planters, or whatever. I think sand will kill most roots.

3. You have to be careful cleaning, it is easy to throw up a big cloud of sand. I was constantly turkey baste squirting it off decorations and leaves where it had settled.

One thing that is nice about sand is that the surface was super easy to clean. You can see every piece of crud and it doesn't sink through the substrate as quickly as it would in gravel. A quick sweep with the turkey baster and it was pristine.

I think sand is recommended with Cory's, but if it were me, I'd probably look at something other than pool sand. I don't know anything about the flourite sand but it probably takes care of some of the problems I mentioned, being good for plants and maybe not being as airtight as regular sand.


----------



## coryfanatic (May 7, 2014)

Ya not sure if I like the pfs. Thinking of using black blasting sand I really like the way it looks. I heard black blasting sand is sharp though.


----------



## dsbrady (Feb 15, 2015)

I've used PFS, Dirt & Black Diamond Blasting sand(current). PFS & Black Diamond have one draw back. fish waste shows up and floats on top of the sand. very unsightly especially on the black sand.

When i start another tank it will be a baked clay.. like cat litter, floor dri or something.. it has a better CEC and the waste will settle into it instead of on top.

Dirt was way to messy for me


----------



## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

dsbrady said:


> PFS & Black Diamond have one draw back. fish waste shows up and floats on top of the sand. very unsightly especially on the black sand.


Yeah I would think those probably work best in smaller tanks where cleaning with a baster can be done quickly enough to be done daily or close to it. My black eco-complete is covered with river rock so I don't see it. If it is anything like the black car I had once, it would look dirty again a day out of the car wash. Everything showed up on that. (which is the opposite you would think with it being black).


----------



## coryfanatic (May 7, 2014)

Does flourite black sand make the water dirty everytime you move plants around?


----------



## mach_six (Sep 12, 2005)

coryfanatic said:


> Does flourite black sand make the water dirty everytime you move plants around?


Rinse it before using it.


----------



## coryfanatic (May 7, 2014)

mach_six said:


> Rinse it before using it.


Does the cloudiness just last for the first months or is it always cloudy?


----------

