# Does white sand get dirty?



## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

chinaboy1021 said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Just wondering if white sand is tedious to maintain. If I use it for a planted tank, does it stain or turn yellow/green from algae?
> 
> ...


Yes it does, and will never stay super white.


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

What most people do is periodically vac off the top layer and replace with clean sand to keep it nice. I think the effort is worth it if you have the time 

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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Even if you have zero algae white sand will not stay completely white since bacteria will grow on the top layers. They don't care that it's "decorative" Most do what @natemcnutty stated, you simply vac off some and drop new sand in it's place.


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## darklord (Feb 22, 2015)

I have pygmy cories, kuhli loaches and mts to stir up the sand. Amano also help. I think it's balance between feeding and number of clean up crew

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## BuffDaddy (Sep 30, 2016)

While siphoning the sand won't make it spotless, it doesn't take much new sand to "refresh" the surface. It's easy to use a large spoon to spread a little sand. All you need to do is move slowly in the water.


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## chinaboy1021 (May 30, 2003)

I'm actually torn....

Option A: Use white sand and have to deal with siphoning as part of the maintenance regime

Option B: Use Aquasoil and deal with mulm accumulating. 

It's for a 125g planted discus tank..Discus are currently in a 75 gallon heavily planted high tech tank. Adult size.


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## RyRob (May 30, 2015)

Siphoning should be part of any well planned maintenance schedule regardless of substrate choice.


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

chinaboy1021 said:


> I'm actually torn....
> 
> Option A: Use white sand and have to deal with siphoning as part of the maintenance regime
> 
> ...



Since your considering Aquasoil, which is obviously not white, how about Option C: Other colored sand?


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## SwissCheeseHead (Dec 24, 2014)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/979457-swisss-36-gallon-bowfront.html

Here's my thread with PFS. The first few pics are about a month after set up. The last post was from yesterday night. I didn't replace any of the sand. I find that the larger, colored grains eventually rise to the surface, while the whiter smaller grains work their way down towards the bottom I've got a nice carpet of dwarf sag growing in the front left, and am planning on growing out the S. repens on the front right to fill up that space. There is definitely some mulm and algae on/in the sand, but I don't think it takes away from the tank at all.

For quick reference:


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

RyRob said:


> Siphoning should be part of any well planned maintenance schedule regardless of substrate choice.


Wait are you telling me that siphoning off the top layer of inert sand and replacing it with new sand is something everyone should do?

Or do you just mean siphoning up mulm?


I didn't realize people with super white sand did this. Some people really seem to abhor nature.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

chinaboy1021 said:


> I'm actually torn....
> 
> Option A: Use white sand and have to deal with siphoning as part of the maintenance regime
> 
> ...



Safest, cleanest substrate to use when keeping discus, whether in a planted environment, or with other limited décor, is to use pool filter sand. It's easiest to keep very clean (with a good tank substrate cleansing routine), in order to promote & maintain the good water quality & conditions required for discus to remain healthy & thrive.


If the PFS is a white or light color, and has become somewhat discolored over time, all you need do is siphon out the top 10% or so layer of the dirtied sand, and replace it with new. I've found this needs to be done only approx. every 3 or 4 months, and takes only 15-20 minutes to complete. It's a snap.


The sand should be kept clean of regular daily wastes (uneaten food, fish wastes, or decomposing plant matter, etc.) by regular vacuuming when doing water changes & other tank maintenance.


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