# Silica sand, safe or stay away?



## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Also I'm asking this because I'm breaking down a tank to redraft it with the sand


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Pretty much ALL sand is silica, or mostly. The warning relates to the hazards of long term exposure to breathing silica dust.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Okay thank you will be checking the water the betta is in when I go over, also what is the benefit of kitty litter and which one can be used and how? If you wouldn't mind


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

I wouldn't use it. I've used similar cheap clay products in the past and they are dirty and dusty. I think the number of people with bad experience is more than with good. 

Why it is "good" is that it has a high CEC which holds onto nutrients. You would use it under a sand or gravel cap.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Yeah planned to cap under sand with root tabs also, I don't mind messy, I like my tanks to look mostly natural this tank is also for gbr fry so I would like a silty bottom, any ideas to soften water? I've considered peat I can only find Canadian sphagnum peat which is finely milled and I don't want that I was looking for something stringy


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

White silica pool filter sand is completely safe and an excellent substrate in which to keep shrimp IMO & E. Go for it.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

I cannot find white pool filter sand sadly I tried and the pool stores either tried to sell me zeolite for $25 for a 20 pound bag or the last place i got the silver sand which is technically a smooth sand blasting sand, it is rather annoying. thank you though.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Wow, hard to believe - and you're in Orange County, Ca. ?
I lived in Rancho Palos Verdes for a couple of years, and I'm sure there were many pool/spa/hot tub supply stores that sold PFS. You should easily be able to find a 50 lb. bag for under $10. - check around.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

shrimpNewbie said:


> I cannot find white pool filter sand sadly I tried and the pool stores either tried to sell me zeolite for $25 for a 20 pound bag or the last place i got the silver sand which is technically a smooth sand blasting sand, it is rather annoying. thank you though.


See if you can find some PFS like this. My current substrate it simple white PFS picked up from home depot (6 bucks for a 50lb bag, zing!) and as cheap as it was, I'd much rather have the sand that I linked. Mine is just...too bright and doesn't look as natural as I'd like.


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

They normally keep pallets of PFS in the back room on big pallets. Mine was a more natural brownish sand. Like gulf beach sand. I think it looks better than the glaring white of other sands.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

No luck at any of the pool stores around here sadly wish I knew other hobbyists in orange county gonna see if anyone else around has found it also I really like the red flint stuff if only hd carried that stuff


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## IxIBluepitIxI (Jan 25, 2011)

I've been using(Silica Sand) pool filter for a while now with now problems(from the sand anyway). What did you mean the gravel got gross, that sounds interesting?


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## do00ber (Dec 17, 2010)

I just bought a 50 LB bag of PFS from Leslies Pool Supply, not sure if its a national chain store but the color is absolutely perfect for what i was looking for plus it was only 12$ ;-D..Looks like the grain/color of the from freph


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## art_t (Jun 8, 2008)

I too picked up some pool filter sand from a pool store near me. It looks exactly like beach sand. The company name on the front is Lighthouse. From what I've read, different parts of the US get different types of pool filter sand because it's mined in different parts of the country. Mine is a nice beige color with very small grains, in fact I swore it was beach sand at first. Why not go with regular play sand from Lowes or HD? Just a thought.


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