# play sand mess



## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hi:

Whenever I plant anything in the play sand (new tank) it all stirs up. This is annoying. Is the anything I can do to fix this.. like does it be to be capped or something? Doesn't this defy the point of a cheap substrate?

Thanks. 

Dbw


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Cheap is always something that may come with an extra burden. Cheap equipment can ruin a guys whole outlook on keeping fish. Same with sand. It may be cheap to buy play sand but when I look at what it takes to get it tank ready and all the problems I found, I just don't think it's cheap enough. I had to ditch one whole bag of all-purpose sand. It just never rinsed clean and made the water red. I now use and gladly pay the extra couple bucks for pool filter sand as it does have specific standards it has to meet.


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## cjstl (Mar 4, 2013)

I was going to suggest pool filter sand as well. $8 for a 50 lb bag at Menards.


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hmmm...

Ok. But I already have the play sand in there. I can go get the pool filter sand at menards but do I like take all the water and fish out and put in the pool sand. Do I just cap with pool sand? Do I just vacuum up the play sand? Poor vacuum.

Help. 

Thanks. 

Dbw


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## koiboi (Sep 4, 2011)

The pool sand is a brighter, cleaner white and looks a lot more beachy to me as well.


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## TekWarren (Oct 6, 2013)

Sounds like didn't rinse the sand well enough (or at all?) before adding it to your tank. 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk


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## rollanankle (Sep 3, 2014)

I don't know how heavily planted your tank is but I'd agitate the sand and pull the dirty water out and repeat a few times. Put a filter screen (filter floss, prefilter sponge, or something like that) over the inlet on your filer if you're running it while your doing this. 
If you didn't the first time, next time rinse the sand in a 5 gallon bucket until the water you are using to rinse is coming out of the bucket clean and clear; then put it in the tank. I'd say use pool sand next time too, like others have said. However, the biggest down side to pool filter sand is the silicates, these could lead to a Diatom/brown algae problem in the first weeks/months. I've also found this to be a problem with play/filter sand - there is little to no nutrients for plants to take in from their roots right away. It takes longer for plants to take off versus using a substrate with nutrients (e.g. Iron) already in it


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Ok so you are saying I didn't rinse it well enough and basically to re rinse while it is in the tank?

It is not heavily planted. I only have one plant so far. Is it too late to change the substrate? 

Thanks. 

Dbe


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

With one plant it's not too late if there are no fish. Even if they are you can house them in a bucket for a spell.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*I Love Play Sand*

Play sand is my favorite substrate. In fact in my unworthy and ever-humble-opinion, anybody anticipating keeping a tank for multiple years should think sand, play sand at that.

5 to 7-centimeters of sand, mix in a little boiled worm poop, a little plaster-of-Paris, some Osmocote Plus to give you a jump start. If you have it or like a little silt and/or clay. Filter sands are actually a good option, somewhat less compaction early on, but to be honest after 18 months or so, I really cannot see a difference. With filter sand you will have diatoms for a while, truth is most play sands will have at least a short diatom outbreak, don’t worry, keep everything moving and it will pass.

But plain old play sand will work just fine.

As rollanankle (sounds painful) says rinsing sand (silt, clay) is important. It will eventually settle or filter out, but it is a mess. The only thing I can add to rollanankles’ recommendation are a couple of layers of cheesecloth, I like the painters’ cheesecloth, ‘cause it is cheap, to protect your filters and pumps.

Another thing I have done is just do water changes pouring the water through a bit of filter floss covered with cheesecloth then simply return the water to the tank. Take a gravel filter and operate it backward with a screen to hold in floss and cheese cloth.


Once you have the fines down to something reasonable that are too small to reasonably filter, add some flocculants, people with fish in the aquariums need to be careful. Alum is a popular flocculent, as with many flocculants, generally works in alkaline water and water as free of dissolved organic matter as possible. If the tank has been in operation long treating with Potassium permanganate is a good idea.

As to hobbyist flocculants, I am impressed with Kent’s Pro-Clear Freshwater Clarifier. I think (as in don’t know) it is an anionic polyacrylamides (PAM). 

Remember flocculants (we use) attract negatively charged colloids and particles, keep in mind your fishes gills are negatively charged as well. Stick to the label directions.


I like sand and if it is at least 5-cm deep it will also become an incredible filter and pump in its own right.

Reminding folks these are only my humble and unworthy opinions based on my experience and research filtered through my addled brain, I mean no offense to anyone. :smile:

Joe
FBTB


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## mayanjungledog (Mar 26, 2009)

I am also a fan of play sand. I have it in a 26 gallon old school stainless steel framed tank. It was a pain to rinse initially - did it in the back yard a little-by-little with the garden hose in a large Rubbermaid tub. If you have an extra HOB filter, you can stuff it full of filter floss and run it for a few days to help clear the water.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

The rinsing and unknown qualities of play sand or all-purpose sand are the ones which drove me away. I spent hours of bending over a tub full of sand and it never got clean enough to use. There are no standards with those types of sand so it just depends on where they were scooping at the time. One bag of sand out of the Red River was all it took to move me away. 
Since the sand is there, I just leave it and add more. Over time, they are mixed together and that is a very natural look that I like. The ground underwater is rarely uniform as any current tends to sort it into different grades.


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## Lonestarbandit (Feb 7, 2013)

I have 2 tanks of pool filter sand, one being a 55g the other a 25g.
After the rinsing ( like play sand) I love it.
Beautiful natural tan color and no grain separation for me, seems pretty uniform.
Funny the old HOB was mentioned as I did exactly that lol.
Sent from my VS930 4G using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hi:

I just want to thank everyone for this message that I have read a few times now. 

My water is actually crystal clear, it is just that as soon as I plant something it all stirs up. I am working on getting some painters cheesecloth. 

Thanks! 

Danett


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I would not use play sand. Too many fines, clouds the water at every opportunity. 
I have used pool filter sand, which is still a cheap substrate, but is graded to remove the fines. A quick rinse (I rinse it in the tank when I am setting it up) and it is ready to use.


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hi:

Thanks. But how do I do a substrate change now with fish in there? No plants really but there are fish.

dbw


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## Oceangirl (Feb 5, 2013)

I just used a cup and scooped as much sand as possible with the filters off. Then when I was down to the last, I took a piece of tubing and sucked the rest into the bucket. Took like and hour but it was all gone.


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

A good way to clean play sand is outside in a wheel barrow. After I cleaned my sand and layered it over the top soil there was almost no turbidity.Clear water


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Remove fish to 5 gallon bucket with the best water, before you start disturbing the sand. 
Remove the sand to clean it in another container, or clean it in the tank. Can be a bit messy, so moving it outside is a good way to deal with it. 
One way is to put it in a 5 gallon bucket, run the hose down to the bottom of the bucket, tip the bucket some for overflow, and keep on stirring. Takes a while. Allow the overflow to land in the garden to irrigate the plants. You will probably get rid of as much as half the sand as fine material that could cloud the water. If you still have the bag of play sand, and want to use it, then treat it the same way. LOTS of rinsing to get rid of the finest materials. If you are all out of play sand, then go get some pool filter sand, and give that a quick rinse. See the difference. 

If you cannot find pool filter sand, I have been seeing graded sand in home depot and similar stores. Read the label. Probably says something like 30 mesh, or 30 grit or something like that. Anything from about 30 mesh to 10 would be good sand. Coarser than 10 mesh starts looking just a bit like very fine gravel. This also is OK in an aquarium, but if you were looking for sand, then coarser material may not be quite right.


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## dbw27 (May 19, 2014)

Hi:

I got some pool filter sand at Menards tonight. I still have half a bag of play sand. But I bought the play sand for $1.89 on sale. So it is not a huge loss if I don't use it.

Oceangirl: Thank you very much for the advice. How big is your tank? I have a 29 gallon, but then I only have about an inch of sand on the bottom.

I think I might just scoop the mess out and put in the pool filter sand. I guess I'll wash that tomorrow in my five gallon buckets. But I read it is much easier to clean the play sand.

I want to start planting and just do not want this mess.

Thanks.

dbw


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

PFS is graded, so all the particles leave the plant the same size. 
Some minor eroding happens during shipping, but the rinsing goes really fast, and the waste is almost nothing. 
I have heard of people ending up with just half the original volume of play sand, once the fines were removed. 
That makes the bag of play sand not $1.89, but closer to $4.00. 
Around here, PFS is about $5 for 50 lb.


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## flight50 (Apr 17, 2012)

As mentioned play sand is too fine so your saving yourself some headache by switching. Play sand will compact and can create conditions that won't favor the good bacteria. Especially if the substrate is too deep. I recall there being a few good threads on here in regards to changing substrate without breaking it down. I remember one method involving a 2 or 3 liter bottle. This method is also a way to clean the sand as well.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*I Still Love Play Sand*

Apparently I am the only person in the history to have a successful aquariums including 9 plus years with one of them.

Certainly changing out before plants is not all that difficult

I apologize for earlier advice/comments.

Joe
FBTB


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