# Help: Substrate Sand bottom



## Frank1971 (Aug 23, 2010)

I just got a 55 gallon set up, and would like to make this a small Cichlid tank. I have always used gravel as my substrate, but this time around I thought that a sand bottom would be cool. I read a bunch of stuff on the internet about play sand, and decided that would be my choice. I went out and bought a 50 pound bag of play sand, and have been cleaning it all night. I must have done about 50 rinses so far, and the water still looked cloudy in the bucket I was working with. After about the 60th rinse, I decided to see what it would look like in the tank. I have the tank about 15% full, and it looks horrible. The water is extremely dirty, and I was just wondering if this would be too overwhelming for my filter to help out, I have a Aqueon Power Filter CA55. I know I'm probably asking allot from my filter, but after several hours of washing this sand, I'm on the verge of going back to gravel.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## roacan (Dec 25, 2010)

If you can wait for a day or so, the floaters should settle down and clear your water. Problem is that some cichlids likes to dig around and would disturb the sand.
Can you put a polyester floss on your filter?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would think it would clear after a day or two at the most. Never used but if you've rinsed it good it should settle out. People use regular soil in their tanks that make a mess, but eventually it all settles and clears.


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## Moontanman (May 31, 2009)

You used the wrong sand! Not really, but pool filter sand is usually cleaner than play sand but it will settle out in a few days and be amazing hard to stir back up. 

I use sponge prefilters on all my power filters to keep from sucking up the daphnia I feed my fish and to keep small fish from being sucked into the filter, this helps clear out the sediment a little faster and keeps sand from being sucked into the filter as well. 

Give it a few days and you can buy stuff that clears out cloudy water by binding the particles together so the filter can remove them.


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

I had the same issue in my saltwater tank with sand. It will settle out in a day or two but if you just used some of the floss filter it will help get it clearer faster. You'll have to rinse it off every day though but it wont harm the filter itself. Once it does settle, you should like the look. Also, if you get some higher kelvin lights (8000-10000K) the sand will appear a nice white color as opposed to a yellowish dingy color.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ive used it.The best advice I can give,is to place a plate in the bottom and pour your water in on it.That will help keep from stirring it up.I didnt rinse mine to such extreme as you did.But it will settle and clear up within a day or so.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I've used play sand alot. Like Bev says, use a plate and sit on the sand and fill it slowly and you shouldn't have much problem. Mine would be clear in a couple of hours.


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## tinman (Nov 3, 2009)

i rearranged my tank today and it took like an hour for the cloudiness to settle 

i use sand but i dont know what kind it is  

dumb i got it from an aquarium store .75$ per lb


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Moontanman said:


> You used the wrong sand! Not really, but pool filter sand is usually cleaner than play sand but it will settle out in a few days and be amazing hard to stir back up.


I agree. Pool filter sand works great, but industrial sandblasting sand works even better because you can actually buy different grain sizes.


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## roacan (Dec 25, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> I agree. Pool filter sand works great, but industrial sandblasting sand works even better because you can actually buy different grain sizes.


Are sandblasting sand sharp? If it is, then it would not be good for corydoras and clown loaches.


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## Frank1971 (Aug 23, 2010)

Thank you everyone for all your great tips. You were all right, my filter has been running for about 18 hours now, between that and the sand settling the water looks great as the cloud is just about all gone and my tank looks great. All your thoughts help me get through a tough day after hours of work trying to set this tank up.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

roacan said:


> Are sandblasting sand sharp? If it is, then it would not be good for corydoras and clown loaches.


Very true. Hadn't thought about that. It will also cut you up if you work in it too long. Pool filter sand would probably be best.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think Susan has used sandblasting sand in her tanks - not sure. I know she likes Corys, but not sure if she has mixed the two.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Yes, but the blasting sand I used is very fine almost like powder and there is about 40 cories in the tank.


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