Sand for cheap tank.

[FlyGTI]

Yes, I know there's no such thing as a cheap tank.

 

I'm setting up a 55 gal. tank for a friend, fish only, not sure about live rock or not. I think it'll be an eventual thing. For now, it's a tank on the cheap.

 

Question is this. Regular playsand ($3/bag at HD), even though it's silica based...okay or not? I've heard the tank glass argument (tank glass is the same formula as that sand), and I think I believe it, but I'd like to hear the group consensus. The plan is to use about 80-100 lbs. of playsand (I can't get Southdown sand here in Des Moines, unless someone knows something and isn't talking), and seeding it with some live from another tank.

 

Thanks for all your help.

Good things always.

Fly

[hooked]

I wouldn't use the play sand. You may have lots of algae outbreak.

 

just my 2 cents

[Satchmo]

I'm no chemist, but it's my understanding that only in low pH conditions can silica sand start to disolve and release silicates into the water. We keep our pH nice n' high, so it shouldn't be an issue. Lots of folks not fortunate enough to get southdown have used the HD playsand without problems.

[westkyracer]

I baked mine at the highest setting in the oven for about an hour to kill anything that was growing. I have done this in 4 tanks ranging from 75 gal to a 5gal and have had no more problems than with store bought live sand. I seeded it with established live rock and let it run for 3 weeks before I put any livestock in it. The only advantage that I have found with the Live sand in a bag is it is instant cycle you can put fish in the next day when the water clears.

[harbingerofthefish]

I'm using the HD playsand in my 5. It's been up for 2 1/2 months now and nothing out of the ordinary. actually beside the initial diatom bloom, the only algae I have to any extent is coralline. I've found very little hair or bubble, no red slime, and I'm pretty sure this little sprig of calepra I have growing killed off what bubble I had. In other words I wouldn't worry about it so much. I think the biggest concern of using "playsand" is not the silica but the felspar. As for as I know HD brand has none so...