Had my tank filled for a short while and introduced a small number of fish. Everything is going good...ph levels, nitates/nitrates are as they should be, fish are seemingly happy too. My only regret is that after just a couple of days with the fish the sand (very light coloured) which I chose so carefully looks horrible. Fish poop stands out a mile and when I do a vacuum once a day it seems to take ages to settle again leaving the water looking cloudy for a while. I wish now I'd stuck to gravel. I really should have done my homework before I decided on sand...I hate it! Its only going to look worse the more fish that go in the tank :( Only one good thing is that the fish seem to like it. Put some corys in and they are loving it! Does anyone have any kind words to make me feel better?

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thanks
Karen
200 liter tank, jbl canister filter, hydor external inline heater containing:
3 dalmation sailfin mollies
2 saffron balloon mollies
3 sunset platies
10 neon tetras
4 male guppies
3 panda corys
2 spotted corys
2 leopard plecos (rehoming soon)
2 mosaic gouramis
3 dwarf gourami
5 pink tetra
5 glass catfish

40 liter with 7 molly fry and a bumblebee shrimp
:fish

I have sand, and yea you can see poo on it, but fill it up with live plants and then you cant see as much of it! :D

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"Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

I have quite a few plants in already but I thought that it would make water changes and maintenance harder if I planted too many.

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thanks
Karen
200 liter tank, jbl canister filter, hydor external inline heater containing:
3 dalmation sailfin mollies
2 saffron balloon mollies
3 sunset platies
10 neon tetras
4 male guppies
3 panda corys
2 spotted corys
2 leopard plecos (rehoming soon)
2 mosaic gouramis
3 dwarf gourami
5 pink tetra
5 glass catfish

40 liter with 7 molly fry and a bumblebee shrimp
:fish

More plants the better. When vac out poo and such, just hover over the sand not in the sand, It won't cloud like that.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Maybe you could mix something else with your sand, like a little bit of a similar but darker small gravel/coarse sand. So your result would be something like this (the substrate not the crab). That way it would sort of camouflage droppings and such.

More plants it is then Going to have to wait till the weekend though...will have to put up with the sight of fish poo till then lol.

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thanks
Karen
200 liter tank, jbl canister filter, hydor external inline heater containing:
3 dalmation sailfin mollies
2 saffron balloon mollies
3 sunset platies
10 neon tetras
4 male guppies
3 panda corys
2 spotted corys
2 leopard plecos (rehoming soon)
2 mosaic gouramis
3 dwarf gourami
5 pink tetra
5 glass catfish

40 liter with 7 molly fry and a bumblebee shrimp
:fish

I hate my PFS color too! I am adding as many plants as I can. I thought about draining and replacing with more expensive black sand but it wasn't worth it to me at the time.

are you talking about Pool Filter sand or Playground sand?.. PFS should NOT cloud your water once stirred.. Playground sand?.. In my opinion, should never be used in a tank.. It compacts and can create an anaerobic toxic dump. Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

I have playsand in 2 tanks, both are planted, it doesnt cloud my water at all when stirred. I also do not get gas from it either.

I like sand in that it does show mulm up, at least i know when it needs cleaning, gravel hides much, but then you dont notice it you dont clean it.

I do not vaccum where plants are, only the clear areas, and i hover over it, this pulls mulm off it. If i see it gathering in a spot, i use my turkey baster and just suck out the gunk that caught

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

Playground versus Pool Filter sand. You'll note I stated it can cause a toxic buildup of gases due to the inability for water/oxygen to permeate to the base of the substrate. When you are talking about 5 bucks for sand that doesn't go thru a quality control measure like the Pool Filter sand that does at a cost of 10 bucks.. the extra 5 bucks really doesn't seem to be that much of an investment considering the inhabitants and overall cost of the tanks.
When vacuuming PFS... I'll jam my python into the substrate and the sand will rise about 1/2 up the tube and fall back... the mulm does gather around the bases of the plants and I can aggressively siphon that out without worry. For me?.. The 5 bucks extra for PFS is well worth the net return. Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

I dont fertalize my plants so i WANT the mulm around the base of the plants. ANY sand can get gas build up, never had it with my playsand, but my course river sand i have (and it to can be syphoned, by digging in if needed)

What do you mean considering the inhabitants and cost of tanks?? Using playsand doesnt affect either.

I can syphon my sand no issues, i dont get anything under the surface to need to syphon aggressively, it all sits nicely on top, easy to clean

But it is personal choice

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

Not intending to get into a debate.. but.. playground sand has NO quality control measures over it's packaging.. PFS on the other hand is sieved to a consistent granular size of between .45 - .55 mm. It is graded that way to ALLOW water to pass thru it hence it's application as a pool filter media. Playground sand on the other hand is now being cited in a number of lawsuits for PLAYGROUND use due to compaction!... My sole point is.. for a 55G tank, 2 bags at 2.50 (5.00) sand of very questionable safety to the inhabitants of the tank.. plus the plants... versus 10.00 for 50 lbs of a plant friendly and non-threatening media as far as anaerobic concerns.. the 5 dollars extra isn't or rather shouldn't be a concern. If ya wanna save $5.00 setting up a 55G tank, lets hope you're only keeping water in the tank!...
If it works for you.. fine.. but for $5.00.. why encourage what can be a fish-killing environment... Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

Because its not a fish killing enviroment.

It cost me $12/bag for the playsand. Maybe our sand is better quality than yours, it is screened and partly washed (it is damp in the bag)/ Maybe yours has no quality control.

We have not used playsand in playgrounds for many many years, not due to compaction so much but more it getting into eyes and causing eye injuries

Many Australian use playsand in their tanks with absolutely NO issue, so you saying playsand is BAD does not apply to everything.

This is an international forum yes?

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

Just offering a different perspective my friend.. just a different perspective... Oh.. I need not rinse a bit my PFS.... Lighthouse brand... Bill in va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

Well that because it is meant to go straight into pool filters *LOL*

Playsand is meant for sandpits, having it spotless for that would just be silly wouldnt it *LOL*

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

OMG what a debate I started lol. Well my sand is proper aquarium sand I didnt know that you could use any other sort. Good idea to mix in a little darker colour Miles...camoflage is a good option. Alasse I love your turkey baster suggestion...Im gonna get one today If I had the time and money I would change the sand for a dark coloured one. I really dont want to disturb my tank because apart from the sand issue everything is going good.

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thanks
Karen
200 liter tank, jbl canister filter, hydor external inline heater containing:
3 dalmation sailfin mollies
2 saffron balloon mollies
3 sunset platies
10 neon tetras
4 male guppies
3 panda corys
2 spotted corys
2 leopard plecos (rehoming soon)
2 mosaic gouramis
3 dwarf gourami
5 pink tetra
5 glass catfish

40 liter with 7 molly fry and a bumblebee shrimp
:fish

So in Au they don't use playground sand for playgrounds... hmm... I'm confused... What is this sand that is or rather isn't playground sand? Aqua sand... pool filter sand.... surely it cannot be Playground sand as it's no longer used in your locale!... Remember.. this is an international forum... ^&^&$% Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

it is called Playground sand on the packaging...it is used for sandpits (not that many public one have them anymore due to the eye thing) Schools still have sandpits.
It USED to be used at the base of swings, slides, seesaws etc, it is not used for that application anymore or VERY rarely.
The bags i used is bought by people for PRIVATE (as in their own backyards) to use in sandpits

IT is Playground sand, definately NOT pool filter sand, nor Aqua sand (whatever that is *L*)

Sarcasm is not required, i can answer a question just by being asked normally?

I asked if it was international not to be funny or smart but because i have been a part of some forum that just are not interested in what other countries do

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

The turkey baster makes it so easy, i have my peppermint bristlenose colony on white playsand, i clean it with the turkey baster twice a day, takes a few minutes, then i top up the tank.

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1x350L Goldfish, 1x 286L Planted, 1x190L Cherry shrimp, 1x140L Feeders, 1x130L Planted, 1x119L Peppermint BN breeding colony

Gee

doesn't the snail bloom i always get eat the fish poop?

my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden