Pool filter sand as substrate?

[illumnae]

I've read alot about pool filter sand being a cheap alternative substrate in planted aquaria. It doesn't have the "mixed colour" look of lapis sand, allowing for a "river biotope" look with light brown/white sand, yet has large enough grains that it doesn't compact easily and can be planted in (like lapis sand).

Has anyone ever tried this locally before? If it's really like lapis sand except for the colour, this would be potentially a good substrate for pleco/discus biotopes. with a good base fert, it would allow for planted tanks with a sand foreground minus the hassle of having to have 2 substrates (sand foreground + soil background).

Finally, anyone know where to get pool filter sand in Singapore (should be available since we have swimming pools all around right?), and the cost of it?

[illumnae]

anyone know?

[wks]

Yixiang, its much easier to grow plants in ADA aquasoil and Gex soil (almost 100% success) as compared to gravels. Nowadays I seldom see planted tanks using gravels as substrate anymore.

[illumnae]

Hi Jason, thanks for your feedback. I understand and agree that soil based substrates give very good results. That was my original plan. However, discus do prefer to have a sandy substrate to forage in as opposed to a planted foreground, and that's why I was thinking of having a sand substrate instead. Also have heard of/seen a number of successful tanks using lapis sand as the substrate.

However, our local market seems to have a huge hole in the sand department. It seems that the only viable sand we have is lapis. There's nothing in our market that has the same grain size as lapis (ie suitable for planting) yet of a different colour (eg river sand colour). Suitable coloured sand is always too fine for planting Was hoping that someone here would own a swimming pool and give some information about the availability of pool filter sand, as that's what the Americans are using to achieve a nice sandy foreground with the option to plant in it as well.

If I can't find anything suitable, I'll fall back on my original plan of using good ol' Gex soil. It's never failed me before after all.

[Binks]

I have used pool filter sand (but some 10 years ago when I was in India). however I had a layer of laterite under it.....for lush plant growth..

[Magnum-]

Sorry to dig out this old thread. So has anyone come across pool filter sand? I'm eager to get my hands on a few bags. Anyone with info please post here!

Thanks!

[BillD]

Any #20 grit blasting sand (silica) should do the job.

[David Moses Heng]

Sorry to dig out this old thread. So has anyone come across pool filter sand? I'm eager to get my hands on a few bags. Anyone with info please post here!

Thanks!

They come in 1 tonnes bags. So unless the brothers here can consolidate orders, i guess no body would have the facility to store them... They are infact very affordable.

[Black Bart]

I recommend pure diamonds as substrate. Pricy, yes, but in the end I think it's worth it.

[Cyril P. Manning]

You can buy that pool filter sand from any pet shop in your area. But don't use white marble sand and a kind of white sand with shining will stress your fish.

[Cyril P. Manning]

You can buy that pool filter sand from any pet shop in your area. But don't use white marble sand and a kind of white sand with shining will stress your fish.

Did you got the pool filter sand?

[GHD97]

Hi Cyril Pool filter sand isn't very common here in singapore sadly

[stormhawk]

That was an attempt to publicise the website for the pool filter sand.

[limz_777]

That was an attempt to publicise the website for the pool filter sand.

which website ? searching for pool sand as well