is craft sand ok to use in my aquarium?

Question

by craft sand i mean i bought it at a craft store and it came with some seashells. it does not say anything about having any chemicals or anything in it. i think its "purpose was to use it to decorate those glass vases you get at walmart or the dollar tree and put the sand in it and the sea shells on top. does anyone know if this is safe for my tank? i teested it in a small glass container and it seems to settle pretty good. water a bit cloudy but am sure it will clear up with filter.

Answer 1

If you're looking for something to use in your aquarium for decoration, Sandtastik makes aquarium safe sands and ICE.

Answer 2

The only problem I see here is if the sand is dyed in some way. I'm imagining simple beach sand with some shells added to it for effect. If this is so, then you have no issues. If you feel anything bad may have been added, or the colour looks unnatural, then stay away.

Any natural sand works fine, and buying it from the fish store costs ten times as much. Types of sand I know work from experience are play sand, blasting sand, and construction sand. Now I stick to one particular brand of sand called 'King' from home depot, which is nearly dust free and looks nice.

As far as the biological issue goes, as long as you have a power filter running on the tank, you have no worries - this is the job of the filter. You just can't use an undergravel filter with it, as sand is too dense to work properly. I will warn you that hanging filters can suck sand in through the impeller and damage it, so keep the intake well off the sand bed and don't start running it until most of the sand settles (don't forget to rinse it well first too).

What I like most about sand is that I use 2 filters in any tank, and the water flow keeps waste floating until it is sucked up into a filter, since it can't settle in it like gravel. That means - a pristine tank always, and almost no vacuuming.

Answer 3

Craft Sand

Answer 4

The sand used in craft stores is Silica sand which is sterile
sand. This sand doesn't have tiny pebbles in it which makes it
ideal for craft projects. As long as the sand hasn't been tinted it will be alright to use in your tank. Call the pet store and ask if
you are concerned.

Answer 5

Is not certainly safe unless it advertises it is good for that purpose. The sea shells make me even more concerned unless you are planning a salt water aquarium. Shells you buy at the pet store have been treated and sealed to make them safe for aquarium use.

You can test the chemical properties of your sand, to ensure it does not contain a great deal of salt or other chemicals that might be dangerous to your fish. Unfortunately, this would likely cost you more than buying a good alternative from your pet store.

It would more likely be safe for salt water aquarium use than fresh water. Unfortunately, the fish you might kill in a salt water aaquarium cost more than those for a fresh water tank.

I, personally, would not risk it.

Good luck.

Answer 6

I wouldn't risk it. The dye in the sand could be enough to kill your fish. Not to mention other bacteria it could have picked up. Your best bet would be to buy the sand from a pet store.

Answer 7

Nonononononono,no! Don't use sand of any kind until you learn how to manage the nitrogen cycle, then you will no why you don't want sand in the tank! PeeTee

Answer 8

nooooooooo go to ur local pet store and get the right thing, or ur gonna have dead fish~

Answer 9

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO