Can I use Pavestone Pool Filter Sand for my aquarium?
I went to the Home Depot, and got a 50 pound (well I think its 50 pounds) of Pool Filter Sand for my fresh water aquarium (55 gallon), about 5.88 bucks. Its Pavestone brand. And the bag pretty much says nothing of useful info.
It just says “Pavestone Pool Filter Sand” and something about being great for pool Filters, and that its .5 Cu. Ft. What does that mean??
It does not state if it contains chemicals or if its silica or that other one. Has any one tried this brand of Pool Filter Sand for their aquarium? ANd Is it 50 punds??
I just started washing this stuff, and the grains look crystal-ish, with some specs of brown and black, but when I started the wash, the water turned brownish and the sand looks brownish, I thought Pool Filter sand was supposed to look white? Since I been looking for pics about it online, most of it looks white, mine is brownish? Is this sand OK?
As far as I know, Pavestone Pool filter sand is mostly silica.
Being great for pool filters means, well, that you can use it in a swimming pool filter.
.5 cu. ft. means the bag contains one-half cubic foot of sand. A cubic foot is a unit of volume that is one foot wide, one foot long, and one foot high. A cubic foot of sand would fill a box that size. .5 cubic foot of sand would fill a container with inside measurements one foot wide, one foot long, and one-half foot (six inches) high. One cubic foot is about 28.3 liters, or 29.9 quarts, so .5 cubic foot is about 14.15 liters, or 14.95 quarts.
I would expect .5 cu. ft. of sand to weigh something more than 50 pounds, but it depends on the kind of sand, and in any case, .5 cu. ft. is a measurement of volume, not weight, so the weight might vary a little from one sack to the next.
Pool Filter Sand is generally safe to use in an aquarium, but it is not the best substrate in my opinion, mostly because it is too fine for most aquarium purposes. It will tend to compact in the aquarium, trapping organic wastes that then decompose into toxic gases. It also will go up the siphon hose if you try to vacuum the bottom of the tank.
Edit: Lots of sand looks more or less white when it is dry, but brown or tan when it is wet. This is true, for example, of the beaches near me in Texas (which might even be where Pavestone gets its sand). I don’t think the color is anything to be concerned about, unless your design for your tank requires white sand, in which case you need a different kind of sand. What is important, in the washing phase, is to get out all the dirt and fine dust that the sand may contain.
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