Habitat - Indoor :: Sand FAQ

[steve]

Search for "beach" on the top left, where it says "search this topic". You'll get a couple of related questions/responses.

[rana]

OK you have convinced me I am getting rid of the rocks. I know my turtles eat it because I have seen the before and after (eating it then pooping it) So going to go with the sand. I dont like the way the tank looks naked.

[ksj]

Silica sand is exactly the same thing and is generally sold much cheaper than sand advertised as "pool filter sand." For example, Home Depot has 100 lbs for $7.87, whereas pool filter sand is $10-$20 for a 50 lbs bag.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202080636/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

[kingchris626]

Can I have an air pump with sand? Any recommendations for a 30 gallon tank? I'd like to buy a canister filter and air pump to keep my tank clean. I also want sand.

Thanks!

[steve]

Yes you can have an air pump. I don't think I would invest in a decent canister for a 30 gallon tank because it will be underpowered for the next upgrade.

[sflemin2]

I am not having any luck cleaning the pieces of egg shell (sylvie is laying eggs in the water (not in the nesting area..grr) since the pieces of egg are as heavy as the sand. Plus, the guy I bought the setup from cut the intake hose to the filter way to short so thats not helping. Turkey baster isnt great because my arm is too short, I can barely reach the back of the tank let alone see well enough to pick up the little pieces one by one. People with large tanks- any tips? What have I gotten myself into? lol

[TexasJagsFan]

Apparently the new sand is very tasty. I've seen her rooted in one spot just eating clumps of it at a time.

[Linus]

^hmmm...what is her diet?

Unfortunetly sand can become compacted. This is because natural sand has round grains, so pieces slider past eachother and digest. Sand that is made is square, so it can become compacted.

[sflemin2]

Anyone else have problems with the turtles pushing all of the sand to one side of the tank?

I need to add more but I dont have a water hose and I am lazy lol. I even have the sand waiting to be rinsed. I dont think it will stop them from pushing it over though. I think its because they are so big and it happens with they swim back and forth.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

After a year having a bare bottom I got really bored and started to hate the way it looked. So I bought sand! I bought Quickcrete play sand 50LB bag at Lowes for only 4 bucks I cleaned it with a bucket and hose then scooped it out and put it in the aquarium which is a 40 gallon breeder. Then it got really cloudy to where I can only see a few inches into the tank Its been like that for about a hour? now. I can't really tell if its settling or not the driftwood in the center is a tiny bit more visible now. I have both the filters running since there is no large sand particles floating around. I was surprised to see that my Aquaclear 200 didn't make the sand stir up. I also put 20 drops of http://www.petco.com/product/105344/Aqu ... ifier.aspx
Was that a good thing to do?? I didn't see much of a difference after. Ranger seems to like it he doesn't eat it which is a very good thing considering his past with the gravel. He does eat all his poop that falls to the bottom haha ew! He doesn't kick it up either when he does it settles really quick. So far I'm liking the change but not the cloudiness when will it settle?? I cleaned it well in the bucket it settled to have the water crystal clear. Here's a picture of it.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Here it is

[steve]

The Aquaclear 200 isn't very powerful, so I don't think it's really helping clear it up. I'm not sure what that stuff does, to be honest I would refill the tank and rinse the sand again.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

There's no way I'm refilling that thing haha. Its a lot more clear now I think it all settled but since I had to keep the filters off for a few hours all the beneficial bacteria died in them and I have to start all over again.

[sflemin2]

Ranger, how do you fill your tank? This is the best thing that ever happened to me http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... d=11147172. Hooks directly in your faucet. Well.. I dont have that but I bought hose that fits into my kitchen sink faucet and turn the water on and leave it. I want that thingy though to improve the pressure

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Yeah I might buy one of those later down the line. The water is much much clearer now no where like the picture above. All the sand has settled. I really love it! Much better then a bare bottom which is boring and ugly. Now it looks more natural. I'm not having any problems with it at all, no sand getting sucked up by the filter Ranger doesn't eat it or dig into it.