Sand with vitamins? - The marketing people must be working overtime to come up with this stuff!
As far as the filter goes, it seems to me that most filters do not create enough current in the tank to suspend the sand in the water enough to get it into the filter. We have some small amounts of sand in the bottom of ours and no problems
*grumbles* I think I need a different filter. Mine broke and was leaking everywhere so i ran to the store to get a new one and it doesn't even get the sheding