Can I use marine sand in a freshwater aquarium?
by Aquaboy on Friday, March 5th, 2010 | 5 Comments
I just got rid of all my old gravel and I’d like to add the pretty white sand to my tank, but all of the sand options say marine on them. Are they still safe to use in my freshwater tank with african cichlids + 2 plecos? Or if not, can anyone recommend any fine grain substrate that would look similar to sand for my tank? I just dont want the chunky, large rocks anymore. Thanks.
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With African cichlids, yes, you can use it. Basically, marine sand will add ions to the water that harden it. But, for MUCH cheaper, you can use simple play sand! Looks just as pretty, and is usually inert. Just make sure to wash it very well, because you need to get rid of any dust. But then again, you’d have to wash marine sand well too.
I hope this helps
floridasun5 seriously no but then yes you can with any fish check it out!
heres what i use :http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18315/si1379462/cl0/caribseawhitemarinesand20lbs
It should say on the package whether or not it’s suitable for freshwater. I use sand called marine sand in my freshwater tanks, but it specifically says it can be used in both fresh and saltwater.
No, you shouldn’t use regular marine sand in freshwater. See about 1/2 way down here:
http://user.aol.com/andrerich/aquarium/page3b.htm
More info here–says why not to:
http://www.algone.com/substrate.php
If the sand is composed of aragonite, it may buffer your pH higher than you want it to be.