sand PH?what is this?

R

Ranger

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I am about to purchase some sand from a website called trademe, where some one is selling two different kinds of sand. the first has been stated to have a ph leve of 7.5. what does this mean is it good? it comes already cleaned and looks like beach sand except it is salt free. the second kind has a ph level of 7.2 and says it is natural looking with small micro stones in it that are natural. is this good? im at a complete loss for which sand to get and dont want to buy some from a building place as i dont know what might be in it.
any help is appreciated :)
 
Hi Ranger,

Could you please post the website for these substrates?

By reading the short description, I would go with the first option because you don't want any salt in the sand, as this will increase the pH over time which, in turn, will give you grief in trying to maintain the pH at a comfortable ~7. However, both descriptions are very ambiguous, especially the second option, i.e. small micro stones of what exactly?

Jay.
 
hey..

buying from a building supplies would possibly mean you woul dhave to purchase the minimum of 1sq m.
drop down to TOYs R Us, as for some "playsand"

cost ya about 10 bucks...

remember to put it in a bucket and wash it til the water runs clear (i did it batches in a icecream container...)

dont worry about all these fancy "sands"

play sand will do you just fine ;)
 
The important thing to ask about sand is simply is it reactive? Many ocean sands are made up of crushed coral or shells which eventually dissolve into your tank water and change the chemistry. Ocean sands may also have residual sea salts, some of which may change your tank pH (note: table salt does not affect pH but salt is a huge category of chemicals.)

Playsand should be fine for your newt enclosure, but I would recommend finding some pool and spa filter sand. This is used to help filter the pool water and comes quite clean and is also a near uniform mesh or size. I don't know how common pool and spa stores are, but I would make that my first thing to check for. It is also pretty cheap as I have not seen it go for over $7 US for a 22.5 kg bag.
 
well i put the sand in the tank... tipped the water in, and all the sand settled... there was some "dust" which the filter just picked up and filtered...

no problem

play sand wont effect ur axie...
they naturally live in mud and sand, shouldnt be an issue
 
The best advise I can give you in regards to using sand is to rinse it, rinse it again, rinse it some more, and did I mention rinse it. The more you rinse it the clearer the water will be. The water will always be a little cloudy when you first add the water but should soon clear after a day or two. I have been using sand for years with a number of species and have yet to have an issue with it.
 
Play sand is perfect to use. It will not clog up your filter (you may get a gain of sand in it here or there, but it's easy rinsed out and doesn't cause any problems).

It will not affect your axolotl at all. Like Greatwtehunter said, you need to wash it a lot, but then again, any sand you put in your tank needs to be throughly washed.
 
Sand can clog up the filter but this is of no concern because you can simply remove the impeller and clean out the sand.

Jay.
 
ok im in new zealand so what shop will sell play sand? ive tried bunnings but they didnt have any
 
Ranger said:
ok im in new zealand so what shop will sell play sand? ive tried bunnings but they didnt have any
Click to expand...

It's strange that Bunnings didn't have any...

Most hardware stores sell Childrens Play Sand as it is used in Sand Pits. Large department stores may also have it in stock if they cater for outdoor activities.

If you can't find any Play Sand, then you can also purchase and use Pool Filter Sand as Abrahm has recommended below...oops above lol.
 
Bunnings in Australia has play sand - did you ask one of the attendants? They might have just been out of it. It was in the garden section, so try any hardware shop that has a garden/outdoor section - I think The Warehouse in NZ has one doesn't it? You could try there. You should list your location in your profile! That might help ;)

Boof, I don't think they have Toys R Us in NZ, but correct me if I'm wrong :happy:

Edit: This is from www.bunnings.co.nz on an information sheet to make a sandpit:
Bunnings sell sand in 20 & 40kg bags
Click to expand...
http://www.bunnings.co.nz/diy/brochure/55/How_to_Make_a_Sandpit.aspx

I bought a 20kg bag in Aus for $8.90 or something AUD
 
Last edited:
wow, i thought TOYS R US was a world wide company

after a quick google... cant find any NZ stores...

so, i would forget what i said and go with the above
 
ok thank you for all your help :) The bunnings store i went to, the attendent lady siad they didnt sell it but she could have been wrong or didnt know what she was talking about.....
There is a wharehouse in my town and a pool/spa shop so i shall check there :)
thanks again for all your help
 
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