# White silica sand: Does it alter Ph?



## Robbie X (20 Apr 2017)

Was in my lfs today. They have a very fine white silica sand that looks exactly what I wanted for my upcoming tank. I will be using it for the open non-planted areas.
Do I need to worry about it altering water chemistry?


----------



## zozo (22 Apr 2017)

No likely not, what it could do, what many poeple experience using silica based substrate like sand and gravel is a higher amount of diatom algae after startup. Having diatoms after startup is very common if not the case for everyone, this is a cycle you need to wait out. Diatoms are buildup with a silica exoskeleton. So having substrate leaching silica into the water column makes diatom very happy and mutliply like mad as long enough the silica is present. After all or majority, is consumed the diatoms will dissapear on their own again.. This can be weeks or months.. In my case it took me 6 months and during this time 2 x 50% weekly water change. Also mixed a silica gravel in the substrate..

But it does no harm.. It is wait and see.. Probably all substrates contain a certain ammount of silica that needs to leach out.. Because about everybody goes through this diatom cycle after the start up..


----------



## Tim Harrison (22 Apr 2017)

No you don't it'll be fine.


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

Cheers guys. Out of interest, does anyone know what type of white sand I have been seeing in documentaries about clear amazonian water habitats?


----------



## Tim Harrison (22 Apr 2017)

I know that ADA has a range of cosmetic sand, also you could try Unipac, I know a few of us have used their range with great results, me included.

Unipac Maui Fine sand...


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

Tim Harrison said:


> I know that ADA has a range of cosmetic sand, also you could try Unipac, I know a few of us have used their range with great results, me included.
> 
> Unipac Maui Fine sand...


Cheers Tim. The sand I was looking at in the lfs was super fine, I mean it was like dust.


From the videos, I have been watching about amazonian clear water habitat the sand is also very fine.


----------



## Tim Harrison (22 Apr 2017)

Wow, that's like flour, that'd be more than a little too fine for my tastes.


----------



## Swordplay (22 Apr 2017)

I quite like the Jbl sansibar range as a substrate, still quite fine but maybe not as powdery as the one in your pic. If you have any Corys or similar it'll probably alll end up in your filter


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

Tim Harrison said:


> Wow, that's like flour, that'd be more than a little too fine for my tastes.


It is very fine. Looking at it now it may be to uniformly white also, to the point of being unnatural if you see what I mean.


----------



## zozo (22 Apr 2017)

Karlie Flamingo has it, but in the Terrarium section..
http://www.flamingo.be/

Terrarium or aquarium doesn't make a difference, both are pet safe..  I used the Mojave dessert sand in fluidized sand bed filter for the aquarium. It is as dust, realy fine grained.


It is available in the UK also via Amazon i've seen it.. Also have a white sand..


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

Swordplay said:


> I quite like the Jbl sansibar range as a substrate, still quite fine but maybe not as powdery as the one in your pic. If you have any Corys or similar it'll probably alll end up in your filter


Cheers Swordplay. Just had a look at the jbl range. The sand i Linked looks more like their


 
As I just mentioned to Tim above, The more I look at it the more unnatural it looks. Maybe i should look at the JBL Sansibar river sand?


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

zozo said:


> Karlie Flamingo has it, but in the Terrarium section..
> http://www.flamingo.be/
> 
> Terrarium or aquarium doesn't make a difference, both are pet safe..  I used the Mojave dessert sand in fluidized sand bed filter for the aquarium. It is as dust, realy fine grained.
> ...



Cheers zozo, that's a very cool contraption


----------



## zozo (22 Apr 2017)

JBL Sansibar, is very light, i read a lot of people complaining that it doesn't hold plants.. You would realy need to glue a rock to the roots if planted in the sand. I guess this goes for all realy fine graind sand.


----------



## Robbie X (22 Apr 2017)

zozo said:


> JBL Sansibar, is very light, i read a lot of people complaining that it doesn't hold plants.. You would realy need to glue a rock to the roots if planted in the sand. I guess this goes for all realy fine graind sand.


It's for the non-planted area around a side planted island. Will be using ADA aqua soil Amazonia and ADA  aqua soil powder for the planted area.


----------



## Iain mlaren (23 Apr 2017)

I seen a display tank today that had this jbl river bed in it today and ive ordered some for next week. I used very fine white sand in my setup as it was laying around... i wont recomend it. Anything that gets on it stands out it goes green and when you syphon it the lot goes up the hose. Ive now syphoned it out awaiting the jbl substrate. Also if your not careful its easy to strach the glass with it. As i did somehow. I was trying to be very careful aswel and it still happened. Hope this helps 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


----------



## Robbie X (23 Apr 2017)

Iain mlaren said:


> I seen a display tank today that had this jbl river bed in it today and ive ordered some for next week. I used very fine white sand in my setup as it was laying around... i wont recomend it. Anything that gets on it stands out it goes green and when you syphon it the lot goes up the hose. Ive now syphoned it out awaiting the jbl substrate. Also if your not careful its easy to strach the glass with it. As i did somehow. I was trying to be very careful aswel and it still happened. Hope this helps
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


The JBL Sansibar river sand is "Graining: CA. 0.8" it's bigger than the stuff I was looking at but after a few guys have mentioned the problem with the real fine stuff. I'm leaning towards the JBL River now as well.


----------



## Iain mlaren (23 Apr 2017)

Still fine but not super fine that it will go up the syphon so easier to vac it

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


----------

