Where To Buy Pool Filter Sand

anyone have some recommendations on where to get pool filter sand? I'm getting a couple GBRs and some corys and I heard they like sand and I don't want to spend $15 on a 5lb bag

 

You could try a hardware store or a pool store. To make sure there's nothing bad in the sand I'd place the sand with some water and chlorine bleach for a few hours and then either wait 24 hours for it to dechlorinate itself and then spread it out to dry to make sure all chlorine is gone and you should be good or get it from the fish store where they've already done this process to sterilize it for aquariums which is why it cost more.

 

Go to a place that sells spas and pool equipment. They usually go for $10 for 50lbs. If you don’t want that much you’ll have to spend more for less.

What I did was I just cleaned the sand in a bucket of water, maybe 5 lbs at a time and stirred it until the water was crystal clear. Put in to the tank and rinse and repeat until your satisfied with the amount you want.

 

Go to a place that sells spas and pool equipment. They usually go for $10 for 50lbs. If you don’t want that much you’ll have to spend more for less.

What I did was I just cleaned the sand in a bucket of water, maybe 5 lbs at a time and stirred it until the water was crystal clear. Put in to the tank and rinse and repeat until your satisfied with the amount you want.

I picked mine up from ocean state job lot. Minimal cleaning and its $10 for 50lbs. Super good deal and it really makes the tank pop.

 

I picked mine up from ocean state job lot. Minimal cleaning and its $10 for 50lbs. Super good deal and it really makes the tank pop.

I'm gonna mix it with white gravel, I already have the gravel in there and I don't feel like taking it out! lol

 

I bought mine at out local hardware/builders supply store. paid a whopping 5 bucks for 50 lbs. I rinsed mine in a little yard cart I use to tend to my flower gardens. I just kept adding water with my water hose, stirring as the water was going in and then pouring it off. Once the water ran clear I considered it clean enough, I covered it one more time with water and added enough prime for the amount of water covering it and stirred it up good. Poured that water off and the sand went in my fully stocked tank.

Hopefully if you go this route you have a place outside to do the rinsing. Some folks have done it at their kitchen sink or the bathtub but some of it is going to escape and it has to be done a little at a time.

 

I bought mine at out local hardware/builders supply store. paid a whopping 5 bucks for 50 lbs. I rinsed mine in a little yard cart I use to tend to my flower gardens. I just kept adding water with my water hose, stirring as the water was going in and then pouring it off. Once the water ran clear I considered it clean enough, I covered it one more time with water and added enough prime for the amount of water covering it and stirred it up good. Poured that water off and the sand went in my fully stocked tank.

Hopefully if you go this route you have a place outside to do the rinsing. Some folks have done it at their kitchen sink or the bathtub but some of it is going to escape and it has to be done a little at a time.

yeah I can use a wheel barrel or a 5 gal
bucket, im
probably only gonna need 10/20 lbs

 

yeah I can use a wheel barrel or a 5 gal
bucket, im
probably only gonna need 10/20 lbs

I didn't need the whole 50 lbs. but washed it all anyway. What I didn't use I allowed to dry out and then bagged it up for future use. That extra sand is now in my 5.5 gallon and 10 gallon grow out tanks.

 

I didn't need the whole 50 lbs. but washed it all anyway. What I didn't use I allowed to dry out and then bagged it up for future use. That extra sand is now in my 5.5 gallon and 10 gallon grow out tanks.

I have an empty scratched up tank in my garage that I can put it in to store it in!

 

If home Depot is near you, I grabbed some Quikrete pool filter sand for $5.60 or something for 50lbs, more than enough for my 60 gallon

 

this is what I was looking at. mind sending me a link to the quikrete? I tried looking for it but didnt find it.

 

I have an empty scratched up tank in my garage that I can put it in to store it in!

You will want to let it dry out or you might end up with some very sour smelling sand and possibly even moldy sand. You could put the sand in there and then set it out in the sun for a few days if possible. I kept mine in the yard cart. I stirred it a couple times a day and brought it in each night in case of rain. Took me about a week to dry it out but it was at least 6 inches deep. Shallower sand will dry quicker.

 

I've heard good stuff about that sand, here's the link to the one I used.

It's in the outdoor section of home Depot, at least where I am. A couple of aisles away from the outdoor flower pots

 

I've heard good stuff about that sand, here's the link to the one I used.

It's in the outdoor section of home Depot, at least where I am. A couple of aisles away from the outdoor flower pots

yeah the closest HD that has it in stock is like 40 miles away where ace is 3 miles away

 

Pool store or hardware store

 

I am envious-I paid $14 for my bag of pool filter sand at the local pool supply place. For some reason our Home Depot doesn’t have it.

 

I paid $12 for a bag of from my local Pool Supply place.
Home Depot, Lowes nor Walmart carried anything.

 

My Ocean State Job Lot did have it during pool season, but for even more than the pool store. I think it was the same brand - Lighthouse. Of course, at my likely rate of use, I’m not going to need another bag for a long time. I do like the look - I would call it a light gray or beige color, not a bright white, very neutral when wet.

 

My Ocean State Job Lot did have it during pool season, but for even more than the pool store. I think it was the same brand - Lighthouse. Of course, at my likely rate of use, I’m not going to need another bag for a long time. I do like the look - I would call it a light gray or beige color, not a bright white, very neutral when wet.

I wanted the more natural color anyways, ive been really trying to go for a naturalish look when doing my tank and I wanted sand but ended up going for white gravel because I didnt wanna pay $6 for a 5lb bag of bright white sand lol

 

but today I'm gonna go to ACE and get some filter sand

 

I started with gravel for my 40gal. I used Blue, lt blue & blue-green. 5 bags @ $5.29ea. It looks really nice. I had to wash it a whole bunch of times to get the leftover dye out of it before I put it in the tank. Looking around the forum I saw tons of pics with Sand as the substrate and I thought it looked stunning. Alot more natural looking over colored gravel.

The Mystic White brand sand is almost like a bone color. More cream/beige color than white tho. Looks identical to beach sand color wise. I only used one 50lb bag for a 75gal tank. I might get another bag to have ready when it's time to do my cleaning. My cichlids are digging their way to china!

 

I started with gravel for my 40gal. I used Blue, lt blue & blue-green. 5 bags @ $5.29ea. It looks really nice. I had to wash it a whole bunch of times to get the leftover dye out of it before I put it in the tank. Looking around the forum I saw tons of pics with Sand as the substrate and I thought it looked stunning. Alot more natural looking over colored gravel.

The Mystic White brand sand is almost like a bone color. More cream/beige color than white tho. Looks identical to beach sand color wise. I only used one 50lb bag for a 75gal tank. I might get another bag to have ready when it's time to do my cleaning. My cichlids are digging their way to china!

this is my tank now, I'm gonna keep it the same just add some of the sand on top cause I can't be bothered to remove the gravel

 

What tank size is that? 25? It would look a lot nicer if you took the time to remove the gravel.

 

What tank size is that? 25? It would look a lot nicer if you took the time to remove the gravel.

its a 29, and I want to, but I have the rocks scaped in a perfect mosaic like way and I don't wanna stress my fish out too much, they get freaked out during a water change

 

its a 29, and I want to, but I have the rocks scaped in a perfect mosaic like way and I don't wanna stress my fish out too much, they get freaked out during a water change

Ahh, gotcha. Well since you have the rocks set in a particular pattern, won't it get covered by the sand? Sand will travel everywhere and cover everything up pretty quick. Sand is unforgiving. Not like gravel that will stay in place. You'll have your job cut out for you when trying to keep the sand away from the rocks.

 

Ahh, gotcha. Well since you have the rocks set in a particular pattern, won't it get covered by the sand? Sand will travel everywhere and cover everything up pretty quick. Sand is unforgiving. Not like gravel that will stay in place. You'll have your job cut out for you when trying to keep the sand away from the rocks.

im
assuming this is still safe but id rather ask first

 

It'll be fine. Just be sure to wash it several times until the water is the clearest you can see before putting it in the tank. Use small portions that will make it easier to wash out and pour into the tank.

Good luck!

 

It'll be fine. Just be sure to wash it several times until the water is the clearest you can see before putting it in the tank. Use small portions that will make it easier to wash out and pour into the tank.

Good luck!

I was thinking to take the gravel out I could just put some tank water in a bucket or pitcher and just put the fish in there while I rescape

 

I was thinking to take the gravel out I could just put some tank water in a bucket or pitcher and just put the fish in there while I rescape

That sounds like a good plan. It's gonna look wicked nice!

 

Assuming it’s just sand with nothing added (and if there were anything added it would be listed on the bag), it’s fine. Silica, like many other things, is not so good for you if you breathe it in, but unless you’re going to stick your nose in it that should not be a problem. Some states are a little more picky about what warnings they require, that’s all. Silica equals silicon dioxide equals, in this case, quartz - quartz sand, in other words, exactly what you want.

 

heres what it looks like! cleaning sand is a pain in the butt. I found an easier way to do it though, put it in a 5 gal bucket (I only filled it 35% w sand) and then fill it with water, then take a drill mixer and use that to agitate then dump the water and repeat like 800 times but nonetheless it was easier than using just my hands

 

Wow looks really nice!! I used a egg beater to clean my sand in the bucket. Yeah I had to wash my sand a hundred times too. It was all worth it tho.

 

Wow looks really nice!! I used a egg beater to clean my sand in the bucket. Yeah I had to wash my sand a hundred times too. It was all worth it tho.

I used one of the concrete drill mixers