anyone dealt with Petco Aquarium sand??

GwenInNM

Bought some black sand to use under my fluval shrimp substrate. It's rinsing so strangely. I keep getting little black beads, and I can't tell if it's rinsed enough to put in my new tank (I got for mother's day)

What is the deal with this stuff. I've watched lots of playsand, and this is nothing like it!

I need help!

Gwen

Geoffrey

I've used the same stuff and seem to remember a few round beads showing up. I've had no problems with it tho.

nawilson89

I actually purchased a bag of that a few months ago. Mine also beaded together like that. I just sifted my hand thru it daily while the tank cycled and it went away after about 3 days.

jaysee

Are the beads floating?

I have read and seen really good things about the petco sand.

GwenInNM

Yes, the beads floated but most were at the bottom. Strange stuff. It's in my tank now, and it's fine. There was a small amount of light sand floating, that took out with a brine shrimp net. I did rinse it, but so much of it didn't sink that I feel like I ended up getting rid of a good deal of it, but dumping the floating stuff, which just wouldn't sink. Way different than playsand.

All seems good!

Gwen

thekoimaiden

I would like to know about the petco black sand, too. I was going to use the black sand from Caribsea (Tahitian Moon Reef Sand), but I heard it was bad for substrate fish like my loaches. Does it say "dyed" on the bag?

jaysee

Zeez made this video with black petco sand

Setting Up Tank With Sand - YouTube

I made this video with TMS. It's infinitely dirtier than the petco sand, that's for sure



I have 5 tanks with TMS - it's nice, but it is not as soft as the caribsea sunset gold or PFS. I have zebra loaches in a moon sand tank and they don't seem to mind, and I had corys in another and the same was true of them.

GwenInNM

The bag is gone with garbage, so I can't check it. I read the back and don't remember seeing anything that said dyed, so I don't think so.

Gwen