Whats the downside to using silica sand?

[geekdafied]

Ive read where people use silica sand, and its used in pool filters. I have also heard that the only drawback of it is if you have sand sifter fish as it can cut their mouths. Silica sand is usually quarts sand and is used in making glass for aquariums so it cant be that bad if everybody is using it in their aquariums.

Any thoughts or experiences?

[cuttingras]

I looked into it when I started mine. I decided I wanted crushed coral and live sand mix, cause I like the way it looks. Here's a page I found...

Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Silica Sand

[Tangster]

Silicates feed diatoms..

[Tangster]

Originally Posted by cuttingras

I looked into it when I started mine. I decided I wanted crushed coral and live sand mix, cause I like the way it looks. Here's a page I found...

Reefs.org: Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet - Silica Sand

I can't read that stuff but the first paragraph ever noticed that brown haze that appears in the aquarium glass ?? And raw quartz is not glass and the quartz has not been fired . And I love the way he coved his butt with many grades and type and yadda yadda I tried it several times and I found out it does not work for me and anyone I ever knew to use it personally..

And I'll give you odds that if you ever or had used it then you'll learn experts are just hobbyist with sponsors, And call them and tell them their idea did not work see what they say ?? Every tank is different as are grades of silica sands LOL he already covered that ..

[geekdafied]

Which silicate feeds diatoms though? Silicate is a very broad term. Most rocks and minerals are silicates. So the ocean is full of silicates. Silica sand is generally quartz sand. Which is what I was looking at. I found 50lbs of white silica sand(quartz sand) for $5 sold as pool filter sand.

[Tangster]

Exactly what rocks and or sands ?? is simple play sand O.K ? or maybe brick mortar sand ok ? maybe some river bank sand ? and just add some spring water to a system (: As you said its a broad term But why try to save a few diatoms at the cost of loosing dollars ? We call that dimes holding up dimes (: ever notice theses experts never show their tanks with the off the wall sand and ideas ? Dr Smucker kept wiping his out every 3 yrs LOL I know from experience that when I used any silica based building or cheap sand I fought algae and used up silica sponges but the buckets .. But hey maybe you will be the lucky type ?

Now I'd either go bare bottom or if I add a sand I want it to do something to help my water (: and I guess if you found the perfect silica sand and used it what benefit would it lend to your system ? Use some tell me how it works out for you ):

[geekdafied]

lol

The only thing Ive found out about quartz sand is you dont have any buffering capability, which I already new that cause its pulverized rock instead of calcium carbonate. I will probally go bare bottom any ways, I was just curious.

[dngspot]

A friend of mine used white fine quarta sand. He kept loosing snails and did not know why. This type of sand is not good for sand sifters and will kill sand sifting snails. It is to sharp and cuts the digestive track.

[lunatik_69]

why would you want to use silica instead of sand?

[geekdafied]

I was looking at using it for a frag tank, no fish, snails, crabs or shrimp, just corals. I wanted it to help reflect light, but the egg crate will do that better. So Im going bare bottom.