sand....pros and cons

[ewanmcn]

Hi folks.
I have always had no substrate in my tank because its the easiest thing cleaningwise.

Turtles natural habitat would have sand at the bottom of the water so Im coming round to the idea.
First I want to know peoples thoughts about using sand as substrate. What kind of sand? Where do I look for it? The pros? The cons? Other peoples experience?

[turtlegirl]

If you want to use sand, make sure it is safe and free from chemicals. Do NOT use building sand. Aquarium sand from petshops is expensive but experienced fish or turtle keepers use kids playsand instead! You can get a bag of Argos playsand for about £3. You need to rinse it first before use several times outside in a bucket till the water runs clear, If you don;t have a yard, put the sand in an old pillowcase in the bath and run the shower through it till water is clear.

[ewanmcn]

nice tip with the pillowcase, thanks a lot :-)

[neilb]

Not really much on the "pros and cons" so far, but definitely agree with play sand rather than over-priced "aquarium sand"!

Cons first -

-> WILL turn your water cloudy for a couple of days, no matter how many times you rinse it....it just will!
-> Can get sucked into filter and make for extra cleaning, I definitely recommend filter floss in there somewhere, though be prepared to rinse / replace it every few days to start with, then at least once a month.
-> Can harbour bacteria if you have it too deep and don't rake it around with your fingers regularly.
-> Can make "spot cleaning" a little more difficult as you also syphon out sand and will then need to replace it.

Pros -
-> Looks great!
-> Generally self-cleaning, especially if you add live bugs to bury into it...
-> ...which the turtles can then hunt out, adds some more "interest" and natural behaviour.
-> Can be used to plant...well, plants of course!
-> safe and cheap!