Pool sand and play sand for the aquarium let's debunk the myths.

My research findings.
As you know for the past 80-years hobbyist have been led to believe that Nitrates, an end byproduct of the nitrogen cycle, is harmless to fish and only becomes a problem if Nitrates exceeds 80-100ppm.Hobbyist are more worried about high levels of Nitrates not because of the fish being bothered by it but the introduction of cyanobacteria and algae. However, through my research this cannot be further from the truth, and just because a fish shows no outward signs of stress like they do with that of ammonia poisoning or too high of Nitrites, prolong exposure too Nitrates and even at low levels does do damage.
Here is one example: A long time ago I had a Goldfish that got caught in my skimmer and was severally beaten up to the point that euthanizing the fish would have been the humane thing to do. But instead, I placed the fish back into the Anoxic-filtering Pond to see if it would recover. Well, it did, and within 3-month the fish look as though nothing had happen to it. This got me thinking why this fish survived such a traumatic experience with no intervention from me in any way, and yet why do fish, cold and tropical, seem to get parasitic infections, fungus, fins rot and so on when they appear to be healthy other whys. What unknown stresses are our animals experiencing that we as hobbyist are overlooking? Why are we overlooking these stresses?
As you know a fish’s brain is much like that of a human brain and does contain a hippocampus and fish do produce the hormones secretion glucocorticoids or (GCs for short). This has been proven in Salmon fish after going upstream to spawn, and then shortly afterword’s die off. The excess amounts of glucocorticoids adrenal hormones secretion after spawning indicates the fish have been deeply stress and already bodily functions are shutting down and being damage from the overly abundance of this stress hormone glucocorticoids. The shrinking of the hippocampus is a sure sign that too much glucocorticoid is present, and the fish is under great stress.
Like us humans when we have insomnia, most of the time 75% is caused by stress and the overly production of glucocorticoids, a stress released hormone in humans, too. Yet, insomnia will not adversely affect its victim immediately but if persistent enough it may cause other side effects such as impairing our immune system and the shrinking of the hippocampus, memory loss.
What I found is that fish under sustained exposure to Nitrates, anything over 5-ppm produce an overabundance of the hormone glucocorticoids that cause the degeneration in the fish. In all fish, the hippocampus a neutral site that is always a spot for which glucocorticoids affect showed exacerbated neuronal damage. This means that Nitrates are a stressor and can be a potential modulator of the hippocampal degeneration that I was seeing in fish exposed to Nitrates for prolong periods.
Those fish that were exposed to Nitrates of under 5-ppm or less showed very little to no excessive glucocorticoids and their hippocampus was normal. As the Nitrate levels increased along with prolong exposed the hormone glucocorticoids increased and therefore caused neuronal damage over time. This would explain why my Goldfish recovered over its stressful mishap after being placed in the Anoxic filter because Nitrates were at 5-ppm or less.
I experimented with the Carassius auratus capability to ward off stress, diseases, and parasites exposed to Nitrates of less than 5-ppm and those of long-term exposed Nitrates greater than 10-ppm going as high as 80-ppm. Those Carassius auratus that live in low Nitrate and/or free Nitrate water, like they would in nature, were less susceptible to the biological and chemical insults and had lower Glucocorticoids than those Carassius auratus that lived in stressful Nitrates laden water. The hippocampal of the later Carassius auratus showed degeneration of the hippocampal and no damage to those fish that were exposed to the low Nitrates. This would explain why Koi show a greater sheen to their skin in low Nitrate water than those in higher amounts of Nitrates. No stress! The Nitrates are the cause of higher amounts of glucocorticoids that stress the Koi unknowingly to the hobbyist.
This also may explain why my Koi and others using the Anoxic Filter have Koi over 30-years old now. It may explain why my South American Bumblebee catfish, Microsynodontis batesii in my 20-gal antique aquarium is now over 25-years old using a plenum that keep Nitrates lower than 10-ppm with two water changes a year.
Like diabetes that doesn’t kill its victims outright but will cause secondary problems like kidney malfunction becoming stage 4 or higher, heart disease, eye impairment and so on. Nitrates over time increase glucocorticoids and although not directly will kill the animal, it will eventually cause another insult to take hold and do the job instead. Once again, more research needs to be done.

[@msblann1960]

Respectfully, I would have to disagree, HTH Pool filter sand is more granular, than play sand. IT IS NOT SMALLER. I had play sand in my fish tank and it was a disaster. It compacted, and starved my plants. HTH Pool filter sand, on the other hand, had been Wonderful. I have to add fertilizer, but plants are doing great! Not sure what pool filter sand you are looking at, but playground sand should NEVER be put in a fish tank.

[@NorthLVLowRoller]

Your Ranchu's are looking lovely. Very interesting video, thanks for sharing.

[@robertmeserve2044]

Can I just get a yes or a no? Or a half Pool and play sand? Why is this a 30 minute conversation about sand.

[@piepkwiep4312]

Play sand average size 0,3 mm. Pool sand between 0,4 and 0,8 mm.

[@HndyNdy]

I've used both play sand and currently HTH Pool Filter sand. I've purchased play sand from both Home Depot and Lowes who carried 2 different brands each at the time and with my findings the grain size was always much finer much smoother, far more clumping than the pool filter sand (HTH brand) was. I purchased the HTH Pool Filter sand from Ace Hardware that wasn't as local. I am not saying I can't believe your results, but I would really recommend trying bags from other locations / brands perhaps. You are very thorough and detailed it was just shocking how perfectly you described pool sand, but kept calling it play sand. I don't want to say you are mistaken, but I would not be so quick to jump to a conclusion based on your test samples / research. (edited: typo correction)

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Did you ever measure the sand that you were using? Most people do not know how to judge with her eyes only and you would have to measure the two.

[@johnmoore5293]

Would a volume to wt ratio help determine particle size? Weight of one cup for instance?

[@jimi5854]

there is sand with like stones in it. i have had the best luck with that. i think its from streams not beaches.

[@savvassimitsis9090]

6:22 Ι would argue most of the natural sand on the planet is quartz sand, color of quartz can vary depending on impurities in and on the grains.

[@rickwallace2091]

We had a jacuzzi pool filter with jacuzzi pool sand when I was a young kid, and this finally explains to me how it worked. Once we would vacuum the pool, we would backwash and it was full of particulate matter.

[@connieg412]

So good Sir do I mix my sand and gravel together?

[@jennikohl5189]

I just went through the nightmare of the wrong type of play sand. I guess I got a horrible bag. I rinsed it over 20 times, still have cloudy water. (Must be clay? ) There are larger grains in it, but 3/4 of the grains are super fine and are disturbed very easily. I lost much of it while rinsing. I gave up on it and bought medium blasting sand. It's been much easier to work with, but it is black. I'd rather have a natural sand look, but I'm scared to buy another bag of play sand.

[@seancarroll5649]

I think most of the people here can't comprehend most of what you say. Get to the point a little quicker. But good info. From your friend the API 570/510

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Shame on you for saying something like that. Embarrassing people because their intelligence level isn't as high of standard as yours. I have taught several adults with different IQ levels and I never once try to embarrass them and make them feel bad if they cannot catch on to what I was saying.

[@breakingwind_sailing]

Very interesting study and findings on the read. Makes sense to me. I believe that is why people have more problems when bringing home fish from the "big box stores" as opposed to private fish stores. Poor water conditions and unstable parameters. Thanks again Dr. Novak. By the way, update, the 29gal. I had set up with plenum at my daughter's house has completed the cycle in only a month and a half. Six weeks! Not sure how or why so fast but we can barley detect the nitrates at all and no algae. The first 3-4 weeks it had a good amount of algae growing on the glass and decor that we cleaned each week during the water changes. Last weekend I arrived at her house and thought she had cleaned it, but after speaking with her , it wasn't cleaned for the last 2-weeks. I was amazed by the tests and look of the water.😲😲

[@Trashalchemy]

I prefer masonry sand because it's got the largest granules of the commonly available options.

[@jbm0745]

I have both masonry and play sand at home right now Just compared the two and play sand clearly has larger grain size.

[@DanielMorris766126]

I do not know what "play sand" you buy, I buy pool sand from ace. they loaded me with play sand once by mistake, and that play sand was not much more than powder, and is much liter. as I attempted to wash it out in a bucket most of it washed out of the bucket . you may be sold something different as I was labeled as play sand. play sand here is not much different from baby powder and free floats in the water when disturbed. you are right that pool sand compacts,.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I show pictures of the bags on my video which are sold here in Florida by Lowe's or Home Depot.

[@jennikohl5189]

@@DanielMorris766126 I got the same kind of play sand! It's a nightmare. I was joking that I was saving 10 cents an hour rinsing the stuff and ended up with a third of the product I bought. I think it would have been cheaper to buy aquarium sand. I just bought medium blasting sand instead. It rinsed easily and is just the right grain size for my planted tank project. It's black, but I'll live with it.

[@n8loux]

Ive been using play sand in combination with plain old top soil in all my aquariums for years. Always seem to work great.

[@al44tec]

Question, will brownian motion separate these different materials eventually? The reason why I am asking is because I used soil on the bottom and capped with pool filter and play sand combined. Kind of just thinking the play sand will separate to the top anyways over a period of time. Thanks.

[@craigathonian]

Doctor, I have to share with you a saying my father was fond of....Talking to some people is like banging your head against the wall, only so that when ya stop, it feels better ! I had a couple of friends who only bought official name brand products. When i suggested a cheaper natural pebble/gravel that they wanted from the pet store, and instead to buy it from the big box stores in the building department, they bulked in horror and stated that it's not "Aquarium Safe" I tried to reason with them that "big Manufactures" are all about the bottom line. What makes you think they are going to put out all that extra money for toxins to be added ?...to a natural EASY material ? They didn't get it ...and some never will. Hence i stopped with banging my head against the wall....with a lot of people ! With that said, i enjoyed watching this video to hear you go into micro measurements and the different processes the different sand sizes are made for. A question on another topic, and that is about activated charcoal. If one were to mix in a substrate some activated charcoal, then this AC absorbs whatever is in the water column. The normal action that people do is to remove it when it has done its job. My question is, having it the substrate or putting the used AC in an isolated aquarium thats fully seasoned with a well established micro colony, wouldn't these organisms clean the Activated Charcoal ?

[@Jakel84]

Dr. Novak, please don’t forget about all us reef keepers! How should we set up a plenum? Would love a video just for the saltwater crowd! Would probably be very…controversial…

[@michaeldepaepe]

The info you give about play sand might not be correct for everywhere in the world... Play sand in my experience and from what I see around me has a much finer grain than the one you described. Also, pool filter sand comes in various grain sizes where I live, the smallest of which is 0.4-0.8 mm

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

The discussion about grain size of sand has been already defined. Most sands fall within the tolerance of each other, meaning that they cross their sizes and matching of each other. You may have one sand that is 0.4- 0.8 mm in size and then another sand may be 0.2-0.7 mm size. Actually I measured the different sands that are out there that hobbyist use and they all fall within tolerance of each other as far as size goes. The very fine Sands, and the very large sands are not used by hobbyist anyway.

[@TankBossOG]

I don't know where you get your sand from? I'm in Ohio. Typically I use HTH brand. The sand here that is pool filter sand is much larger granules than play sand. Play sand is also dirtier and harder to rince out. I have tried both over last 15+ years. Also I used both in many tanks. I typically don't go deeper 1.5 to 2 inches.

[@DiscusRussell]

FYI pool filter sand comes in different grain sizes 0.4-0.8mm, 0.5-1.0 mm, 0.71-1.25 mm, 0.8-1.6 mm, 1.0-1.6 mm 1.0-2.0 mm. So I am sorry that you generalizing is not strictly true. Looking forward to your reply Russell

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

FYI this is already been discussed. You're a little bit behind the times.

[@greensky01]

Which is denser, play sand or pool filter sand? Pool filter sand is denser than play sand. This is because pool filter sand is made of silica, a tiny and dense material. On the other hand, play sand is made of various materials, including quartz, feldspar, and limestone. These materials are larger and less dense than silica. The density of a material is its mass per unit volume. The density of pool filter sand is about 2.65 grams per cubic centimeter, while the density of play sand is about 2.4 grams per cubic centimeter. This means that pool filter sand is about 10% denser than play sand. The density of a material affects its weight and its buoyancy. Pool filter sand is heavier than play sand, which will sink to the bottom of a pool or container. Play sand is lighter than pool filter sand, so it will float on top of water. The density of a material also affects its ability to filter water. Pool filter sand is more dense than play sand, so it is better at filtering water. This is because the small, dense particles of pool filter sand can trap more contaminants than the larger, less dense particles of play sand. For these reasons, pool filter sand is the better choice for use in pool filters. It is denser, heavier, and better at filtering water than play sand.

[@KettmanAquatic]

The pool filter sand I got today is actually larger than the aquarium sand I got originally.

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

I think pool sand per cubic inch would be heavier than play sand due to the airspace between particles

[@wetwaterfish]

I feel when talking about the differences between pool filter sand and play sand you should highlight that what you are talking about is just between two particular brands that you have tested… In most cases pool filter sand have much larger granules than play sand and is definitely much cleaner. I have basically given up on trying to wash play sand.

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

100% agree with what you have said, that's how it is in Australia too. The pool filter sand has been sieved and cleaned and that's why they charge a lot more. The play sand is fine and soft so children can fall on it, it's been sterilised but it would take a few hundred litres of water to wash every 20kg bag!

[@coltscustoms]

I've used both play sand and pfs and agree. The play sand is too fine and messy for me, the pfs I have is coarse which i prefer but there are different grain sizes.

[@tastyfishsauce4410]

Agree, the pool filter sand from Menards is much finer than that of HTH pool filter sand that I used to get at Ace Hardware. On the other hand, if I get a play sand from Menards or Lowes or Home Depot, they are much finer and dirtier. I personally prefer the courser as it is heavier and stays put when fish swim by and much easier to vacuum for maintenance.

[@jbm0745]

Just compared Quikrete brand sands. Pool sand is much finer grain size than play sand. Significantly finer.

[@cheenaxe]

Naww I don't think I agree.. I'm in newzealand and play sand is definately fine compared to pool filter sand. But America has been known to do things differently from the rest of the world

[@rockfella27]

Clearing up a lot of misinformation as always doc. Thx again.

[@guppiesstories5942]

Most people misunderstand density and weight. Dr. Novak is trying to highlight the grain size of sand. The smaller the size, the lighter it will be. [ small ball bearings lighter than bigger ball bearings ] The density of sand is constant. Weight is not.The problem here is the different pool sand and playsand standards in different regions/countries.It looks like some play sand is finer than ploolsand. By common logic, pool sand should be fine as it is for filtering. Also while fine sand can have larger surface area, therefore more microbacteria population, it may not mean good results [ refer to timeline 21:53 for his explanation ] The key is water flow and correct low dissolved oxygen levels. Edit: The key here is water flow and correct low dissolved oxygen levels in the inner zones of the bcb for the denitrification to happen.

[@fritzhoffmann9746]

How about medium grade blast sand vs play sand?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I have tried both with mixed results. The best results I've ever gotten, where I mix the sand with a larger gravel substrate in it..

[@fritzhoffmann9746]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Ty, I'll try that.

[@akwemeni]

Thank you Mr. Novak. I appreciate your genuinely educated approach, and as a new aquarist I'm so glad I found your channel. It makes too much sense to me. As I get closer to filling, cycling, and choosing a species to keep, I get more and more excited about starting. I truly hope all is well with you and yours.

[@TheMudiver]

Chick grit is quartz rock sand or grit and its larger ! Maybe its not fine enough? It could a part of a good mix what ya thank Dr.K. I don't have an aquarium I can't afford it I'm n W Va. Rockville Va mines the whitest sand in the world

[@rochelle6006]

Hi Kevin , your no 1 stalker here, I am actually writing to thank you for your anoxic filtration system, over Xmas I added bcb bags and baskets to my patio ponds, what have I got to loose 🤷🏼‍♀️ and I have been monitoring them for the last few weeks, last week I thought the nitrates had slowed or stablized but this morning when I tested my nitrates they had reduced 😲 I thought I may have been reading into to much it’s around the 6 or 7 weeks mark and I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I saw my tests this morning I was super excited and had to let you know, last week I also set up a undergravel filtration system( plenum) also in a 10 gallon with 2 pearl scales, I love goldfish and wanted something with a decent bio load to monitor it , so far so good at 0 ammonia already but need to wait out a few more weeks to get a good gauge on how it runs . I also have a baby bristle nose pleco so quite a good bio load for a 10g. Early stages but so far I am very happy with the results, as for my patio ponds well I’m blown away, very excited to see how they progress, would love to show you a video of them all but limited here and I don’t want to leave to long of a message. But Thankyou you are a life saver to our fish amd this hobby , I can only hope this gets out to more people 🙏🏼💕 Your no 1 stalker 😉

[@fieldcreekmeadow6103]

Hi Dr Novak, thank you for all you knowledge and advice I watch your videos and just installed anoxic filtration in my Turtletank, can't wait to see the results. On the topic of this video I agree on all your conclutions but I think the pool sand being more heavy is a mather of how you look at it, if you fill a bucket with pool sand and one with playsand the bucket with pool sand would weighs more becouse its more packed less air in between so my guess is that's where the "missconception" come from. However the displacement on water would be the same, so it sinks the same in water becouse the density of a grain is the same big or small.

[@guppiesstories5942]

You are right that the bucket of pool-sand will weight more. The way I looked at it was the context in the manner Dr. Novak was explaining. A smaller grain of sand will weight less than the bigger grain. Density of a grain of sand is the same big or small, that is absolutely true, but the weight is not the same. The bigger the grain of sand is, the heavier. Density is constant but weight is not.

[@rochelle6006]

Over Xmas I added bcb baskets and bags to my ponds and set up a plenum in a 10 g with 2 baby goldfish ( for bio load) The results have blown my mind, this week I have finally seen the results I was hoping for , all have reduced in nitrates to 5-10 ppm so far and dropping , mine always sat above 40 ppm and needed weekly water changes . So I hope u get similar results, it’s a game changer for me and love watching his videos of his 🥰🥰

[@fieldcreekmeadow6103]

@@guppiesstories5942 yes but the essens of what im saying is the displacement of water is the same in relation to volyme wish is the the essential matter to floatation. In ptjer words desity is the same even if small gratis is hevier in a bucket.

[@deneng0259]

I am wondering if i made a mistake on my order for sand. The brand is Carob Sea natural. I bought 2 sizes . One is .2-1 mm and the other is .2-2mm. How would i layer for a plenum? My thoughts were kitty litter then laterite powder then kitty litter then 1 inch of organic soil then 2 inches of the sand. Should i use something else between the soil and sand. This is going to be a corydoras only 180 gal. with some dither fish. Thank you sir for what you do. I wish that you would do live chats, but that is a different topic.

[@msdecleir6389]

OMG CAN I PUT MY KIDS PLAY SAND IN OR NOT! Lol… 😅

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Yes

[@telllyzabala]

In a plenum, does the fine filter sand go at the bottom, and the coarse filter sand for capping, or the opposite? Im preventing a dirt layer in the middle to migrate in the water flow and into the plenum.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Really doesn't matter how you put the layers of sand or dirt or gravel that's strictly up to you

[@desertfishkeeper9816]

The only advantage I could see to sand that fine is for sand sifting fish that push it though their gills looking for food.

[@RJ-vb7gh]

I think I can tell you where the myth came from. I recently bought a bag of white play sand and was surprised to find just how fine it was. I've used normal greyish play sand over the years for sandblasting and it was a lot coarser than the sand in the bag I just bought. The place I bought the latest bag of sand even recommended it for pools. I suspect that some companies, at least from time to time sell this super fine sand as play sand. It's likely that that's what they were running when they filled the bags that day. On the other hand, I'll add that the play sand I bought did have a few larger granules and some dust in it. In as much as I suspect that for the purpose of play sand they didn't exactly care about how perfectly uniform it was. I would suspect that if I bought pool sand and spent the extra money, the granule size might have been more uniform. So I further suspect, from my single experience, that some folks have actually gotten sand that was processed too fine to be pool sand and rather than throw it out... it just went into a play sand bag. I mean let's face it, no mom is ever going to complain that the stuff in the sandbox is too light and fluffy for their kid to play in. In any event for about $4.00 per bag you still get what you pay for. Also, some years I did some permeability tests on various size substrates. Particle size made very little difference in flow rates through the medium until you got down to darn near clay... On the other hand finer substrates were more prone to clogging depending on what you passed through them. If I trip across one of my micrometers I'll measure the white play sand and measure it and let you know what a mean size of the grains are.... but yes, if someone bought a bag of this stuff, they would very much think it was finer than pool sand and that's how myths get started.

[@football4.069]

Can I use volcanic lava rock? it is very rich in iron

[@later_daze_4080]

Never used pool sand, but I've tried play sand multiple times and I always regret it. It's dirty and you can rinse it for hours and still not get it clean. I may try mixing it with a courser gravel in the future though.

[@CM-gp2qz]

Hello Dr. Novak. I've been watching your videos for awhile. About 3 weeks ago I broke down my son's 20 gallon and following your instuctions, installed a slow moving plenum. I left my old sponge filter in the tank and used about 25% of my old water. Fish were back in tank after about 3 hours. No big issues with prior build and so far no issues since the redo. My question: is the main purpose of the laterite to Jumpstart the bacteria on the kitty litter? If not, what is it's purpose? Second, my tap water is hard and high PH. I use R.O. water with a ph of 6.5 help lower the PH but sacrifice GH and KH. Currently my PH is 7.6. High PH is 7.4. Testing with an API kit. The main problem is my GH at 11° and KH at 7° are on the soft side. This was the same as prior to the tear down. Any suggestions on how to drop PH a bit and raise GH and KH a bit. Thank you for your videos and comments.

[@dph972]

Thanks for the info Dr.Novak, I recently got into the hobby and had set up my tank with pool filter sand cap on dirt and that didn't work too well because the soil had anaerobic bacteria that produced hydrogen sulfide. I switched it out for UNS soil on a slow moving plenum. Hopefully this works better, the water is already so much clearer. Do you have any air pump recommendations for a good air pump for a 20 gallon tank plenum?

[@RiaanRetief]

Hi Dr Novak. I believe there is a discrepancy in grain size for both pool filter sand and play sand depending on which country you are from. I'm located in South Africa where pool filter sand is just inert silica sand with a grain size between 0.6mm to 1.5mm compared to play sand, which is also silica, with an average grain size of 0.06mm to 1mm.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

That's why I showed in my video the bags of sand of which I tested. The sands are readily available at just about any hardware store in the United States. Thanks for the info.

[@andreashessler838]

Same here in the UK. Pool filter sand has a larger grain size than play sand (we call it silver sand). Silver sand is extremely fine.

[@jupercio]

I just wanted to add that the density is greater, if the grain is smaller in the same volume more compact it will be (less empty space) because of that makes sense, if you consider a container with the same volume, tell the pool sand is going to be heavier than the play sand. Another thing that let me in doubt, you stated at the end that the pool sand can have better bacteria grows, won't that be contradict with the play sand more pores meaning more areas for bacteria growth? Thanks for your work with the anoxic filtration and all the information shared with everyone.

[@guppiesstories5942]

Density is constant , weight is not.

[@andrewderksen3342]

❓ So if water moves slower through pool filter sand (because it's more dense) Would that not be better for a plenum?

[@BassForever44]

Hi Kevin. Just wanted to thank you for the anoxic filtration methodology. I'll send you a bunch of pics of how I did it. After I cycle the tank. Keep it up!

[@football4.069]

I feed the fish 1kg of food per day. That food contains 40% protein. how many bcb baskets i need?

[@SteveRogers-zr8dx]

If the play sand was kept away from the front glass (gravel instead), couldn't you eliminate that blue green algae build up on the front glass? Also, why use sand at all? Why not just use gravel? Doesn't sand get pulled through your undergravel filter?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

The glass is silica base, so it has a tendency to grow algae on the sides if there is light traveling down the glass.

[@mikhalych9748]

Why is pool filter sand so expensive now?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Because it's summertime.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Physics are physics. Smaller tighter packing grains filter finer particulate. That is what it is. It could be cheaper grade filter sand is larger, but it will not filter as well. There should be a grain size on the bag of filter sand.

[@austincongo6035]

i recently purchased some Pavestone Play Sand from Home Depot, and it turned out to be quite fine, very small granular, i prefer Coarse Sand, which brand do you recommend??

[@michaelhuff8218]

Hello Dr Novak, can I mix kitty litter with the play sand to help with the porosity of the substrate and make it more able to allow flow for the plenum?

[@scottstebbins5031]

My 13 year old daughter and I use “all purpose” sand from Lowe’s for our plenums because it all different size. Do you think that is a good option?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

The sand you bought will be perfectly fine. Like I said in the video it just depends on what color you like basically and your budget on price. Good luck and have fun.

[@spikeheartSA]

play sand where you live is different to play sand where i live. Thanks for your video its an eye opener :)

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Interesting!

[@tankboss5.951]

Ok question, I noticed my local hardware store has play sand called sakrete & quikrete. Which would I need for my aquarium to put on top my plenum? Thanks ahead doc love your stuff.

[@Endtimescoming]

Why is it that soils are able to transport the air through them and not become anaerobic whereas the sand you have there in florida can become this way just a few inches down? I mean sand is more porous than a loam or a clay loam or even a sandy loam and yet the problem exists in sand and not these other soils...why is that?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Excellent question but I really don't have no good answer or a correct answer and I would only have to surmise why it's doing it and that could be incorrect.. Up north no matter how deep I dug in the soil I never ran across smelly soil like I do here in Florida.

[@TheMudiver]

Wosh🙄 I was worried sick abot dis 🙂

[@AsianAmericanGuy]

How should I clean up play sand for it to be safe to put in aquarium?

[@stevegee8010]

Most pool filter sand sold in the UK is 16/30 grade (0.5-1mm), but to work effectively it really shouldn't be any larger than 0.5mm, because as you say, it needs to trap fine particulates.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

What people don't understand as most sands falling those parameters of .5-1mm in size. .

[@jon-arildolsen8178]

Very informative video👍👍 I have two questions if i may: 1. When using sand for a plenum……is it difficult to «hit» the right amount of flow for the backteria? How do you know when the flow is correct? 2. If using only kittty litter as substrate for a plenum. We have a hard backed red color Kitty litter here in Norway. Will it funktion as an Anoxic basket if the plenum is made without an uplift tube? Best regards Jon Olsen

[@angrydimetrodon9978]

Do we realy need an how to google vid,realy?

[@mauricematla8379]

Well on this side of the Atlantic filtersand comes in different sizes. I get 0,8-1,2 MM i believe

[@roelantjonker4360]

Yeah Metric!

[@johnmoore5293]

What are the sands in the great lakes made of?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

The sand in the great lakes are actually larger sand that you find.

[@SG-Cichlids]

Two questions. One will the substrate clog using a plenum? I heard on another channel that that's what will happen. Two making a bcb basket is there a minimum width or a maximum width when making one? Thinking about it to thin to much oxygen and to wide not enough. Also I made a bcb basket the same way you did with the craft material and you lose a little kitty litter out of it. Not much just the small stuff around the edge of the basket. I doubt it will but will this affect it? I guess that's three questions.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Next month I will be having a yearly update on my 90 gallon aquarium so you can see firsthand how a Plenum works. No whoever is saying that plenums will clog up is 100% wrong. I've had a plenum running for over 10 years plus without any maintenance. You have to remember that I am stepping on a lot of toes with this channel and going against the grain trying to tell people the truth.

[@SG-Cichlids]

@Kevin Novak Ph.D. I believe you that it doesn't clog. I don't see how it could.

[@what_surrounds]

I have used play sand. Sand, whatever style + a Pithon type gravel vac, is a great way to clog your household plumbing drainage system. $$$

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I personally don't really care for sand. It causes too many problems in the long run at least from my experience.

[@fishbroz]

Great video as per usual. 👏

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

What do you think of Torpedo sand? It is a much coarser sand.

[@dimalranasinghe8152]

Thank you for the valuable information. Really appreciated.

[@GSP-76]

I've used both these sands in aquariums before..both require a lot of rinsing as they were both very dusty...I don't think the pool filter sand holds bacteria though. I had to add more bio media when using it...I'm not sure about the play sand. Both look nice in the tank when cleaned thoroughly though.

[@johnyoung5377]

Happy Holidays from NY! Just some FYI specs of PS we can get in NY. FairmontSantrol AquaQuartz pool sand is grade-20 which is ASTM sieve size .85mm. Super clean stuff and don't kick up a cloud of fine particles when disturbed. Quikrete PS is grade 20-40 which is 0.85-0.425mm and needs rinsing to clear the fine particles, just like the special kitty litter from Walmart. Thanks for all the great info you put out! Can you do a salt tank with a plenum/kitty litter/sand build? I will be starting a build with a screen between the kitty litter and sand to prevent the diggers from getting into the KL.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

The only trouble with salt water aquariums is I go on vacation a lot and I can't let it sit without being attended to.

[@SoraiaLMotta]

there will be a video about the pond's filtration?

[@Pray4Mojo1]

It depends where you get your pool filter sand, some are larger in grain size. Silica is dangerous because it causes silicosis in your lungs, which is essentially blockages in a nut shell. The fish store I used to manage used a large sand filter, it worked excellent at trapping micro particles.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Actually, the sand that used in pool filters, and that which is use in plays sand, and the size of the sand granules are very much the same, and may become a little larger or smaller, but they all fall in between the same tolerance.

[@bradsuarez2683]

Growing up I would always hear you should mix sand to clay in order to increase the permeability of the clay. However when I got seriously into agriculture as an adult many of the experts would say it makes no sense doing that.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Yes the sand is only there to keep the clay open, but otherwise it does very little benefit.

[@richardwaldhouse8067]

Dr.Novak the last bag of sand I purchased at Home Depot was labeled " 40 grit"?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

That's actually pretty large sand particles.

[@mihallucci]

Hello Dr Novak,thak you for all your great videos,learn a lot,but im little worried cause i notice that 3 of your goldfish might have a swim bladder decease problem.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Don't worry. They're perfectly fine. They do that to rest at the top to sleep and/or after eating. I've had goldfish for 64 years I've done enough dissecting of goldfish in my lifetime to no swim-bladder and no they are very healthy. You have to remember these are Ranchu's and they are a little different than other goldfish.

[@BlueLagoonPoolsAndAquatics]

I own a pool company and you are completly right to every detail. Thank you Sir :)

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Great to hear!

[@rstuff886]

Quartz is not the same as silica

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I do not know anyone who really sells quartz, whether natural or man-made for the aquarium.

[@djstickxb2615]

I had someone argue me down about this in a fb fish group.. I have all play sand tanks.. And they told me pool filter sand was best.. I told them pretty much what you are saying..lol😂🤦🤷

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

This is the reason I really don't go on forums or Facebook discussing fish problems. Too many arguments with too many people who now have deemed them selves to be the "experts." I think the word they like to use today is Master Aquarius. I don't know how that title even got started but I guess people need to deem themselves some kind of entitlement just because they do what everybody else is already doing.

[@SininStyle]

confirmation bias - noun Psychology. bias that results from the tendency to process and analyze information in such a way that it supports one’s preexisting ideas and convictions.

[@RoyDiTube]

thankyou Kevin for the good explanation, how i can know if my water flew the right way (amount) water true the play sand and cley, i have two bubblers right and left, on 400 liter tank. substrate is 6 cm sand and cley. on the plates.

[@mcaquatics3143]

Great info as always doc. Always learn something new from your channel.

[@michellejennings4259]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!

[@beararms6945]

Question what's the ph levels after adding the sand

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

7.5 -8.0 in hard water.

[@SoraiaLMotta]

thanks for explaining

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

I haven't even watched the video yet - I've only read the description/research findings, that is an amazing piece of information, thank you. I have had long held concerns about excess nitrates in foods & waterways but this adds another level. Have you heard about iAVS? It's a system that integrates aquaculture with horticulture and the focus is away from the nitrogen cycle and directed towards ammonium & soil biology. I would love to hear your thoughts about it as I think we both share a love for sand - iAVS uses coarse sand .4 to 1.2mm as a bio-filter

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

I can confirm this tomorrow, but in Australia all the play sand I've seen is very fine (.1 to .9mm) and all the pool filter sand I've seen is coarse (.4 to .7mm)

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

@@iAVs-Sandponics wait a second here isn't .9 mm a lot bigger than .7 mm. So what you're saying really is some of the sand is just a little smaller by .3 mm compared to the pool filter sand. .9mm = .0354 dia. .1mm = .0039 ( the same as a human hair) so you are saying that .0118 dia. is going to be noticeable to the hobbyist? There's no way a hobbyist is going to know the difference of 10,000 of an inch between sand grains. You mean something that is a little bit bigger than two human hairs makes that much of a difference in the whole scheme of things: are you kidding me? 99% of the hobbyist out there wouldn't know 10000 of an inch if it hit them on side of the head with a 2 x 4. It sounds to me that hobbyist have jumped on the bandwagon of pool sand over. play sand and they're trying to clean play sand with micro particles in it that shouldn't be of any concern to any hobbyist. After all I show on my video I didn't even clean the play sand that I had and it worked perfectly fine. Because I'm not stupid enough to try to clean micro particles out of a sandbag. It's like trying to separate fly shit : why are/would you doing it? It's not needed and you're going through an extra step for nothing. That's like someone saying I'm going to try to clean dirt and get all the micro particles out of it and put it in my aquarium. Now does that sound stupid to you because it sounds really stupid to me trying to clean my micro particles out of dirt. Just as stupid as it is trying to clean micro particles out of sand. So then why are we trying to clean micro particles out of sand when it's really not needed?

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I wash and use it for a completely different purpose, and it is quite easy to let the silt rise to the top for removal. It is nothing at all like separating fly shit, it is silly, dismissive and offensive that you say that. A human hair (on google) is "0.017 to 0.18mm" it is nothing at all like you mentioned, it is completely false to compare that to sand. In laymans terms, fine sand looks like fine sand, coarse sand resembles grains of sugar or salt. You have made mistakes in your video, now you are making mistakes in your comments and, frankly, saying quite stupid things. example, why talk about .001 particles when no one else has - I certainly didn't - human hair comparison??? why?

[@guppiesstories5942]

In the past I used coarse mining sand of about 3mm dia meter in my ugf. They worked very well. The sand was from tailings from tin mines in open areas. Most aquasoils I observed are around this range of diameter. Edit: The diameter of the substrate size was overlooked in the past by me.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

You're absolutely right most Aqua-soils today are 3 mm in diameter the same as the mining sand you used to use.

[@guppiesstories5942]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Given the same sized coarse sand and aqua-soil, plants planted may not do well in sand when planted in the same manner as aqua soil. Aqua soil is lighter and plants can be easily pushed in without much damage. But plants are usually crushed/damaged when pushed into the heavier sand during planting. The way I solved this was by covering the plants with sand instead of pushing them in. I get very good results with my crypts in my sand planted bcb. The mining tailing sand size was created by natural means. Over months/years of rains, somehow 3mm dia sized remained at the top of the area where the tailing were deposited

[@glassboxfox]

I have to respectfully disagree. I've used both sands

[@glassboxfox]

Started replacing gravel with quikrete play sand about 20 yrs ago. Been using HTH pool filter sand for about 5 yrs now. The play sand was too fine, would get stirred up easily and get sucked into my HOB and ruin the impeller shafts. The pool filter sand I get is larger and doesn't stir up as easy. I have also used store bought & blasting sand. The play sand is bu far the finest grain in my experience. Also have not found any sand that doesn't need to be rinsed before using. Enjoy your videos, thanks for hearing me out.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I'm sorry but the numbers don't lie that's one thing about mathematics it's a constant. If you would like to give me the weight of a grain of pool sand and give me the weight of a grain of play sand then you may have a case. Do you have that information, then give me the size of both also? Then maybe I would believe in you but otherwise the information that you just gave me is only speculative information and it's not very useful. By the way, I already have the information I just asked you because I've already weighed and measured the sand particles myself. I just want to see if your results concur with my results of the Play sand I show on the video and Pool sand that is being sold in hardware stores . By the way they also make micrometers, micrometer microscopes and Weights Measures to measure a grain of sand which I have already have done for the video. So please enlighten me with your results I'll be waiting. Otherwise, I would keep the information that you were telling me to yourself and keep it as your little secret because it is incorrect information.

[@ryanpenrod1859]

Hold on there, doctor... It's not "absolutely wrong" to say pool filter sand is man-made--some definitely are. I have seen pool filter "sand" that's actually crushed & screened recycled glass, which is certainly man-made. Zeolites can also be used, many of which are synthetic. I don't know about the compaction part, but just please hold off on correcting people and saying they're "absolutely wrong" when you yourself don't have all the information. :) We're all learning here, including you--don't forget that.

[@ryanpenrod1859]

OK I don't know what you're thinking, but average particle size doesn't determine compaction, it's the size uniformity that prevents compaction and clogging. Even if play sand is "on average" larger particles, it has RIDICULOUS amounts of dust and smaller particles in my experience. This means that the dust and smaller particles can settle between the larger ones and cause a completely compacted and impermeable layer. Pool filter sand, even if it's smaller grain size, doesn't do that because there are no smaller particles to fill that space between grains.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

You're absolutely right about glass sand which is used a lot in sandblasters as I explain OSHA regulations about disposing of such sands. But for the video I showed bags of sand that are obtainable by any hardware store here in Florida.

[@SininStyle]

Like most things on the market, brands differ from each other. I use pool filter sand, but only a single brand, HTH. HTH PFS seems to be made up of mostly larger grain. It is the only large grain PFS I have been able to find. I can't find it locally and have to ship it in. The local stuff is so small it feels like powder. So there might be a massive difference depending on the sticker on the bag. Play sand is "up to 2mm" but aside from the handful of pebbles in it, the sand is very small and dusts up easily even after cleaning. Cleaning is a nightmare and takes ages compared to pool filter sand. One of the reasons I switched was because of the cleaning.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

I show bags of sand on the video. If you read the bag of sand it says it's been cleaned and siphon before use. I took that bag of sand without cleaning it, mixed it and used it in to the aquarium without any problems. In other countries I cannot attest to what the sand is if it is cleaned or not and siphon.

[@SininStyle]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I am in thee US. Comparing Lowes "play sand" and HTH pool filter sand, it is not even close. The play sand includes a lot of fines and hard to clean. I found a couple videos on youtube that shows these exact things. These are not mine. Playsand - kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2XReYZ-idGDY7M HTH PFS - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4vMiKx7mLdqbLs&t You can see the pebbles in the pool filter sand. He sifts them out to show the massive contrast of the 2. I am not saying you are wrong in a general sense but can't use general statement to debunk myths. It isn't a myth if it exists. Could be an outlier but not a myth.

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

@@SininStyle That's right - play sand in Australia is very fine.

[@later_daze_4080]

@@SininStyle Agreed. The playsand I bought at lowes was very fine and was a major hassle to get clean. Very dirty and dusty.

[@SininStyle]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums 2 videos side by side of american lowes playsand and HTH. Have a look and you will see

[@svtcontour]

Great video.

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Thanks!

[@awakenedanarchism4202]

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums can the sand be added to the Aquarium while fish are already living in it??

[@georgebakker654]

Never been so bored in my life.

[@techwithbec]

Sorry this is off topic from the video but can you use potting soil with an under gravel filter?

[@mannyandrade2508]

Thanks Dr Novak for all the information. I decided to get back into the hobby after 30 years when I saw your videos on anoxic filtration. I have a question regarding filtration and I thought asking on a recent video is the best I can do. I am starting a 90G tank with a sump and I want to do a planted tank. I plan to design the tank with sand in front a 4-5 inch stone wall and the back 10" will be for plants. My question is if I have a BCB in my sump, do I need a plenum? Also I saw a video where you used bio-balls and a mess to create a plenum without a lift tube. Is that suitable for my tank without an air pump or do you recommend I use an under gravel filter?