"eekamouse" wrote in message
ups.com...
Too bad most FW enthusiasts do not pasy as much attention to "cleanup"
crews as SW folks do. There is all kinds of suitable clean up critters
out there but they are pretty drab looking as compared to sal****er
critters, so therefore they tend to be ignored. Thats one reason they
are hard to find in most LFS as no one is gonna buy that drabold
critter when they can get a flashy pictus cat or a golden nugget
pleco..........

This may be true. I have 3 albino corys, a rubberlip pleco and 2 clown
plecos which I almost never see. The clown loaches also seem to like
checking out the gravel.

RM.any of the sand with the exception of calcium based (old castle or
southdown) is fine. So just look for grain size that suits you. If
in doubt if its calcium (limestone based) take a smallbottle of
vinegar with you and apply a couple of drops to the sand or gravel and
if it fizzes its limestone or calcium based...........which would not
b e good unless its used in a african cichlid environment. You'll
find the calcium / limestone based sands moreinthe paver section as
they tend to quarry rocks and grind it and its limestone they usually
use for that.........and it can be usually a grey or white in color.
Silica or quartz based looks like sugar and is uniformin grain size
(about like sugar|)

That's one of the sands I use to mix with potting soil for for my cacti and
succulents.

and plain silica based masonary is a tan to yellow
color and is commonly used in m,asonary work / concrete etc.

This is the other sand I have, the one I was thinking on putting in the 55g,
nixed with a fine brown gravel from Lowe's.

I wold
not pay any attention to tube, traction or what have you as it matters
not. Its just a packaging and nameing game so do not let the package
name sway you one way or the other. Look for color and grain size and
what type of sand it is.not its intended use. If its stated for
masonary or concrete or playsand you can pretty well guaraantee its
free of mud and mica particles, and only needs a good washing. They
also sell a sand called river run which is commonly sucked form river
bottoms and is a brown in color. It is usually washed by the dredge
company prior to it being marketed and it too is used in masonary and
is perfectly suitable, but I have never seen it in bagged packs, only
huge outdoor piles.

Thanks for this information. I have plenty of time to check around the
different stores. I'm kind of busy this time of year repotting and working
with all my houseplants so this tank wont be filled until maybe the end of
the month. :-)
--

RM....
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