# Stone Mason White Silica Sand?



## bumbleboo (Jun 6, 2010)

Hey! I was just wondering if this brand of sand is safe to use in a fish tank? The brand is Stone Mason, and it's called "Decor" White Silica sand. I got a 50lb bag at Home Depot, just want to make sure it's safe before I put it in my fishtank.

Thanks!


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## bumbleboo (Jun 6, 2010)

Nobody knows? 

Is there anything I should look for that might make it unsafe?


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## AtomicBob (Jun 24, 2007)

Silica sand is fish safe... ensure its 100% silica. Just rinse well and don't breathe in the dust it’s not good for you.

You may find that the gains are a little sharp, so may not be good for bottom dwellers like Corys etc.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Yea I can never remember which silicas are safe. lol Some people say some types of silica are rounded and not sharp but other types have the sharp edges.

Like bob said, it can cause issues with fish that scoot along the bottom, cories loose their barbells. 

I've used the silica myself from home depot, I just can't recall the name brand. I have also used the normal sand.


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## bumbleboo (Jun 6, 2010)

AtomicBob said:


> Silica sand is fish safe... ensure its 100% silica. Just rinse well and don't breathe in the dust it's not good for you.
> 
> You may find that the gains are a little sharp, so may not be good for bottom dwellers like Corys etc.


Hm... it says 99% silica sand. I hope that that's okay! I rinsed it very well.

It feels soft to the touch but I am assuming they're small enough that I might not be able to tell if they're sharp or not. Damn... I wish I had known this before I opened the bag and put it in the tank ahaha... Is there any way of telling if it's sharp or not? I got specifically for my cories.


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## bumbleboo (Jun 6, 2010)

Ciddian said:


> Yea I can never remember which silicas are safe. lol Some people say some types of silica are rounded and not sharp but other types have the sharp edges.
> 
> Like bob said, it can cause issues with fish that scoot along the bottom, cories loose their barbells.
> 
> I've used the silica myself from home depot, I just can't recall the name brand. I have also used the normal sand.


Hmm... okay! I hope it's the right kind that I got.  Maybe someone else can provide some insight before I add the cories.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Silica is fine. Personally I have found corries to do extremely well on it without any damage at all.

Good quality silica is extrememly fine grain size, not tiny shards.


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## bumbleboo (Jun 6, 2010)

Will Hayward said:


> Silica is fine. Personally I have found corries to do extremely well on it without any damage at all.
> 
> Good quality silica is extrememly fine grain size, not tiny shards.


That's good to know! Yeah, I just looked at them closely, they are little roundish grains.  So... hopefully this is okay!

When I added it there was very very minimal clouding of the water, which I assume was the silica dust. But it's clear now.


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