sand

Question
Hi i recently asked another expert about what kind of sand i should buy pool or silica and they said either pool or play sand but never mentionned silica sand until they end when they said that pool is silica based.Is silica the same as pool sand?They also said to buy Malaysian trumpet snails because they help stirr the sand.Wouldnt the fish eat them?

Answer
Hi,
Silica sand is fine to use. I've also used play sand which is a lot finer than silica sand. Just be sure to rinse the sand well before adding it to your aquarium. Rinse in a 5gal bucket (that's never had chemicals in it before) until the water runs reasonably clear.

It is important to keep the sand disturbed regularly to avoid compacted 'pockets' where things can rot and anaerobic bacteria can thrive which makes the water smell bad and be toxic to the fish. Malaysian trumpet snails are usually obtainable through planted tanks in petstores. They often hitchhike on plants and get into your aquarium secretly on their own. Fish typically do not eat them, their shells are very tough and they reproduce regularly in the aquarium, keeping the population stable. They will forage through the substrate, burying themselves underneath and allowing oxygenated water to reach down in the sand bed to keep it healthy.

Most pool filter sands are silicate sand. Just depends.

Hope this helps!
Karen~