Stoney River White Aquatic Sand Freshwater and Marine Aquariums, 5-Pound Bag

I used this sand for a small freshwater 3 gallon aquarium (Marineland contour 3) housing a Betta. The sand was nice and clean, and pretty fine grain -- but also not so fine that a vacuum would suck it out during water changes. I made sure to wash the sand before using, but there was almost no cloudiness in the water during washing. I think it's probably OK to use without any washing, as it says on the bag. I really like that the sand is coarse enough that it doesn't seem like air pockets form (air pockets can result in the accumulation of toxic gases). For a 3 gallon tank there was a bit too much; I only ended up using about a fourth of the bag to cover a 1 sqft surface with about an inch of sand. The sand is also a nice natural white which results in a very pleasing looking aquarium. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is scaping a small to medium sized tank.

This was perfect. I’m not an aquarium expert whatsoever, I recently got a 5 gallon tank for my betta to have more room to swim. I purchased the sand because I liked the look of it. After reading some reviews and googling how tos with aquarium sand I was a little nervous because it made it seem like a difficult process and it wasn’t at all. I opened up the bag of sand, put it in a bucket to get debris out, there was none at all, the sand was clean and could have just been put in the tank from the get go. I put the sand in the tank first so that I didn’t experience any cloudiness like some of the reviews said, then I just put the water in through the filter part of the tank, to again not make the sand fly all over. I had no issues, the sand settled immediately and my betta fish is fine, idk why people said it would get in their gills or whatever and I’m really happy with the look. If you’re looking on how much to buy, one bag was the perfect amount for the 5 gallon tank.

Bought this after I did some research about pool filter sand and decided I would splurge a bit. The bags are alot smaller than I expected, but 2 easily covered my 10 gallon with a 3 inch hill when aquascaped. I rinsed this but didnt see anything coming off while it was in the bucket. It did cloud my water, but I also didnt rinse it very good and it went away after 24 hours. THIS IS NOT A TRUE SAND. It is more like gravel coated in plastic??? Almost like heavy and very tiny plastic beads. This is not a problem for my betta. In total, I would recommend this sand. It is very white and lovely. I will plant hygro cory compact into it with root tabs

No issues. I rinsed each bag separately and skimmed the small amount that floated to the top. When adding water, no dust, no mess. A bit more floated to the top, skimmed it off. Clear water, no chemical issues and makes the tank look sparkling clean. I have yet to do a water change, but I do not anticipate any problems. I'm setting up another tank and this will be the substrate. Highly recommend.

I was nervous about converting my freshwater tank substrate from gravel to sand. I did lots of research on the subject and decided to make the leap. I am so happy I did! The sand looks more natural and clean. It is also easier to clean since most waste rests on top rather than sinking deep into the spaces between rocks. A simple pass with a siphon hose removes most all of the waste. I do gently stir the top layers of the sand periodically to prevent any gas pockets, but haven't seen this as an issue yet. The Estes sand came highly recommended. You need to follow the instructions and thoroughly wash the sand to prevent cloudiness in the tank. I unloaded it into a bucket and continued to rinse several times. Once I first put it in the aquarium, a lot of the sand floated and the tank was still slightly cloudy. I was nervous, but after a few hours, it had all completely settled and have had no issues since. My goldfish seems much happier and will dig and siphon the sand. I use sinking pellets and he easily eats them up and spits out the sand with no problem. Seems much happier with sand.

UPDATE: Had to move some decorations and plants in the aquarium. The water is back to being white and cloudy again. Even a white substance left on sponge filters. Will be removing this soon and going to another sand company. I used a 5 pound bag to cover the bottom of a Fluval Flex 9 aquarium to about 1/2 inch. The sand is a nice size grain and is very white. However, it is very dusty. The picture of the empty bag shows just how much white dust coated just the inside of the bag. You must rinse this sand very well before putting it in the aquarium. A chalky white foam rose from the sand the first few times I rinsed it, then floaters and cloudy water lasted a long time while rinsing. Even with a very good rinsing (do not scrub the sand, just gently fold it) the water was lightly cloudy in my aquarium for a few days. It is just starting to clear up. It, also, clings to my Marimo balls on the bottom. Wear waterproof gloves while handling the sand because it is rough feeling. My mystery snail glides right over the sand though. It looks nice in the aquarium, but just be sure you wash it very well before using.

I put the 5 pounds of sand straight into an empty 5 gallon tank. Poured water in, ran the filter for a day. We used regular tap water and water from our main tank. The filter we used was also established with bacteria from the former tank setup. There's been zero issues. If any sand floated to the surface, i pressed it down with my fingers and it would just sink to the bottom. I added my snail and fish within about 12 hours and everyone is happy. It's been 3 days and I love it. I'm going to buy more of this sand to switch out the black substrate from the 20 gallon main tank. The sand is so much brighter. The filter doesn't agitate the sand either. My plants are happy as well. It's easy and looks great!

After putting this sand in tanks twice, I finally found the answer to the cloudy, sand covered aquarium items...first rinse your water in a bucket with clean water. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket on my porch and after putting the sand in I fill the bucket 1/2 way with water from my water hose. I swirl the water with my hand several times a day to get as much debris to the top is possible. I do this for 2 days then pour the water out and rinse one more time and pour water off again. With an empty aquarium I the dump the bucket of sand into my aquarium a handful or more at a time and smooth it out as level as possible. Then, using regular tin foil I lay a piece out & completely cover the sand. Slowly add your water back in a gallon jug or so at a time. Be careful to not let it disturb your protective layer of foil.When you have the desired amount of water in, slowly pull out the foil so that the sand is disturbed as little as possible. You can then,carefully, with the palm of your hand,smooth the sand to your desired shape. You should end up with clear water and a smooth sandy bottom. Hope this helps somebody. Lorri