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lawn sand from FEF

hey is the lawn sand from FEF ok for cps? im not sure what coarse sand means, i spoke to one of the guys in FEF and he said that it was well washed and he not sure if it was river sand, anyone using it?

thanks
 
May not be the best for CP soil mix, but I did use it.
Just make sure you wash it many many times, soak it over night and soak it again with distilled water, you may want to measure the PH and TDS if you have a PH/TDS meter to ensure low mineral content.

JK
 
Better wash the lawn sand really clean. It is full of mud. I had a bad experience with it.
 
thanks,
so what do you guys recomend?
 
My choice is very expensive. Washed river sand for aquarium use from an aquarium shop in Clementi. Five kilograms for S$16 (I think; ask Cindy who bought a pack recently). Saves alot of water and time for me.
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If there are swimming pools in Singapore, then there are swimming pool filters. Such usually employ coarse silica sand and probably at less expense than aquarium sand.
 
There are lots of swimming pools in Singapore, both public and private ones. However, I have yet to find a source for the sand used in the filters.
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$16?!?!
id rather soak it overnight! The only disadvantage about it is that it has alot of mud?
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thanks
 
Unless you're soaking the cup of lawn sand in the bathtub! Your sand should be washed till the water is crystal clear...but that will take alot of water.
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I suppose that's why guqin and I buy the sand at that price...but shouldn't we just share the cost and buy a huge pack hah?
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hmm...
 
  • #10
how about river sand, where to get them? straight from a river?
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Cindy posted on a previous thread that quartz is suitable, anyone know about it?
thanks
 
  • #11
It's not just mud that is the problem with sand other than pure quartz (silica). Other minerals will leach into the substrate, and simple washing will not remove other mineral inclusions. Another source may be construction companies dealing in sandblasting supplies. Very often this is silica sand, which is uniformly white, like sugar. You may need to ask for "pool filter sand" at the businesses dealing with pool supplies. Very often it is not stocked on the shelves, although I am sure it must be used. Failing this, it would probably be better to use perlite/peat or pure peat vs. sand with other mineral components as inclusions. One thing CP hate is lime, and carbonates are frequently a component of non-silica sand.
 
  • #12
Perlite tends to be overgrown with algae very quickly here in the tropics (at least for me). So, I avoid using perlite.
 
  • #13
thanks for the advice but perlite gets alot of algae and it is a little expensive.
also the perlite rocks are too big for growing seeds/seedlings.
Is sand from a river bank fine? Also are there rivers in Singapore
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  • #14
[b said:
Quote[/b] (wezx @ Feb. 11 2004,04:55)]Also are there rivers in Singapore
Yes, muddy rivers or concrete channeled.
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