# Where the heck can I find Pool Filter Media gravel??



## mommyeireanne

I called four hardware stores, and four pool supply places today and even the big monster stores (Watson's, Lowes, Home Depot) didn't have the 2-3 mm gravel supposedly used to filter swimming pools. I am new to this (6 months) and not a member anywhere. I'd like to come to the GCAS auction Sunday in Loveland. I am upgrading a Walstad style Natural Planted Tank and need gravel smaller than the usual aquarium gravel, but larger than sand, which won't have a big effect on my pH. I also need MT Snails, duckweed (don't laugh!) and maybe a few more fast growing plants. I'm trying to figure if is gas to this auction would be cheaper than shipping, if I could get this stuff there, as I'm not ready to buy fish yet. Thanks for any help. I live between Dayton and Cincinnati. I need to know:
1)Where I can get pool filter media?
2) Will the Loveland auction be open to me as a non-member? 
3)Is the auction likely to have lowly duckweed and MTS?


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## wolfen42

I think the problem might be that the pool industry has moved away from mixed media filtering to filters that contain only silica sand. I worked at a pool store for a couple years a (cough) while ago and at that point they had already switched over to using only diatomaceous earth or silica sand for filtering.


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## wolfen42

Is there a GCAS auction this Sunday? The schedule I have is the monthly meeting on the 17th and the spring auction on April 26th.

Actually, if you are looking at the posted schedule in this forum, it's from 2007.


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## mommyeireanne

Well thanks for telling me. I didn't check the date. Would have been a long drive. 

I had noticed that all the media offered was either plastic (bio) or chemical, with the exceptio of diatoms. This "progress" has stumped me in my purpose, now. I'll figure something out. Thanks again.


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## Rob Tetrazona

I can't help you out with your sand question, but I can with everything else. 

GCAS auctions are always held in April & October each year. The Swap Meet is usually in February, but not this year since GCAS is switching event venues from The Oasis and was it rescheduled for May. There is only a meeting this month.

I have MTS's. How many do you need? I'm pretty sure I can get some duckweed pretty easily too.


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## mommyeireanne

I am trying to figure out what I will need to plant up from a 10gal to a 20 gal. A friend offered me her used 20 and I haven't seen it yet. My plants did well, so I think at a minimum I'd only need duckweed. If I end up making an order and paying shipping, though, I may get a few more plants. I have a Brigs Apple snail, and really liked her, so I got another one. Ended up with a mated pair, she clutched and he must have died without me knowing it. One day he was ok, the next day, she had eaten him. Vicious. And she's huge, golfball sized and still growing. My water is warm, so don't imagine she'll live more than 6 more months. I've had her 5 months I think. Plus she doesn't stir the substrate and she does uproot stem plants. Ornery snail. I had an offer from another nice person here for MTS. You guys are great! I'm a cheapskate (part of the draw of low tech) and trying to avoid paying shipping for just one or two items. I do understand that live things need extra care, especially in winter. It would be ideal for me to find something locally, but no luck yet. I really liked Aquarium Adventures in Mason, but it closed a year or more ago. I've also been looking for a clean source for wild duckweed, but no luck there yet either. I really appreciate your offer. Can I hold off until I know what I am doing? It would be great if I do only need duckweed and MTS.


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## MatPat

If you are not in a hurry for your plants, you should try making it to the February meeting. Plants usually go for a dollar a bag and there is no shipping involved, only the cost in gas to get to the meeting. You'll definitely get healthier plants than if you order online  Once the meeting date gets a little closer, people will usually list what plants or fish (sometimes even shrimp) they can bring to the meeting.

This is a bad time of year to look for swimming pool supplies. I know the Leslie's by the Dayton Mall carries filter sand during the spring and summer months. In the past this was a natural color and is closer to "gravel" size than actual sand. Watson's is geared more towards indoor Recreation Room stuff (pool and foosball tables, etc) this time of year.


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## megasycophant

k, a couple of questions?

You *need* duckweed? I guess to limit the amount of light? How about watersprite? Duckweed amounts to a lot of maintenance. If you want watersprite, I'll bring some to the next meeting. If you *really* want duckweed, most pet stores would probably be happy to give it to ya. I know the Jack's on Smithville in Dayton has way more than they need, if that helps any.

Regarding the 'vicious' apple snails... rmmm... huh? If he died, I'm thinking it didn't have much to do with her. If not, how did she 'take him out'? I used to breed these, and never witnessed any aggression, nor am I sure how they'd go about it? (Or why?)

BTW, for anyone who's not in the know, "Brigg's" are what are sold around here as Mystery snails.


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## megasycophant

Oh, yeah, and I bet my MTS are bigger than Rob's! :rofl:


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## MatPat

Actually, if it were me, I would look for some Red Root Floater. Should you decide in the future you don't want it, it is much easier to thin out and people will actually buy Red Root Floater  RRF also does not infect other tanks like Duckweed will.


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## mommyeireanne

I'm sure she didn't eat him _before_ he died. He came from the local Jack's and I know they dose their tanks with meds all the time as a prevention, so he may have been sick from that. My husband has been telling this story though, so now it's a 'black-widow' joke. I really like my snail. She's active and interesting. 
I did call Leslie's near the Dayton Mall, no dice. I broke down and got the brown stuff at Wal Mart. The 5lb bags have a smaller grade than the 25lb bag and it's the smallest I've seen. Of course I was in a hurry. I can't wait to get this set up!! But as we are half way through Feb, the meeting would be the best solution for me. I was going to try Aquatic Plant Depot, the only place I saw that had duckweed and MTS, but really don't want to order that much- and in winter no less. Please let me know when the meeting will be. And if Rob or someone has MTS and duckweed, I'll like to buy some. I'll keep an eye out for what plants are going to be for sale, I do need some more. I have the invitation but haven't signed up yet- will do that tomorrow.
I need something to cover half of the water surface and uptake nutrients, especially in the beginning. I really like Red Root Floater but didn't think my low light would support it- it's one 45w for 20 gal. I don't think the sunlight (8 feet from window) will hit them on top. What do you think? Would it be enough light?


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## MatPat

Like I said, this ain't a very good time of the year to be looking for pool filter sand 

Once you sign up on the new site you will see the announcement for the meeting. I will send Russ' address to everyone via e-mail in the next couple of days. 

45w on a 20g tank should be fine for Red Root Floater. I've grown it in my 10g tank with a single 15w bulb so you should be fine. I'm not sure if anyone has RRF anymore but I sure would like to have some for my shrimp tanks again. If no one else has duckweed, I can bring a very small amount for you.


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## ohiodave

I've got duckweed galore, must have snuck in on a plant. I throw the stuff away weekly. If you need some you can have it as much as you want, all of it would be nice. I might have some rrf too, don't know because I just scoop and pitch.:mrgreen: Riccia grows good in a low tech also.


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## megasycophant

Dave, you got RRF? Have you been holding out on us?!? On that note, does anyone else have it?

Oh.and if somebody brings duckweed to the meeting, drop it in a biohazard bag or something. I don't even wanna sit near the stuff!


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## wolfen42

Just FYI, the PetSmart up near the intersection of Colerain-27 and 275 has a rather amazingly large amount of MTS in their fish tanks.

Last time I stopped by (for kitty litter) , the girl who was working was very nice and quite willing to fish out a number of them for me. (They consider them to be a nuisance... imagine...  )


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## DanD5303

On the pool filter sand, you can try course sand blasting grit. It's easier to find, and pretty much the same thing around here.


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## megasycophant

When I was setting my tanks back up, I asked for a few at Jack's, expecting to get them free. They actually charged me something like $0.05 apiece for them. Wonder if I can sell em back for a penny? 



wolfen42 said:


> Last time I stopped by (for kitty litter) , the girl who was working was very nice and quite willing to fish out a number of them for me. (They consider them to be a nuisance... imagine...  )


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## deepdiver

You can find pool filter sand at most sandblasting supply places. Try a Yahoo local search for "sandblasting"


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## MatPat

Did you ever find any pool filter sand Maria?


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## Rob Tetrazona

I just checked for duckweed and there is none. Can't help with this, but can still bring some MTS's, just let me know.


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## MatPat

NeonRob said:


> I just checked for duckweed and there is none.


How did you manage to eliminate the duckweed


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## redstrat

just an FYI to all who are looking for pool filter sand, there is a store in Columbus, just south on sawmill road from Aquarium Adventure that sells the stuff year round. I beleive its in 25# bags something like that for under $10 a bag. I forget what exactly the store is called but its in front of the Home Depot across from the Discount Tire Store, on sawmill road. I think its Pools plus or something like that.


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## redstrat

MatPat said:


> How did you manage to eliminate the duckweed


must have been nuclear warfare


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## megasycophant

probably, since he still has MTS. :rofl:



redstrat said:


> must have been nuclear warfare


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## Rob Tetrazona

MatPat said:


> How did you manage to eliminate the duckweed


I was hoping that Shelly had some, but she eradicated hers too.

The last time I got duckweed in my hitech 75 was when I bought a new plant from the last auction. I didn't notice it at first, then I noticed it accumulating where the vals hit the top of the water. First I made sure no plants were floating (riccia) or touching the water's surface. Then I removed as much as I could with a net. I checked up on it each day for a week. If I saw a piece floating around, I would remove it. In a week or less, it was all gone. Pretty simple, but tedious & nuclear-free.


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## mommyeireanne

Hi Guys. Its been a busy week for me but I AM coming to the meeting. Yeah! 

I never actually found 'pool filter media", due to the season I guess. I thought of sand blasting early on, but same problem, sandblasting has modernized, all kinds of, soda, glass bead, crushed glass..... couldn't find 2-3 mm 'sand'. That's what I saw on the web. Wondering if OSHA had something to do with this. Glass beads might be nice, but not really what I want. Dad's an ol' sandblasting, welding, car crazed gearhead. We were talking about the move away from sand a few years ago. I didn't actually ask him because a local Yahoo search didn't turn up any supply places. Good suggestion, though. My last idea was a gravel place, but didn't want to walk in with my bucket  and I'm still trying to keep everything simple. So...

I settled for Walmart brown gravel in the small bags. Most of it's the right size, some bigger like regular aquarium gravel. I'm gonna live with it. As Pat pointed out, this really isn't the season to be starting a new tank. But that won't stop me. No topsoil right now either, but D Walstad on the El Natural forum said that reusing mine, with the Eco Complete stirred in shouldn't be a problem. I know it's still releasing plenty of nutrients, because I've got a little bit of :doh: hair algae.

I would love some MTS, if you can bring them. And any floaters (yes, even duckweed) if someone has some to sell at the meeting. Any plants really. (but easier is better for my low-tech) I do need more plants. I'd would rather get them from hobbyists.


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## MatPat

mommyeireanne said:


> Hi Guys. Its been a busy week for me but I AM coming to the meeting. Yeah!


It will be good to meet you Maria.



mommyeireanne said:


> As Pat pointed out, this really isn't the season to be starting a new tank. But that won't stop me. Any plants really. (but easier is better for my low-tech) I do need more plants. I'd would rather get them from hobbyists.


But this is actually the best time of year to start up a new tank...what else is there to do with the snow and cold weather. However, it is not the best time of year to be checking out Pool Supply Stores for silica sand 

I'm sure there will be plenty of plants available at the meeting.


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## ohiodave

I'll bring the duckweed and some riccia(it looks better and easier to remove, I must have tossed all the rrf. Free of charge.


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