"coloured play sand"

musihuto

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2006
Messages
666
i'm wondering what the consensus is on this stuff...
if its safe enough for kids, is it safe enough for scorpions? :?

thanks :D
- munis
 

brandontmyers

Arachnoangel
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Dec 29, 2006
Messages
841
i heard its fine. I think some people on here use it, especially if you have a light colored scorpion, so you can distinguish it better. Dont quote me though, im not positive.
 

JungleGuts

Arachnoprince
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May 7, 2006
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1,123
i use some type of white sand for my S. mesa but ive been thinking of trying out some black kind so i can see him better. It should be safe
 

compnerd7

Arachnobaron
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Apr 6, 2007
Messages
311
i see no problem with it.. if it's safe for kids, then im sure it's safe for my babies {D
 

moose35

Arachnoprince
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May 14, 2005
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1,351
rinse your sand!!!!please.
i lost a bunch of scorps after i rehoused and changed the substrate(new sand).i figured the same ...safe for kids safe for my inverts. but there must of been some pesticides in or on the sand cause all but 1 that i re-housed that day was dead the next morning. i lost i think 6.
so from now on i put about half of the bag of sand in a 5 gallon bucket, put the hose in it, get the hose in to the bottom of the sand. put the hose on slowly just till the sand starts coming out with the water from the top. then turn the pressure down just a little. you want to keep the sand particles suspended in the water but stay in the bucket. and just let it rinse for about a half hour or so. the sand comes out really clean. and loses that musky smell to it.this also works for putting sand into a fish tank. (yea thats right a tank with fish in it.and water.)

sorry for the long post. i just wanted to share my bad experince so it dosen't happen to anyone else.
later guys
tom
 

musihuto

Arachnodemon
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Joined
Sep 21, 2006
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666
this may be a silly question... but how do you strain the sand afterwards?

thanks! :?
- munis

rinse your sand!!!!please.
i lost a bunch of scorps after i rehoused and changed the substrate(new sand).i figured the same ...safe for kids safe for my inverts. but there must of been some pesticides in or on the sand cause all but 1 that i re-housed that day was dead the next morning. i lost i think 6.
so from now on i put about half of the bag of sand in a 5 gallon bucket, put the hose in it, get the hose in to the bottom of the sand. put the hose on slowly just till the sand starts coming out with the water from the top. then turn the pressure down just a little. you want to keep the sand particles suspended in the water but stay in the bucket. and just let it rinse for about a half hour or so. the sand comes out really clean. and loses that musky smell to it.this also works for putting sand into a fish tank. (yea thats right a tank with fish in it.and water.)

sorry for the long post. i just wanted to share my bad experince so it dosen't happen to anyone else.
later guys
tom
 

arachnocat

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
792
I use black sand for my Axolotl tank and it takes a lot of rinsing to get all the dust out. I discovered that dumping the sand in an old pillowcase and running water through it works really well.
I have used that colored play sand before when I had ant lions and they seemed to do just fine in it but rinsing is a good idea.
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
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Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,415
Baking everything that goes into an enclosure is also a good idea. Doesn't get rid of the dust though, but the dust isn't as important as any harsh chemicals the sand may contain. Obivously it would be foolish to buy something and throw it right in. It should be safe after that though.
 

polphot

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 5, 2007
Messages
31
seems like they are fine as nobody has complained on it yet. It is a necessary to clean them by flushing them with lots of water. Try to put a few handful in a flour bag or piece of cloth and slowly pass water to it. You can also put them in a wide basin and sift the sand as you merry and carefully remove the water by tipping it. Anyway, this what i do to beach/aquarium sand.


Be careful not to use hot water because they will bleed or stain.
 
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musihuto

Arachnodemon
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Joined
Sep 21, 2006
Messages
666
lol... sifting? decanting?? putting a small quantity in a cloth??? this is beginning to sound like an enormous pain in the ass.. perhaps i will just put my desert species on really dry soil. :p

cheers! :D
- munis
 

Heather

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
179
I couldn't find any prices on that website. Seems like those painted rocks too.. Plus, don't you think it'd be pointless to ship 10-20 pounds of rock and sand?
I would never pay to have sand shipped... But if it is what someone is looking for then they may want to pay for shipping. Our local pet store carries it, so I would just order thru them and save myself the shipping charges. (But I don't used the colored sands, I prefer the natural look.)

One would have to contact Estes' and get a list of their retailers...

Sorry for mentioning it...
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,415
I would never pay to have sand shipped... But if it is what someone is looking for then they may want to pay for shipping. Our local pet store carries it, so I would just order thru them and save myself the shipping charges. (But I don't used the colored sands, I prefer the natural look.)

One would have to contact Estes' and get a list of their retailers...

Sorry for mentioning it...
DOn't be sorry!! It's just not economical. I still thought the site was interesting. Painted rocks scare me though, I saw them once in a store and snice they were a dollar I bought them, but I didn't trust them so I boiled them first....all the color bled off, I guess it was a good move to boil as they were green and my enclosures would have loooked like chicago on st. pattys day.
 

musihuto

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
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Sep 21, 2006
Messages
666
hmmm... i baked play sand a few times and it produces a sharp acrid odour.. dunno what that means really, but doesn't seem like a good sign! :?

cheers! :D
- munis
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,415
hmmm... i baked play sand a few times and it produces a sharp acrid odour.. dunno what that means really, but doesn't seem like a good sign! :?

cheers! :D
- munis
Well if the sand was used to clean an oil spill that'd be normal. {D

That's weird though, I didn't have that same experience, although when baking bark it smells horrid. Only thing play sand has done that I don't like is get tarnished after water has dried in the area.
 
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