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Really White Sand - Southdown?? Old Kastle??

mynd

mynd

Hello there,

I was surfing around and found some interesting articles on SouthDown Sand Aragonite White. I have found a couple articles on it. Nothing top quality, but since I was in the market for WHITE sand myself I was wondering if anyone knows of it, where I can get it, if I should get it and just a bunch of opinions. Even if you know of a better non silicate based aragonite white sand let me know.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3192.html

http://www.vafishfreek.com/sandcompairson.htm

The whiter the better..
 
M

mladencovic

SouthDown sand is no no longer avalibale in stores. Here are a few threads about it:

http://www.njreefers.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=3861.0
http://www.njreefers.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=1287.0

Some other products are available, but none has come out as a clear cut replacement of SouthDown. One, with mixed reviews is KolorScape white play sand : http://www.shop.com/op/~Southdown_Old_Castle_655140_RDC06_4CUFT_White_Play_Sand_-prod-33435399 , which is supposed to be made by the company that has acquired the company that made SouthDown.
 
mynd

mynd

Unbelievable.. You know I did not even THINK to search. I would have never guessed people actually talked about it already. Thanks for the information! If I see Merv and Carlo talking about it I am pretty sure it is ok to use. But will they agree it is ok to use in a nano tank vs a larger tank with more water to sand ratio. Guys??

Carlo... Did you ever test the sand from home depot? Should it be sterilized? Or can I just throw it in a bucket and run water through it to clean it? Do I really need to go through the process of using bleach?

Quote for people who do not find other post:

"If you want a safe sand to use to go Home Depot in the GARDEN SECTION (not concrete section) and pick up a bag of KolorScape sand. It's pure white fine grained play sand in a clear bag with blue print on it. This too will say "Not suitable for aquarium systems" but it works just fine."
 
C

Carlo

Works just fine mynd in small tanks.

I'm actually putting some in my "nano" today. Well not really a nano but it seems like it to me at only 44 gallons. I've used it in 5g copepod tanks as well as a few 10 gallon tanks.

It is pretty fine sand compared to the typical "live sand" you would purchase at the LFS. This itself isn't a problem but it makes powerhead adjustments a little trickier.

I used a lot of this in my Ray tank but ended up having to mix some courser sand in with it because the ray would cause a sand storm everytime he grazed the sand.

So don't be afraid to mix a couple of different grades of sand together if you want.

Also if you like a little different look like some of the "pink" colored sands you can pick up a bottle of red cement coloring at HD/Lowes. Just add a couple of drops to a bucket with water in it (stir up good) and add some sand (thicker grade works best). Mix once in a while. Let it set overnight and then rinse and dry. You can then sprinkle this on top of your sandbed OR mix it into your sand before adding to the tank. Makes for a nice little contrast to the "pure white" look of the sand out of the bag.

Carlo
 
mynd

mynd

I am going to be using this in my nano with some twin spot gobies. I just want to make sure it is not going to be an issue. What I think I am going to do is get it and then mix in 4.75 lbs of some arag alive sand to the 20lbs of kolorscape. This should help seed the sand and guarantee my 2" sand bed in the nano.

Thanks for the information Carlo / Everyone. I just want to make sure I am not going to have any problems or concerns before I buy. I don't mind spending 20 bucks on Nature's Ocean Aragonite #0 sand if it is going to give me piece of mind. However, if you guys say it's fine then that's good with me.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Are your gobies sand sifters? If so they can really make a mess of a tank if the sand is too fine. Even with the coarser aragalive size grain I was miserable with the dust storm they create.
 
M

mladencovic

Phyl said:
Are your gobies sand sifters? If so they can really make a mess of a tank if the sand is too fine. Even with the coarser aragalive size grain I was miserable with the dust storm they create.
Click to expand...

That would depend on the size of the fish, I guess. I have beautiful Rainford's goby that great sand sifter, but since it is only 2" long, it doesn't make any mess. The only problem is that if it chooses to "chew" its mouthful of sand above some of the "flat" (cup/plate type of) corals that I have left on the sand surface, they get covered with it a little.
 
mynd

mynd

Well, I went to HD and looked for the sand.. They were out. However, we had just bought 40lbs of it to put in between the stones in the walkway. So.. I opened the bag took out a little put it in a glass bowl and poured in vinegar. Guess what.. Nothing happened. Not a single bubble or anything. Which from what I am reading is NOT a good sign. So I am not sure what to do now.

Hmmmmmmm....

I just called the company and they said to me that IT IS a SILICATE sand. Darnit!
 
H

ham

i just picked up 4 bags of it at h/d in egg harbor township i have 1 bag i am not using u need it lmk
 
mynd

mynd

Thank you for the offer. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately unless you got something different and have performed the vinegar test on it and seen it foam up I am going to have to pass up this opportunity. Thanks so much for the offer it is appreciated and if you pass the test and it foams, let me know.

Thanks again!
 
D

DaveK

From your description, you only need 20 lbs. Why not just visit your LFS and get 20 lbs of the sand you like?

Then there are no problems or issues.

This would be completely different advice, if you were talking about needing 450 lbs to do a large tank. Then it might be worth the risk.
 
C

Carlo

mynd, don't sweat the fact that it is silicate sand. It really doesn't matter. If you like the look of the sand then go for it.

Actually Silica is a needed trace element. The limewater that many reefers dose to our tanks is 0.2% by weight silica. Even with hundreds of pounds of this sand in my system and the additional of limewater, I still test low (lower then NSW) for silica (Red Sea test kit) and dose more of it weekly in the form of sodium silicate solution.

So before you pass on silicate based sand out of "fear" understand what silica is and why it's important too. The silicate based sand can be a good thing to use. The article posted above by Randy is pretty good and should hopefully take any fear away.

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm

Carlo
 
mynd

mynd

Thanks for the information Carlo, you are an amazing resource. I actually want to go with just aragonite only because I want to keep my variables in check. If you understand what I mean by that. Also, using the aragonite only sand which is really light in color is only enhanced to a white when the white lights are on. I truly wish you guys could see the tank working in color so to speak. I cannot believe it actually worked on the first try. No leaks, Nothings broken... It is really a pleasure.

Thanks again!
 
C

Carlo

I sure do understand what you mean. Besides it's a whole lot easier when your only adding 20lbs or so to just buy good live sand. When you start needing hundreds of pounds you get more crafty. :)

Hey you better go knock on wood after "talking" about how smooth everything worked on the first try.

Glad everything is working out great for you!

Carlo
 
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