Alternative to Southdown Sand

[pokdbz]

Is there an alternative to Southdown Sand from Home Depot?
If there is where can you get it?

 

[buzz]

What pulls people in about Southdown is the price for a 50lb bag. It is available all over on the East Coast for around $5 per bag.
On the West Coast, it is scarce, and if found, costs around $15 per bag.
Southdown is also marketed as Yardright tropical playsand. If you find that, you have the same thing.

 

[mersonly1]

WHAT ABOUT PREMIUM PLAYSAND FROM HOME DEPOT?.......I WAS TOLD BY THE LFS THAT IT HAS PHOSPHATES AND SILICA IN IT.....THE BAG SAYS IT IS SANITIZED IS THIS OK FOR A START OF A DSB?

 

[bang guy]

Well... I don't know of any problems with Silica. Some people try to minimize Silicate to avoid excess Diatoms, but it hasn't yet been proven that Silica can be a problem.
How does the sand look? If it's not bright White then it has too many impurities for use in a reef tank. If you can'y find a sugar sized Aragonite sand then the next best choice is a fine grained pure silica sand. Be careful with this stuff though, the dust is very hazardous to those of us with lungs. Wear a dust mask when handling it.
Avoid pool filter sands.

 

[ntvflgirl]

I called the southdown company, and they sell it under the name "Correct" as well as "Yardrite" and "Southdown". But the bag will still say tropical sand. Sometimes you can find it at lawn centers, and actually, I think it is Slothy who knows a lfs that carries it online for around 18.00. They are making a killing off it, I bet.

 

[fishman88]

hold on hold on!!!!!!!!!!!! you can get play sand from home depot for 5$. and you can put it in your tank? (very happy if so) what woul it say on the bag that i know it can't be used.
thanks

 

[p_apac]

i used quickcrete playsand mixed with agronite and it turned out good. used 100 lbs of playsand. 20 lbs of aragonit and a 10 lbs of live sand from lfs.