janastasio
Member
Can someone remind me what kind of play sand it is that is ok to use as subtrate? Thanks!!!
play sand
- Thread starter janastasio
- Start date
teen
Active Member
it used to be called southdown several years back. i believe they went out of business or sold to another company. something like that. you should be fine with any non-silicate based sand. it has to be aragonite based.
your best bet is to go to your LFS and pick up something like caribsea base sand. its normally like $20 or so dollars for a 40lb bag and its the perfect choice IME. a good part of todays reefers use it.
your best bet is to go to your LFS and pick up something like caribsea base sand. its normally like $20 or so dollars for a 40lb bag and its the perfect choice IME. a good part of todays reefers use it.
B
bonita69
Guest
here is a cheap but better choice. google, Aragamax Sand 30lb (Sugar-Sized)
cost 16.99 for 30lbs. this is what I used on my new 45 set up and seeded with sand from my reef tank.
cost 16.99 for 30lbs. this is what I used on my new 45 set up and seeded with sand from my reef tank.
janastasio
Member
Thank you
apos
Member
All the playsand you are likely to find today is going to be silica-based. Retailers have caught on and realized that they can make big bucks charging reefers for our sought-after aragonite substrates, and have pulled any they once sold as dirt-cheap playsand off the market so they can sell it to LFSs with all sorts of goofy claims, even though it's the exact same stuff they once sold for pennies a pound. Definitely do not get suckered into the scam that is "live sand" in a bag. You will be paying for water weight and magical bacteria that just so happen to be the exact same bacteria available ultra cheap at a LFS, or for free in a sample taken from a fellow reefer.
Silica sand is actually not really bad per se (the claims of causing diatoms are no longer taken very seriously), the problem is simply that it has none of the benefits of aragonite sands: it brings nothing to the table. It has no buffering capacity. It tends to be sharp edged crystals, and so can lock up instead of being round and conducive to critters crawling through it. And so on.
Silica sand is actually not really bad per se (the claims of causing diatoms are no longer taken very seriously), the problem is simply that it has none of the benefits of aragonite sands: it brings nothing to the table. It has no buffering capacity. It tends to be sharp edged crystals, and so can lock up instead of being round and conducive to critters crawling through it. And so on.
bennyhill
Member
I used this sand called Caribbean Play Sand in my tank 40lb bag for $11. stuff works great the one lfs that i go to ( when i go too ) has it in all there tanks .
All my prams stay the same for the most part .75gal reef tank 140lbs+ lr 120lbs+sand 125gal wet dry filter 15gal water change every week .
All my prams stay the same for the most part .75gal reef tank 140lbs+ lr 120lbs+sand 125gal wet dry filter 15gal water change every week .