Sand vs Aragonite please help!!!

[jakepilot]

ok need some help on this one, i have a silicate sand bottom in my 75 gallon tank...its about 2 inches deep, i was told today that if i had Aragonite in my tank my ph would stay the same due to the break down of the Aragonite...is it worth trying to dish out most of the sand and add live Aragonite to the tank? will it make that much of a difference? i would welcome any views on this--thanks jake

 

[fshhub]

jake, i like aragonite, but it may only help to stabilize the ph, it is not a cure all, and previous thought was that silica was bad, this we are finding to be untrue, so if you want, why not add aragonite and forget pulling the other out, i would really reccommend a 4 " dsb anyways, it has other great qualities other than ph, just if you do that, i would only reccommend adding about 1/4 inch at a time
HTH

 

[kris walker]

I have no actual experience with sand, but the theory is rock solid. Arragonite sand will keep your alkalinity and calcium up, especially if you get enough of it to make anerobic conditions in the deepest parts (requires 3-4 in of it). It is not the cure-all though. People with arragonite sand still have pH problems sometimes.
Silicate sand could also be used for a DSB, but it won't help keep alkalinity or calcium up in any way, and adding silica to the water column may encourage diatom growth (it looks like brown slime algae).
sam

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Jakepilot,
I recieved my fish tank from a relative when I got my Masters degree. Before I added anything to the tank I did a lot of research about what type of filtration and substrate I should use in the tank.
All of the initial research (you can never get enough research) led me to believe that aragonite's ability to buffer the water was the deciding factor - then I discovered that aragonite and Crushed Coral harbors waste and excess food causing high nitrate levels.
I have since removed the aragonite for a DSB and my nitrates are constantly dropping and are nearly 0.
I recommend a 4" DSB of 50% LS and 50% marine or play sand - it'll all become live after a while anyway. this way you don't have to deal with the nitrate levels I went through.

 

[kris walker]

Budontap, arragonite is typically sand, and so there is no difference in the actual media between "arragonite" and "DSB". A DSB is just more arragonite sand up to 4 in as you said. CC is not arragonite, but as you prob know, normal calcium carbonate.
sam