Southdown??? Play Sand!

[sdascher]

I have been reading quite a bit here in these forums about Southdown - White Castle white play sand..... I have read that its on the east cost all over at Home Depots etc. - Well its not!! I have spent 4 hours trying to find it at any Home Depot or any place in this area of Northern Virginia and they don't even have white play sand at all - nor will they order it for me because they said that white play sand or any other white sand wasn't in their catalog.
Oh well, that should make you guys on the west coast feel better knowing that we can't find it just anywhere either....
I did however find a fine white Play Sand at Southern States ( A Farm & Garden Center) with small trace amounts of crystalline silica in it - I place some in white viniger and its not changed colors at all. Its not a white "white", but maybe a hint of tan in the sand, and they call it white. So.... what do you think.... safe to use????
The tank that I will be using it in is empty and I could just let it cycle for a few weeks, add LR and let it cycle for several more weeks - I'm in no hurry!

 

[overanalyzer]

did it get a ll fizzy when mixed with the vinegar?

 

[nacl-man]

They've got it all over here... Maryland if you don't mind making the drive up 95

 

[sdascher]

No it didn't get fizzy, but there was some segment that floated to the top of the vinigar - Does the no fizz mean that its not safe to use??

 

[cboyfan2020]

No fizz just means it wont be a very good buffer for your tank. Ok to use IMO

 

[toungetwster]

ok to use...I have 100 % white silica sand in my show tank...been there for months without problems...

 

[mvogel2]

white castle play sand? serious? I trust the people on this board so if you say it'll work i'll go buy some tonight. I hope they have it in ohio. have a lot of people used this? i'll be buying a 75 gallon tank soon, so i could use a 50lbs bag of it.
thanks
matt

 

[sdascher]

They are very serious!! Just type in white sand and you could read all of the details and comments from people who has it in their tanks and some for a long time!!!!

 

[mvogel2]

hmmm well i'm stoping by HD on the way home from work then! Do you need to clean or sterilize it at all? If so how?
thanks for the reply
matt

 

[sdascher]

I am not an expert on this, but I have read that you do not clean it - just place in tank and run through your reg cycle with LR - Your tank will be cloudy for a few days! Plus some people recomend that you add a layer of Live Sand on top to seed the rest of the sand fastly. Good Luck!!

 

[cboyfan2020]

That subject is debatable but the reasoning behind not rinsing Southdown is that when you rinse it you will wash away the really small particles of sand which are ideal when you are trying to make an oxygen-free zone for your DSB.

 

[mvogel2]

well unfortunately they do not have those brands at my local HD. However i did buy a bag of sand called "best premium play sand" from a company called fairmount something. anyway it was only 2 bucks and it doesn't say what the sand is comprised of. there is only a phone number for a ohioan company.
how do i test this, i saw people mentioning vinegar. what am i looking for?
thanks everyone
matt

 

[mvogel2]

NO fizz, man! i got excited ...there goes a 1.90 i'll never see again...just kidding. thanks for the help, maybe i'll check out lowe's tomorrow.
thanks for the tip
matt

 

[toungetwster]

I use 100% white silica sand in my tanks...never ever had any problems with it...also..the algee that I used to get...is hardly enough to keep the snails fed...LOL..really...Also when I set up a new tank..I put a base rock of good size down..and slowly ad the water...by the second day...my tank is clear as a crystal ball...try the white silica sand..you won't be sorry...for sure.. P.S. don't rinse...wash or do anything with the sand...straight out of the bag..is the best way to go...here in St. Louis..you can get 75 lb for about $5.00...much better than 39.99 40 lbs at the LFS!!!

 

[padam07]

How much would it cost to ship 50 lb bags of Southdown Playsand? If it is cost effective I would be willing to ship bags of sand if anyone who does not have access to it. All I would require is a check to cover cost of shipping (whatever that is) and product ($4.99 - $5.99 I do not exactly remember). Just let me know. I would like to help out as much as possible. The Home Depot 5 minutes from my house as this brand in stock.

 

[mvogel2]

wow, thats really nice of you.
I think i'll check to see what they have at lowes first, but if they don't have the silica sand i might look into shipping costs.
thanks a lot!
matt

 

[mvogel2]

yeah i guess you're right.
oh well
thanks anyway