Substrate Poll

T

thomas712

Guest
Yes thats right a substrate poll. I would like at least 150 responses to this poll. I would like to know just how many of you are using what type of sand and how it is working for you. Whether it be aragonite, calcite, silica, marble or other type of sand or crushed coral, and if you have had any problems with it, like in the begining cycling or afterward.
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
I used straight up aragonite from caribsea. It was rather expensive, but it has worked flawlessly without any ill sideeffects. The consistency of particle size is very good, and the particles are very small, great for a DSB. The only drawback to this sand is that it costs $20 for a 25lb bag. Not bad for my little 20, but on a bigger tank this would get real expensive, real fast. But if you can afford it, go with it. Plus, IDK where you are in MI, but a couple stores in detroit have offered a discount if you are buying a lot.
Where in MI are you anyway? I am in Northville, just outside of Detroit.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
I've been looking up silica sand as well. Right now my focus is between the Aragonite and the Calcite sand.
As you can see both are CaCO3 but yet they have different properties as you will read below.
Aragonite:
General Information
Chemical Formula: CaCO3
Composition: Molecular Weight = 100.09 gm
Calcium 40.04 % Ca 56.03 % CaO
Carbon 12.00 % C 43.97 % CO2
Oxygen 47.96 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula: Ca(CO3)
Calcite mineral:
General Information
Chemical Formula: CaCO3
Composition: Molecular Weight = 100.09 gm
Calcium 40.04 % Ca 56.03 % CaO
Carbon 12.00 % C 43.97 % CO2
Oxygen 47.96 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula: Ca(CO3)
Environment: Found in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
The trick here is to make sure that what you are using is aragonite and not calcite sand as many different minerals have identical chemical formulas but wildly different properties. Aragonite is orthorhombic crystal and calcite is rhobehedral, scalenohedral or prismatic crystals
This means they have a different arrangement of atoms giving them different properties of density, solubility, hardness etc. They also tend to incorporate different trace elements, based on what best fits into their different crystal structures. Aragonite will substitute larger atoms such as strontium. Calcite grabs magnesium and iron. Aragonite’s properties are much more beneficial in a closed system.
So far that is just a few of the tid bits I have been able to find on these two. Also like I said working on the silica side of things, so if anyone has any information to share I would like to hear it.
Thomas looks left, looks right, he knows soon that Fulcrum will devise some question that he can not answer. :D
Thomas
 
E

elan

Guest
i used 350 lbs of 100% sillica sand (premium playsand from home depot) and topped it off with about 60lbs of two different types of live sand.
only problem i had was that the playsand and live sand were different colors... i used a piece of plexiglass to "push" the playsand from the sides of the tank and filled it with live sand.... so from the front of the tank, it all looks like one color.
 
T

thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by elan
only problem i had was that the playsand and live sand were different colors.
Which was darker the silica or the live sand?
 
krishj39

krishj39

Active Member
I voted "Other." I have a 4" DSB. I have a mix of argonite (southdown), crushed coral (only about 20lbs, kept it when i upgraded to the larger tank, wish I hadn't), and silicate (probably the majority is this as I couldn't get cheap argonite when I was setting up my tank, HD only recently started to carry SD). Also, I have LS from several places, presumably that is also argonite. I've had no problems to date.
 
phoenixrising

phoenixrising

Member
I have a 5" DSB in all of my tanks consisting of 100% live sand from my LFS. Wish I had done it differently, but what is done is done and it has worked quite well thus far.
 
E

elan

Guest

Originally posted by Thomas712
Which was darker the silica or the live sand?
Silica sand was more tan and live was more white.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Elan - Yeah I guess I wouldn't like staring at that. I did find a list of the imurities listed with silica sand.
Very Generally speaking Silica sand, lets say industrial style is a high purity quartz (SiO2) sand. Depending on its chemical and physical characteristics, silica sand is used as glass sand, foundry sand, abrasives ..etc. Silica sand can contain tiny amounts of impurities, such as iron, manganese, chromium, calcium, or aluminum, and give the sand its color depending on how much of these impurities are contained within. The largest always seems to be iron.
Thomas
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
My display contains a combination of Caribsea seaflor grade aragonite/Caribsea oolitic/natures Ocean LS...the color is uniform and the 3 types have worked well together. Much more expensive than Southdown/Yardright...but neither are available here. I have used limited amounts of Quickcrete in my refugiums and Fish only system with success...but I don't care much for the appearence.
In the future I intend to order Caribsea products in bulk....if I can't locate a source for Southdown.
 
foulbrew

foulbrew

Member
I have used silica, sand-blasting sand for years with no problems. Contrary to popular belief, I have experienced no leaching - according to my test kit and no problems maintaining a healthy, diverse sandbed.
Sand blasting sand is uniform in size, sharp (compared to other sands) and pure. The uniform size and sharpness is universally frowned upon as it is considered less hospitable to the fauna that are beneficial to a healthy bed. While I believe this to be true, I think the degree of affect is small. IME the volume and depth of the sand is a far more important factor.
 
E

elan

Guest
i havent experienced any problems with my tank...everything seems to be going great and my h2o tests are pretty much where they should be....
And after i pushed some livesand down to cover the playsand, the tank now looks great!... plenty of pods in only 4-5 months, and i am seeing signs of bubbles raising to the top of the tank.. not many, but i hope this is the reason my nitrate is undetectable.... which is the reason of the sand bed in the first place...
as far as leeching silicates, i have always tested 0.
 
joer

joer

New Member
I use crushed coral, Cause i didn't know better. :p Its really showing algae and gravel vac really doesn't clean it that well. It looks as if more people are posting about using silica than votes. LOL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top