All you EVER wanted to know about Southdown

[dja1980]

I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate or not, but I did a google search on this topic, and found this:

Marcona Ocean Industries was the company who formerly supplied Southdown with their sand. This is the same company who supplied Caribsea, Old Castle, and YardRight with their sand. It was originally all mined and collected from a cay in the Bahamas, which is why all those brands used to be the exact same thing… only Southdown was selling a 50lb bag for $5 and Caribsea was selling a 25lb bag for $30!

From what I found, since Southdown was becoming so popular with reefers due to price, and Marcona had a “no-compete” agreement Caribsea, they had to start labeling the Southdown bags with “Not For Aquarium Use”. However, this all changed when Southdown got bought out by a company in Mexico called Cemex, which changed the collection site.

I believe Caribsea is still supplied by Marcona, however, I remember hearing something a while back about the consistency changing in the new stuff due to hurricanes… but I can't remember where I heard that. Anyway, it’s only the old Caribsea stuff that’s the same as Southdown, and the only advantage Southdown had (back in the day) was price.

Can anyone confirm the accuracy of this information?

 

[dahacker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11855462#post11855462 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xoomer
is this sand still available anywhere....is there a replacement.

I wish someone is NYC area is willing to part with bag(s), as I would be interested in buying.

Please reply.

I loved the days when you could go to the hardware store to get carrib. play sand. But those days are long gone.

Just order the aragamax sand from Drs Foster Smith

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=7321

Its the sugar sized Carib Sea sand. They don't charge by the weight for shipping. You could literally order 120 lbs for about $100 including shipping.

 

[BZOFIQ]

^^^ Heah, I saw it today. I recently spend over a grand over there and still don't have the replacement tank nor the new stand. I have to save here and there for now, but you are right it seems like the best place to buy as they don't charge extra for shipping.

 

[pdyp]

I have some. Quite a bit actually. I'll have to check when I get home. I'm in Chicago if anyone cares. ;-)

 

[revclyburn]

pdyp

what do you have, Southdown or Aragmax?

rev

 

[dja1980]

pdyp - ygpm

 

[RedDmon]

Does Aragonite sand actually exist? Not one place here in South Florida has it, with the exception of Caribsea at the LFS. Anyone in my area have a lead on where I can get Aragonite for less than $1 a pound?

Red

 

[DgenR8]

The now mythical Southdown came from the Bahamas. If you can't find it in South Florida, there isn't much chance anyone else will ever see it again.

 

[marduc]

This is probably already covered earlier in this thread, possibly even by me, but we are approaching 1000 posts here so a lot of info buried back there.

The source of the Southdown sand was from the Bahamas, a company called Marcona industries shipped aragonite sand in to Fort Pierce Florida, where some of it was sold to a Pennsylvania company (forget the name off the top of my head) and bagged as southdown.

Marcona industries has abandoned their aragonite operations where it was dredged in favor of more profitable endeavors for them at the bahamas site, and no longer uses the Fort Pierce facility at all, nor in any way produces aragonite sand.

Unfortunately that source has become a dry well.

 

[seanb1]

petsmart sells 20 pound bags of oolitic arrgonite sand. 18.99.

my local petsmart just clearanced all theirs out at 6.99 a 20 pound bag.

 

[revclyburn]

Really

I wonder if other petsmarts are doing the same. Need to check that out.

rev

 

[aceheart1976]

im about to go check out the petsmarts and see if they doing that around here lol

 

[Haxer]

Quikrete®
60 Lb. Pro Pak Coral Sand

Item #: 169625 Model: 1-04-2005


http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=169625-14221-1-04-2005&lpage=none

This appears to be natural "reef" type sand. Has anybody tried it?
It's not stocked in my local lowes store, but i am going to sak them about ordering some.

 

[RedDmon]

Not in ANY of the local Lowes here either.

 

[pnosko]

I've still got about 500 lbs of southdown in the original bags. Maybe I should hold an auction.

 

[NeveSSL]

Let us know what they say, Haxer.

I may ask as well.

Brandon

 

[sikpupy]

Hey, pnosko, you just won a million dollars. I live next to Dulles airport, whats your address so I can deliver your check to you, lol

 

[pnosko]

Got your PM attempt. How did I win it?

 

[CoralCaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12096627#post12096627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Haxer
Quikrete®
60 Lb. Pro Pak Coral Sand

Item #: 169625 Model: 1-04-2005


http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=169625-14221-1-04-2005&lpage=none

This appears to be natural "reef" type sand. Has anybody tried it?
It's not stocked in my local lowes store, but i am going to sak them about ordering some.

Any news on how this is? I've seen reviews on the Construction Grade sand by Quikrete but not this particular type.

BTW: Great information throughout the thread. Needed a bump anyways.

 

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1437287