Aragonite: Where?

[Rainer Feyer]

Zanclus,

I think Steve and I will be interested in most of that. Will try to figure out how to get it, though.

Thank you greatly for giving us the info!

 

[Rainer Feyer]

JAllard,

could you still check with your local TrueValue? The place in Ithaca turned out to be a flop. If you do check, the bag from yardright will have to say: "Tropical Play San", witha a small writing sentence: "Silica Free".

Dave,

I would even consider taking sand out of a box, but you are trying to make too much profit

 

[zanclus]

I am sorry they didn't have the sand. I am going to stop there one day this week. I Personally SAW 3 palletts full of Yardrite Tropical sand. 3 weeks ago when I bought my 5 bags.

 

[TA]

Did you guys find any local?

Looking for some myself (I think)...want to set up a "small" tank with substrate.

How much would I need for a 20-ish gallon tank...1-3" substrate?

 

[jaze36]

None local so far, for a 20 with 3" depth about 45lbs.

 

[TA]

Thanks.
If you come across any, let me know...I want some...eventually.

Should also ask...where have you looked locally so far?

 

[Rainer Feyer]

J. Allard said he thought his local Agway may have some and was going to check. IT sounds like the market of Arag play sand has been cut!

Any other ideas anyone?

 

[TA]

While browsing YardRights web site, I came across the following statment concerning the Tropical Play Sand:

Not suitable for aquarium systems

I'm sure its been dicussed somewhere on RC, but I was just curious WHY YardRight would make that statment!

 

[jaze36]

I think they are talking about fresh water systems, the stuff would melt fast and cloud up the water. Remember aragonite melts even at a ph of 8, if you put it a a ph of 5.8 or so like most tropical fresh you would have a big mess, and probably kill all your fish.

 

[TA]

Ahhhhhh.......you are right!

Of course, I'm always thinking saltwater systems...Doh!

 

[xian]

FWIW I used some brown silica sand in the tanks at school with no negative effects. ITs ugly as sin though.

 

[Rainer Feyer]

Good information to have, thanks.

from what I have read, the problem with silica is not really it's chemical composition, but rather the physical qualities. Since it has sharp, crystallline edges, it has a greater chance of harbering detrius and therefor a greater chance of causing diatome bloom. So they say.

Some small garden shop spmewhere is probably sitting on a few hundred bags of Arag play sand, all we have to fo is find them!

Good luck, eh?

 

[michaelg]

silica sand will work fine and can be used to cut with aragonite. biological effects will largely be the same, but won't get the "buffer" effect from the sand. Some claims that some very sensative animals get chopped up by the silica sand- but how big that effect is I really question. PLENTY of worms etc do fine in the silica.

 

[Rainer Feyer]

Thanks Michael,

I will do Silica Sand in my Prop tank,

Rainer

 

[Dave ESPI]

RF, seriously, don't use Silca sand. It does NOTHING good for your tank.

Go bare bottom if the only alternative is to use Silica sand........


hell, I'll GIVE Y-O-U a bag of aragonite to NOT use silica just so we don't have to listen to you whine at the meetings in a few months as to your "woes" and water parameter issues....

 

[jaze36]

This is an area of confusion, I have read things now, not just here, on both sides of the fence.

Dave when you say water parameter issues are you concerned with buffering effect or with leaching of silicates into the water and a daitom bloom? Or is there another issue that you would consider bigger that this?

Michael would this give the same effect in a deep sand bed for nitrification. Could a person use 5" of silicate and cover that with 3" of aragonite sand?

 

[Dave ESPI]

I M E :

Cementation of silicate sand is faster,
The shape for compacting sand layers is tighter and no airspace below 1/4 inch for bacteria,
Creates anoxic areas and hydrogensulfide gas pockets faster,
It offers ZERO benifits for buffering,
The sand particle physical shape irrates corals once blown into the flesh, and any motile or sand dwelling life is cut up and irritated by the rough edges of the sand,
It holds detritus and is near impossible to siphon clean,
Phosphoritic acid reactions are increased, and cause Cyano to bloom easier as well as Diatoms which can be prone to colonial crashing and a near "wipeout" if that happens OR if you are running UV, can add a huge amount of dieoff to teh bioload on a daily basis that nitrates soar ever skyward.......

List goes on and on, but I digress

Howmuch sand U need ? I have one 50 # bag of "VINTAGE" late 1990's sand that is still MIP and has never been "played with" .

LMK..... such a "collectable" item should fetch a few ruppies on teh Black market :bum:

 

[Rainer Feyer]

Dave,

I could probabnly use the 50# bag as well as another 200#+ in the near future. Are you willing to sell?

 

[Dave ESPI]

well, I don't have 200 #'s and yeah the 50 pounder I'll bring to the gara.....errr "swap meet" sale

 

[Rainer Feyer]

Great!

Thanks