Cheap sand bed alternative

[Hefner413]

checked with my local True Value, no luck. Any luck with any of you guys finding CaCO3 anywhere yet?

 

[BZOFIQ]

pet smart is closing out on seachem aragonite at $6.99 a bag, if nobody in your area cleared out the shelves, you might be lucky. I cleaned Staten Island location last week.

 

[BZOFIQ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11971459#post11971459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hefner413
I'm pretty sure calcite = aragonite = calcium carbonate = CaCO3.

They're all the same. Now there are differing degrees of purity and what not, but essentially they are all the same compound from what I understand.

you are very wrong.

thats like saying carbon and diamond are the same

 

[Hefner413]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11997639#post11997639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xoomer
you are very wrong.

thats like saying carbon and diamond are the same

thanks for correcting me. i wasn't sure. could you please explain the difference please.

 

[BZOFIQ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcite


Basically for our purposes aragonite is much better because it will dissolve at higher pH whereas calcite dissolves at 7.6; at that point your tank will not be looking pretty.

 

[Hefner413]

Well, anybody happen to see any of this around yet this season?

 

[njdevilsfan]

here is the deal
pavestone has a factory in grapevine tx so it is easy for us to get it in texas
it is safe
but do not get the limestone for marking football fields
it is also sold in the hd garden center
why not to use it
i dont remember but some expert did a write up on it and said not to use it

 

[Hefner413]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12108749#post12108749 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by njdevilsfan
here is the deal
pavestone has a factory in grapevine tx so it is easy for us to get it in texas
it is safe
but do not get the limestone for marking football fields
it is also sold in the hd garden center
why not to use it
i dont remember but some expert did a write up on it and said not to use it

thanks njdevilsfan... anybody know if the pavestone is available elsewhere other than TX yet?

And I wouldn't use limestone used on football fields even if it was safe - it's more like a powder than a sand anyway.