Cheap sand bed?????

[therealfatman]

As far as I know since Caribsea starting buying Bermuda aragonite Southdown has not been selling aragonite sand. They stopped selling aragonite four or five years ago. Southdown, Old Castle, Yardright were all the same old Bermuda sand. Those lines of sans now are not aragonite but vary in their compositions depending on which Southdown Facility now bags the sand. Southdown used to be only east coast now they are at several locations across the country and under several names.

Dolomite is calcium magnesium carbonate and it has a Mohrs hardness rating of between 3 and 4.

 

[b_s_c1]

Has anyone tried to use natural sea sand. I live by the coast and was wondering how this would work and look.

 

[Haxer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14533497#post14533497 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DaveG99
Our local DFW club just did a group buy for sand. We ended up paying about $12 per 30lb bag shipped. It came from Ft Lauderdale.

I couldnt find any prices on their site... Can you buy from them online...?

 

[hllywd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14925599#post14925599 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rhodes19
Does any one have pictures of dolomite as their substrate they can share? Is the size of the grains appropriate for sand sifters to play in? I'm thinking of having about a 2-3 inch bed and I think I will try to make some rock with it as well. I'm using crushed oyster shell to make some rocks at the moment.

When I started, crushed limestone (dolomite), and crushed coral were the choices locally. The grain sizes were 1/16" - 1/4" depending on what you wanted. Dolomite has a gray color and was cheaper than CC which was white and had a nicer look. Both were packaged for SW use.

Now, I personally wouldn't be happy with the gray color and CC fell out of favor several years ago along with the undergravel filters both were used with. Pulverized limestone is mostly fines and will need to be washed thoroughly since the stuff I've seen will resemble mud when mixed with water....

I found this 3 years ago at Walmart and its what I have in my 120:

It was similar to, if not the same as the SD sand which is no longer available either.

IMO I'd find something that looks nice and does what you want or pony up for something I'd be happy with long term. You may save money up front with something "you can live with", but when you tire of the dingy gray look of dolomite it will be a PITA to change!

Tim

 

[hllywd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14931347#post14931347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by b_s_c1
Has anyone tried to use natural sea sand. I live by the coast and was wondering how this would work and look.

In a simple answer yes.

The real answer involves many other issues. A couple problems you need to be aware of are polution, and unwanted pests. The same goes for NSW. Your collection area needs to be pristine obviously.

Tim

 

[Rhodes19]

Thanks hllywd,

I guess dolomite is out of the running. I want a white substrate and some of the pictures of dolomite I saw on the web looked white. I'll be painting the back of the tank black with Rustolium's Krylon product and I thought white substrate would look nice but really didn't want to pay the price for about 180 lbs. Oh well, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet on this one.

 

[kgross]

I would say look into the dolomite more myself. We have a LFS that sells it for $12 for 50 pounds, it is cheap, it is white.

Here are some pictures of a tank that is setup with this dolomite sand.

www.jensalt.com/gallery2/v/9gallonbiocube/.

Check with a concrete supply for white pool sand or dolomite pool sand.

Kim

 

[HerdofCrickets]

KGross;

That white sand looks great.

There is a rock quary / store around here that sells white 'river sand' that some people have used in their tanks... I haven't tried it yet, but think I might in my next build... They want $10 for 100lbs

 

[Rhodes19]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14933092#post14933092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kgross
I would say look into the dolomite more myself. We have a LFS that sells it for $12 for 50 pounds, it is cheap, it is white.

Here are some pictures of a tank that is setup with this dolomite sand.

www.jensalt.com/gallery2/v/9gallonbiocube/.

Check with a concrete supply for white pool sand or dolomite pool sand.

Kim

Wow, nice. I will have to check with the cement store I got my type III Portland cement from and see it they have it. Thanks Kim.

Chris

 

[2thdeekay]

They mix this dolomite sand with white portland cement to coat the surface of swimming pools. -Why they call it pool sand. It's nice and white, and usually about the right size for a reef sandbed.

It is a crushed sand. However, alot of caribsea sand sold to reefers aren't nice and round either. Dolomite sand will work just fine. It is nice and white, but differs from aragonite sand in that it is more white, and more "translucent".

Not a bad choice though, considering the price.

 

[luisagos]

Anyone use this sand before?

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-LBS-PURE-WHI...yZ117437QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is this worth money to be safe and really get the best sand?

 

[kgross]

That looks like a white dolomite sand, which is fine. That is pretty expensive for dolomite sand, but it will work fine.

Kim

 

[therealfatman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14896984#post14896984 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by One Dumm Hikk
Buffering capacity of the sandbed? In order for the Ca to dissolve into the water the pH has to drop somewhere around 6.5 and if your tank gets that low, it won't be your Calcium levels you worry about

That is just a stoichiometric assumption. Stoichometry is a chemisitry documentation not built on facts but assumptions.

Stociometry documents and proves nothing really but is a just a accepted form of trying to show and document what chemists believe takes place. Much closer to theory than law in most cases.

 

[2thdeekay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14982134#post14982134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luisagos
Anyone use this sand before?

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-LBS-PURE-WHI...yZ117437QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is this worth money to be safe and really get the best sand?

If you can find a local supplier of dolomite sand (look for a supplier of sand/concrete for pool construction), it will be much cheaper. Locally, it is $7 for a 50lb bag for the general public. Just need to find the right supplier.

 

[luisagos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14984126#post14984126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2thdeekay
If you can find a local supplier of dolomite sand (look for a supplier of sand/concrete for pool construction), it will be much cheaper. Locally, it is $7 for a 50lb bag for the general public. Just need to find the right supplier.

Will do, thank you very much.

 

[Rhodes19]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14979738#post14979738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2thdeekay
They mix this dolomite sand with white portland cement to coat the surface of swimming pools. -Why they call it pool sand. It's nice and white, and usually about the right size for a reef sandbed.

It is a crushed sand. However, alot of caribsea sand sold to reefers aren't nice and round either. Dolomite sand will work just fine. It is nice and white, but differs from aragonite sand in that it is more white, and more "translucent".

Not a bad choice though, considering the price.

Thanks 2thdeekay. Thats good info and good to know.

 

[2thdeekay]

You're very welcome!

 

[luisagos]

Does anyone here have brand name, or know what company sells this dolomite sand.
I am having a hell of a time finding it.

Everyone thinks i am crazy, when I mention it here in Florida.

 

[luisagos]

Is this what you guys are talking about?

http://www.u-s-silica.com/mystic.htm

or

http://www.u-s-silica.com/silurian.htm

 

[kgross]

That is not what I am talking about.

Here is one company that makes some.

http://www.specialtyminerals.com/sp...ing-products/dolomites-for-building-products/

Or

http://www.superiormarble.com/PoolSand.htm

The stuff I get locally is
Chemical Lime's Dolowhite Pool Grade DS

I'm not sure how to ship it or what it would cost, but I can get it for $12 for a 50 lb bag.

Kim