Home Depot Sand - The Right Stuff?

[fish1219]

Hello,
I know there are many URS reefers in the process of a tank upgarde and looking for sand. I'm in the same boat (upgarding from a 45 -> 90). I was in the Home Depot today (Johnson City) and they had some sand called:
* Durascape White Play Sand
This sand is made by OldCastle with an address of Thomasville, PA. OldCastle is no longer in Thomasville, PA. I added white vinegar to the sand and it fizzed up like crazy. Is this the sand that everyone is looking for? At the time I stopped they had 1.5 pallets left. If this is the stuff please let me know and a small finders fee (FRAG) would be greatly accepted

 

[dalbrecht]

That's the stuff.
Southdown = OldCastle = Yard right.

If it fizzes it's calcerous.

 

[cknowlto]

If it fizzes, it has calcium compounds in it.

If it is arragonite sand, it should dissolve completely in the vinegar.

Having said that, you have the same stuff I use

My understanding (correct me if I am wrong here) is that some other white sands are made from pulverized marble which has a heavy silicate component. The jury is still out as to weather or not this is harmful to a reef tank.

 

[dalbrecht]

I don't think the jury is out re: silica is harmful. The big argument is that silica encourages the growth of diatoms.

There are 2 major criticisms of this argument:

1) Aquariums are made of silica and diatoms are able to pull silica out of the glass. Any silica in the sand is just a soluble

2) Many aquarist have kept reefs over black volcanic sand for years. This sand in addition to being visually distinctivel is a high silica sand.