I found this sand at Wal-Mart today - What do you think?

[GuySmilie]

Well, I've been searching for Pavestone brand Pulverized Limestone since all the Southdown aragonite sources around me are long gone. Sorry to say that none of the suppliers in my area carry the Pulverized Limestone. Wal-Mart carries Pavestone decorative stones but, so far, not their limestone.

However, today one of my local Wal-Markets had this item stocked in the outdoor/garden area that I have never seen there before. This sand is much whiter than most of the play sands available to me. So I bought a couple of 0.5 cu ft bags @ $3.12 each to play with. If it turns out not to be a good choice for the aquariums, then I'll utilize it in my DIY Rock building molds.

Anyone have any info on this product?
Since the company named on the bag is local to the St. Louis area, I figured that it's probably something they dredged from the Mississippi River. Also, there is plenty of limestone material deposits in and around the metro St. Louis area! So, once it failed the acid test, I called the manufacturer and talked to a guy named 'Dave'. I asked him what type of sand this was and he said "It's ocean sand!" Then I gave him some suggestions like aragonite, silica, quartz, marble.......still, "It's ocean sand." When I asked him where it came from, he assured me that it was "dredged from the Gulf of Mexico." When I asked him if he was certain of this he repeated it again.

I gave it the vinegar-based acid test which resulted in zero dissolution, so it's pretty safe to assume this is not a calcium-based product.

This is the distributors URL but theres no help there
River City Landscape Supply

This is what the retail bag looks like

This is the UPC from the retail bag

This is the distributor

This is before the vinegar-based acid test

This is about 30 minutes after the vinegar-based acid test

Maybe someone reading this has some experience with this product?
Sure would be nice to find another economical alternative for sand!
Guy

 

[beareef19]

If that was pure vinegar in your test it would of started bubbling right away. It is probably silica sand that you have.

 

[Kermit]

I used something similar to that from Walmart on my cube. It worked , didn't cause an algae problem but it was course. It looked just like that but the bag was different.

 

[DrBDC]

From the picture it looks as if it dissolved but not completely or is that just an illusion?

 

[anthamm93]

so is it safe to use or no

 

[GuySmilie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9632559#post9632559 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
From the picture it looks as if it dissolved but not completely or is that just an illusion?

DrBDC - No, it did not dissolve at all. Not any during the 30 minutes I monitored it.

Kermit - this sand is not coarse at all. It was damp out of the bag and when I squished a spoon full into the glass, it separated into clumps that make it look coarse. I'd guess it's < 1.0mm (maybe < 0.5mm) but it does seem to all be of a uniform size. Also appears to be pretty clean.

If I had access to some test kits I would test it for other parameters, but I don't have any right now.
I sure wish I knew more about Gulf region sands. Are there actually sands in the Gulf that are not calcium based?
Guy

 

[returnofsid]

You want calcium or aragonite based sand. That way, it'll help buffer your PH. Silicate based won't do anything beneficial at all and may promote algae growth. I would NOT use the product you listed if I were you.

 

[GuySmilie]

Well, oolitic aragonite would be what I would prefer, but at $25-40 per bag, it's not what I will have.
From my experience, even though calcium based sand helps, it does not eliminate the need to dose. And silica based sand will provide benefit by hosting bacteria colonies.

Right now, based on the evidence I've garnered over the years in this hobby, the only thing that would keep me from using this $3/bag sand would be any detrimental readings acquired by testing. So I think I need to obtain some test kits and get on with it. Does anybody else disagree with this view?
Guy

 

[anthamm93]

so is it safe or no

 

[Icefire]

should be

 

[javatech]

i got the same stuff last year for some base sand under some live sand and it worked out ok just have to wash it out a lot its very dirty
i don't like the look of it by it self when it's under water it's kind of clear kind of , you can tell it's not oolitic or aragonite sand but if you mix it it's ok

 

[Horace]

From the discussions I have seen here on RC about sand, even silica sand WILL NOT add silica to your water. There is very little that sand can do, however, some have noted that silica sand, being more course, can irratate some fish's skin that are constantly touching it, such as the Mandarin.

As for PH buffering, I think that is nonsense. There is no way your sand is going to dissolve at a fast enough rate to do anything beneficial to your tank. To make arragonite release any noticible amount of ca/kh, you need to have low PH, and typically it takes a CaRx to create low enough PH for that to happen. So I really hope people arent thinking they can support thier Ca/Kh by adding aragonite sand, because if you do, your in for a big surprise.

 

[Reef_bones]

Sand is sand is sand... Use what you like.. I have over the years used everything from Quickcrete(sand of course), Kmart playsand, walmart playsand, and pool filter sand... No ill effects from any of them. I finally found the elusive southdown when a local reefer decided to get rid of his stockpile he had been holding for 5 years...I love it. But not because it has some magical buffering ability or anything like that. It's simply because it's nice and white, visually appealing. That is the most important thing "Do you like the way it looks". See a lot of the playsands have a brown or tan color to them and to me it just never looked natural..

But back to the point. Sand is Sand is SAND...

 

[coyoteseven]

I've been using Quartz (silica) based sand in my tanks since day one without any problems. Sure, I got the initial diatom bloom, just like you do with aragonite sand, but it cleared quickly and has NEVER returned.

Like Reef_bones said (paraphrased), if you like the way it looks, use it.

Think about it, silica/quartz is the most common chemical compound on this planet... and, roughly 95% (give or take a couple percent) of the world's oceans have a silica/quartz sand base... if it's good enough for Mother Nature's "tanks", it's good enough for mine.

 

[drauka99]

I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida and in no way does that look like beach sand. Its a heck of a lot darked than the "sugar" white sand we have. Our local goverments actually have regulations on the color of sand that can be placed on beaches after storms and there is no way that woudl pass.

But as for use in your tank go for it, as coyoteseven said you will have the inital breakout but should be ok after that.

 

[Jorgens]

I've been using "beach" sand form the local gravel pit. I kept a 55g trash can full when we fillmy sons box. at $3 a ton it was worth it. Minor Diatom blooms when i stir the bottma bit too much. Also some cyno problems but I can't blame the sand for that. More like natural cycles and inexpirence.

Over all it is wonderful stuff...bright white and super fine. Once flow is in place I get neat little "waves" from the current. I have a number or corals growing...

I would say try it out. Just don't put anythig you value in the tank for a few months to get a feel for it.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9634806#post9634806 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Horace
From the discussions I have seen here on RC about sand, even silica sand WILL NOT add silica to your water. There is very little that sand can do, however, some have noted that silica sand, being more course, can irratate some fish's skin that are constantly touching it, such as the Mandarin.

As for PH buffering, I think that is nonsense. There is no way your sand is going to dissolve at a fast enough rate to do anything beneficial to your tank. To make arragonite release any noticible amount of ca/kh, you need to have low PH, and typically it takes a CaRx to create low enough PH for that to happen. So I really hope people arent thinking they can support thier Ca/Kh by adding aragonite sand, because if you do, your in for a big surprise.

I second everything Horace is saying here.


Corals are made of the same things aragonite is. If your sand is dissolving, so are your corals.

 

[Inflames]

I remember a looonng time ago people looking for Southdown like it was the new drug. Silica based sand = bad.

 

[DrBDC]

Southdown isn't silica, it was aragonite and the same as you buy in a bag for 30 bucks but it was 5 bucks for 50 lbs. It's the cheap in us that was looking for southdown. BTW I'm looking for some! :lol:

 

[Inflames]

never said southdown was silica but many people tried to substitute silica based sand because they couldnt get southdown. Southdown is aragonite.