Tropical Play Sand From The Caribbean

[BuyThisRock]

TROPICAL PLAY SAND FROM THE CARIBBEAN .....

I AM LOOKING TO FIND THIS STUFF . HAS ANYBODY SEEN IT OR HAVE ANY OF IT.
I AM LOOKING FOR AS LITTLE AS 50 POUNDS OR UP TO 800 POUNDS OF SAND FOR AN SALTWATER AQUARIUM
IS THERE ANY HELP OR SUGGESTIONS FOR A ENEXSPENSIVE ROUTE
I WOULD PREFER IT TO BE TROPICAL PLAY SAND FROM THE CARIBBEAN IF NOT I AM OPEN TO OTHER IDEAS OR ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE/SUGESTION
THANKSS

 

[jenghes]

Nope, have not seen it. I have been looking all over the Toledo area for about 6 months.

Sorry.

 

[Spuds725]

I looked for 3 months last year... no luck.

Check the cleveland area board... I heard of some there last year-- a couple of different garden centers...

Yardright found at Canton Rd Garden center...

http://froogle.google.com/maps?f=l&...atlng=41499444,-81695556,13604678430546122601

Someone else found some aragonite (or a blend) at a Petitti garden center--this one-- I drove out there and they were out...

http://froogle.google.com/maps?hl=e...81695556,11753104867325417477&li=lmd&z=13&t=m

This was oldcastle white play sand.

I know of one other person that found some Old Castle at a Walmart in Monroe, MI.. by the time I got there there was no more aragonite (although they did have some non aragonite white play sand)-- I would have made a walmart purchase exception in this case....

To me, its like bigfoot.. you keep hearing of sightings, but never actually see it..

 

[zaireguy]

Jen how much are you looking for

 

[jenghes]

Enough for a 40 Long, about 1-2" deep. Maybe one or two of bags.

 

[BuyThisRock]

"To me, its like bigfoot.. you keep hearing of sightings, but never actually see it.." LOL SPUDS

 

[MACDad]

I found this stuff at Home Depot in Perrysburg, OH last year.

It passed the vinegar test. I had some diatom outbreak from it, but nothing significant. Has been running in my 29 gal for about 8 months without an issue.

Fred

 

[Spuds725]

if anybody finds some this year, I'm sure everyone will appreciate it-- vinegar results please

 

[KingDiamond]

I got some from a co worker who works in the Herpetology department. I'm saving it for the tank I eventually set up in my new house. Outside of coming across what I have I haven't seen it anywhere locally. I uses to have five 50lbs bags until my wife decided that the kids sand box needed some more sand. Now I have four and a half bags.

Brad

 

[jenghes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7295238#post7295238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MACDad
I found this stuff at Home Depot in Perrysburg, OH last year.

It passed the vinegar test. I had some diatom outbreak from it, but nothing significant. Has been running in my 29 gal for about 8 months without an issue.

Fred

Another sighting of this stuff.... HD on Airport Hwy.

How does it look in your tank, Fred?

 

[soulfigter]

I just put that stuff in my new 250g. It has been in there about a week now and looks great!

 

[jenghes]

Good to hear. I just put it in my new 40. It just needs water and rocks.

 

[MACDad]

Glad to hear soulfigter. You may have a diatom outbreak, but I have never had a real bad case of it.

 

[soulfigter]

Yah, I am dealing with a small daitom outbreak, but as you experienced, nothing bad.

 

[jenghes]

Isn't a small diatom outbreak normal for any new tank?

 

[bigdaddyadam]

I have finally decided that crushed coral is crap, I am going to switch over to a DSB when I move my tank to Cleveland in August, seems like a convienant time to make the switch.

anyone seen any of sand suitable for a DSB around lately? If I can't find southdown I may have to break down and buy the aquarium branded stuff which is a lot more $$$, I am not even sure how much I will need to get at least a 4 inch bed in my 55 gallon tank, anyone know? does Gary's carry the sugar sized grain sand? I never even checked before.

also once I find the sand I intend to "cure" it first to make sure I minimize the shock when it replaces the CC bed. anyone generous enough to donate some livesand from existing sandbeds to get the curing process started? I would really think you were swell...ideally I would love to get some sand from several people's beds to get the most biodiversity...I figure if it's curing for about a month then most anything like ich will die for lack of a fish host long before I actually add it into the tank, plus I know most of you are as anal about keeping your tanks healthy as I am, so no worrys about livesand that would be coming from you all.

 

[Dubbin1]

Adam look up a few posts at the stuff Fred has and what Jen found. It will work just fine. Also you can seed your sand by putting some of your CC in some stockings (panyhose). Thats how I seeded my 110.

 

[jenghes]

The stuff does not pass the fizz test. It has a lot of variable grain size. Some being ultra fine that it clouds up so much and almost fakes you out on the fizz test. The appearance is the same regardless if you test with vinegar or water.

Rumor has it that the sand can be found in the Akron area...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7500763#post7500763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lawdog
It should say caribbean or tropical play sand for the right stuff... The only stuff I have been able to find is the Caribbean play sand made by YardRight it is definately white with little sea shells and other ocean remnents in it. Even when wet it is still an offwhite color and it bubbles like crazy with vinegar.

The only place I have found the "real" stuff is Canton Road Garden Center in Akron... Call before you go because they don't always have it. Last time I found it was last year end of year, I have like 4 bags of it left in the garage waiting for a good time to use it.

 

[hllywd]

How much (how many pallets) of this do you want??? In the bag it looks good and I think It's what I'm going to use... Oh, it's cheap too!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7295238#post7295238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MACDad
I found this stuff at Home Depot in Perrysburg, OH last year.

It passed the vinegar test. I had some diatom outbreak from it, but nothing significant. Has been running in my 29 gal for about 8 months without an issue.

Fred

 

[jenghes]

That is the stuff that I am talking about.

IT DOES NOT PASS THE FIZZ TEST. I mistakenly thought that it did because of the cloudiness that the sand created in the cup. It reacts exactly the same in vinegar as it does water. Perhaps I'll do the vinegar test tonight again and post pics, if you wish. I'll also do a comparitive water test.

It has highly variable grain size and easily creates a sand storm in water - very cloudy. As I soaked it in water, the larger grains rose to the top creating a "not so fine" sand look. It looks much coarser.

I have some in the tank, with no water in it yet, if you want to look at it.

Here is another opinion. He believes that it is not Silica but Quartz...

Taken from MR....

A_n_Es SEA
Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 32


Okay, so I bought some of this sand last night at HD (White Play Sand). The color is good and white, but the particles range from less than sugarsized to about 2 mm in size.

I looks mostly like crushed quartz, and turns very milky when mixed with water, though I didn't wait around to see if it would settle or not.

I tried dissolving some in vinegar and nothing, nada.

Findings:
its definitely not Calcium based, mostly likely quartz based from the looks
Particle sizes range from less than sugar-sized to ~2mm.
Color is fairly bright white.
Seemed to produce alot of cloudiness in water (only tried small amount)
May or may not work in an aquarium
Since it looks quartz based and not silica based, it shouldn't leach harmful silica, my theory is that it would act alot like standard aquarium gravel used in fresh water setups. That is if it does indeed settle out with time.
Probably would not be suitable for sand sifters seems to have some jagged edges on the larger pieces.

Just my observations.....thought it might be of some help.