Tropical Play Sand From The Caribbean

[bigdaddyadam]

okay, so I went to HD in BG, they had durascape. tryed the vinegar test sounded like some fizzing, but nothing visible and none dissolved that I could see. walmart across the street had kolorscape which is from old castle, looks like dudrascape but different distributor, other than that the bags are the same...no open bags so I couldn't do the vinegar test at walmart, may go back and buy a bag to try

should I see a LOT of fuzz or just a little? I am hearing mixed things online about kolarscape, some is definately calium based, some ain't

I'm also unsure if I should be using the vinegar I am or not, it's the watered down 5% stuff from the grocery, do I need pure vinegar to see the fizz?

 

[bigdaddyadam]

tried walmart stuff, they were nice enough to open the bag and let me test it, not the stuff we're looking for.

after searching all around I am giving up this line of searching. my father is the vice president of a major construction materials testing firm, so I am going to see if he can locate some of this stuff. he has contacts with Martin-Marietta who I know at one time was getting sand from the same source as the southdown stuff. even if I find aragonite sand and it isn't graded out, the lab he works at has a seiving machine and I can probably have him grade it out to exactly the size I want.

if I can get some I will try to see if I can get any extra for anyone who wants some...will keep everyone posted with the results of this search...I figure if he can't locate it knowing everyone in the dang industry by name then it just can't be found anymore

 

[Spuds725]

This search sounds like me last year-- when I finally gave up, I realized I spent more in gas driving around looking (not to mention my valuable time) then it would have cost to have some sand shipped... figure approximately $1/pound shipped for this stuff.

Regarding the vinegar test-- you can't miss the bubbles.... it will keep bubbleing and bubbleing until either all the calcium carbonate or all the acetic acid in the vinegar is consumed... its not a violent reaction... I had some in a cup that bubble for over 15 minutes (I poured it out and it was still bubbling before I did this)

 

[hllywd]

My Kolorscape from WM is bubbling away as we speak. It took a few minutes for the reaction to really become apparent and when you stir it a lot of trapped bubbles are released form the layer sand in the glass. I'm using regular store variety white vinegar. I also rinsed mine with some tap water first to remove the really fine sediment.
Tim

 

[hllywd]

Did I mention $2.68 for a .4 cubic foot bag...

 

[hllywd]

Looks like that makes the 3" sand bed cost about $5.68 for my 90

 

[bigdaddyadam]

I tested the kolorscape white play sand at the BG walmart and it didn't really fizz at all, at first I thought the fines were dissolving but really I think they were getting in suspension and being poured out when I put new vinegar in

I was left with a lot of larger pieces that did not appear to be aragonite to me at all.

 

[hllywd]

Mine is still bubbling after about 5 hours, I may make a screen box to rinse it through to sort out some of the larger particles, then rinse what's left. The worst that can happen is that I would need a couple more bags and I'm still under 15 bucks. the finer stuff appears to be whiter anyway...

 

[hllywd]

As long as I keep "fresh" vinegar on it, it keeps bubbling, it's probably 3/4 consumed at this point and I'm convinced it's nearly all calcium based, aragonite or otherwise.
A long time ago before CC was popular, or at least more expensive, you could buy dolomite (limestone) gravel, the larger grains in this remind me of that only much brighter in color.

Tim