what are the alternatives to southdown for a fuge dsb

[Snarkys]

i have two 18x36 fuges that need 200 pounds of sand according to the reef central calculator , that's for a 6 inch bed. i cant seem to find any southdown so what are the hopefully affordable alternatives?

 

[Snarkys]

anyone ?

 

[Craig Lambert]

I'm removing the sand from my fuge later this week. I'm just going to go with rock and cheato. Cheato likes circulation, and for me the result of providing circulation has been sand all over the sump.

 

[HippieSmell]

I use quikrete silica sand from HD and rinse it really well. You could have the top 1" or so aragonite from the LFS to make a nice mixture.

 

[Snarkys]

what are the downfalls of silica sand ?

 

[HippieSmell]

None that I know of. I think the entire west coast is silica sand.

 

[durango_doug]

If you go to a masonry store, they should have a nice selection of blasting sands for you to choose from. You'll be able to choose the exact grain size you're looking for.

 

[Snarkys]

whats the blasting sand made of ?

 

[durango_doug]

silica

 

[HippieSmell]

I read that blasting sand can contain free silicates, but I'm not sure if it's the sand that contains free silicates, or if it's a result of the blasting process.

 

[Snarkys]

i was looking at the bags and they say they may contain free silicates. what is so bad about silicates anyways ?

 

[ledford1]

what are the alternatives to southdown for a fuge dsb

Actually, I thought Southdown was the alternative sand.

Southdown is cheaper than the aragonite sand from a fish store, but good luck finding it anymore. Don't waste too much time trying to hunt some down. The safe and sure way to go is just buy aragonite sand, dry or alive, from your LFS or online vendor of choice.

When Southdown was popular, everyone liked it because it was silica-free. People said silica sand would lead to algae blooms in your tank. However, lately, I've been hearing more people say they've used silica sand with no problems. But there are also people who have blamed problems with their tanks on the use of silica sand. So who is correct? Was silica sand a myth in that it led to algae blooms?

I'm not a chemist nor have I ever used silica sand, but I would seek to find a definite answer one way or the other before using silica sand.

 

[tygger]

I just found this... It's cheaper than "live" sand such as Arag-alive and it appears to be the same granular size as Southdown. It's called Meridian Oolitic Aragonite by Seachem, $15 for a 20lb bag, plus standard shipping. (guess DFS stopped charging extra for overweight items, would be a good time to buy a bucket of salt also)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=8119&N=2004+113554

OR

Arag-max by CaribSea? Looks similar also... $22 for 30lbs, plus standard shipping.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=7321&N=2004+113554


Anyone have any experience with these substrates?

 

[Snarkys]

PA sells the 30LB bags of arag-max for $ 15

 

[tygger]

I checked that, but if you order large quantities, shipping kills the deal from PA.

 

[doox00]

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm

 

[skeeter_ca]

i currently use argonite from CC, but i to have heard some people getting good results from silica sand. Who should you believe. I've seen alot of different methods being all used with good results. Earlier, couple years ago i read an article, don't remember from who, but they said that not only the grain size is important but the grain shape. Silica sand has more sharp edges and CC, and oolitic sand are more round. The rounder shapes are more kinder to the fauna.

just my 2 cents

aquadw