Planning to replace Crushed Coral

[stevearlen]

What kind of sand is recommended? Is play sand from a place like hoe depot good enough or should I get something packaged for the aquarium hobby -- such as CaribSea aragonite Aragamax?

[wreck]

What kind of sand is recommended? Is play sand from a place like hoe depot good enough or should I get something packaged for the aquarium hobby -- such as CaribSea aragonite Aragamax?

 

i would stay away from the play sand and get some aragonite like CaribSea.

[flowerseller]

i would stay away from the play sand and get some aragonite like CaribSea.

DEAD ON

[Integral9]

I really like the Bemini Pink from Carib Sea. It's B.E.A.-Utiful.

[Coral Hind]

I would get the stuff marketed for the hobby unless you really research the playsand you want to buy. Most are silicate based which some say can lead to algae blooms. As wreck stated, you want aragonite or a calcium carbonate based sand to help you with buffering. To verify if you have the right stuff you can drop some of the sand into vinegar. If it bubbles, then you have a calcium carbonate based sand.

 

http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/products/...s/playsand.html

Edited June 6, 2008 by Coral Hind

[Larry Grenier]

I'd also stay away from "hoe depot". Listen to the words of the song "House of the Rising Sun" and you'll know what I mean.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help it

[amay121]

Go to Petsmart and get the 30lbs aragamax sand. Then seed with some of your crushed coral. I believe that petsmart had it for $16/30lbs. Cheap and easy, but it isn't the "live sand" stuff though.

[basser9]

I use playsand from homedepo...better for the display because it will not shrink over time....sand is just glass totally inert...people have the wrong ideal about common sand in a reef tank....put arganite sand in your sump and a 5 gallon bucket and let it breakdown in there and release its goodies....I put a layer of dolomite over my sugarsand to stop it from blowing around....have 8000 gal pushing in my 150...