[Brett A Ross]

Thanx i have so much invested now whats another $200 to not have problems. i think ill stay with the stuff that i know is safe. On a differnt note i finaly have my room done and get to start setting up. first i need to build my sump refuig combo out of a 55 gal. all glass aqu. It will hold a turbo-floter 1000 skimmer a mag7 return pump a couple buble traps at bolth ends of the refuig. any seggestions or pitfalls you can think of in this ideia??

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by knarf

While looking through one of the manufacturers (who make playsand) websites I came across the data sheet for silica sand which states in the "physical/chemical characteristics" section that silica sand has a slight solubility in water.

Extremely slight if it is not contaminated.

Who knows how much exactly "slight" is and how much it would break down and what byproduct it would release into salt water over an extended time. Say 5-10 years.

This topic was debated to death on another board a few years ago. The consensus was that the extremely slight amount that might dissolve over time was not enough to cause problems. There was a Catch 22 to that conclusion and that is that you never know if the silica sand you are buying is pure or contaminated. Feldspar and a few other silicate compounds dissolve more readily than pure quartz.

The "byproduct" would be silicate and it would cause diatom blooms. Some people say it has happened to them, others report no problems whatsoever. I tend to side with those who believe it is an acceptable alternative to aragonite sand for those folks who choose to try it. I'm not one of those folks. I choose to avoid it.



P.S. -- Silica dust is highly carcinogenic; which is why silica sand has to carry a warning in California. You have to actually inhale it for it to cause problems.

[Ninong]

Here is a photo comparison of Carib-Sea Aragamax (sugar sized) and Southdown under 40x magnification. The third picture shows what regular quartz play sand looks like: http://www.inlandreef.com/Testing/SandPhotos.html

[tcobos]

I noticed you had very little substrate in your tank... Is there a reason for that? I am setting up my 60 gallon reef and I just wondered what your methodology was? Just curious

[Key Of David]

Thanks for that link Ninong. I've been looking into what kind of sand I should use for my future DSB and that explained a lot. I have the quartz based sand in my tank right now (have used it with several types of tanks) and this pic finally explains a mystery I've endured for years. What is that black stuff????!

I have a new question to add to this thread if that's ok. Is it possible I could get sugar sized sand off of a secluded beach somewhere? Being in South Carolina I'm relatively close to endless stretches of it. I'd never get it from heavily populated areas with high traffic but what about the areas no one hardly goes? I could wait until summer and the life in the sand would also have a higher chance of surviving in the warmer temps of my tank.

[Ninong]

Hi Key Of David, welcome to Reefland!

Originally Posted by Key Of David

I have a new question to add to this thread if that's ok. Is it possible I could get sugar sized sand off of a secluded beach somewhere? Being in South Carolina I'm relatively close to endless stretches of it.

I guess you could if you wanted to. Not sure what the particle size would be and there's always the risk of chemical contamination and pollution. It would be quartz sand on the beach in South Carolina. Quartz sand is so cheap, it might be better to just purchase it in bags at the local building supply store. The cheap aragonite sand (Southdown, etc.) is sometimes available as far south as North Carolina.

I'd never get it from heavily populated areas with high traffic but what about the areas no one hardly goes?

The California coast between Carmel and Big Sur is not exactly a high traffic area either but the sand is polluted regularly with petroleum products that leak from passing ships and waste that is simply dumped at sea.

I could wait until summer and the life in the sand would also have a higher chance of surviving in the warmer temps of my tank.

The bacteria would survive, not so sure about all the larger stuff.

[Key Of David]

Thanks for the welcome and all your help Ninong. I was really set on getting the quartz out of my tank and some nice sugar sized aragonite in there so looks like South Carolina beach sand would be out then. I was trying to find some kind of cheap DSB sand but not going so far as to get into the Southdown frenzy as I easily could.

I'll just keep my eyes open for what I can find and keep Caribsea open as an option.