Southdown?????

[PhoenixINX]

Finally got moved... ready to start my 120 FO back up.

The sand bed I had before I never felt was deep enough... (an inch at most MAYBE)....

Checked all the home depots and lowes... they have never heard of it.

WHERE CAN I GET IT?!?!

[fishdoc11]

I must say I've never heard of it either. I'm guessing it's a substrate of some sort?

[A. Critter Killer]

You have to special order it from out of state, it is primarially up north (I have heard it is at a Chicago Home Depot seasonally). Depot here refuses to get it in. When you find it, make sure to not tell them it is for an aquarium, southdown signed a deal with caribsea, depot, etc., that they would not sell it for aquarium purposes. I can't get aragonite as low, but give me a call, and see what I can do. ----Sean 615-646-8950

P.S. Chris, I got some purp. firefish in.

[kevlouie]

check out www.purearagonite.com

Sean you could get a pallet drop shipped cheap

get a few orders lined up and everybody would win

its oolitic, very fine

[coralreefing]

kevlouie is correct. I contacted Southdown trying to find sand when I set my tank up. They said that primarily the north east HD stores carry it & because their bagging equipment etc. is used for concrete & other construction materials they wouldn't guarantee purity. They referred me to purearagonite.com & said their sand is exactly the same thing from the same Bahamian supplier but bagged by hand. I have 300lbs. of it in my reef.
Chris

[pioneerlog]

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26193&highlight=southdown[COLOR=red]

[Oldschooler]

Thank you, pioneerlog!

[pioneerlog]

Just in case anyone might be interested, HD store #2302 in Louisville, KY has 40 bags in stock......I need 12 if anyone decides to make the drive....:0)

[A. Critter Killer]

Hey Jeff, what is the price per bag?

[H@rry]

Although I haven't been there myself, several local reefers have been successful in getting the Home Depot on North Parkway in Huntsville, AL to order Southdown. Huntsville is 2 hours south of Nashville on I-65.

[pioneerlog]

(Hey Jeff, what is the price per bag?)

I think about $5.00

[PhoenixINX]

I gave up my search, and bought the "whiter" of the two play sands Lowe's had...

Was pretty anal in buying a bag... bringinh it home, watching it settle etc...

It's cleaned sand, so for my "soon to be RE-established" FO it should be fine.

I have the RO-DI filter running right now... started it 4 hours ago and still not 20% full! God these things are slow!!!! lol

I'll have new photos posted up soon.

I promise I won't be such an IDIOT with this tank as I was with the last!

Word of advice to ALL... when you have something running PERFECT... LEAVE IT ALONE and enjoy it's beauty! :D

[fishdoc11]

I'm assuming it's not silicate sand.

[PhoenixINX]

Originally posted by fishdoc11
I'm assuming it's not silicate sand.

Is not all sands silica based?

[fishdoc11]

Yes,all "play sands" are silicate based. Most saltwater aquarists typically try to limit if not eliminate all together the import of silcate into their aquariums. Silicate causes diatom ( the brown stuff ) blooms in marine aquariums and unfortunately your use of "play sand" for your sand bed will insure that you will have major diatom problems in the future along with other algae problems as well. Sorry but I thought you would want to know before you got too far into it.
Chris

[PhoenixINX]

Originally posted by fishdoc11
Yes,all "play sands" are silicate based. Most saltwater aquarists typically try to limit if not eliminate all together the import of silcate into their aquariums. Silicate causes diatom ( the brown stuff ) blooms in marine aquariums and unfortunately your use of "play sand" for your sand bed will insure that you will have major diatom problems in the future along with other algae problems as well. Sorry but I thought you would want to know before you got too far into it.
Chris

Chris... do you have AIM, I'd like to talk about this further.

I'm PhoenixINX on AIM!

Thanks

[fishdoc11]

I'm sorry but I don't know what you mean by aim. Feel free to pm me though.
Chris

[PhoenixINX]

Originally posted by fishdoc11
I'm sorry but I don't know what you mean by aim. Feel free to pm me though.
Chris

AOL Instant Messenger...

Comes in REAL handy when you need IMMEADIATE help!

www.aim.com

[kbd]

"Silicate" based sand ?

I think you mean "silica". Ie quartz. Rather different. Impurities in the silica sand may, however, release silicates. Just needs testing.

Silica is more stable, and less soluble, than glass.

kim

[Edit...typo's]

[fishdoc11]

You are correct Kim about the distinction between silicate and silica. However , in my opinion , it is not worth the risk. I guess I have had it ingrained for so long "don't use sand" that I don't even think about testing and assume this will happen. I hope it does'nt cause Phoenix any troubles.
Chris

[PhoenixINX]

Originally posted by fishdoc11
You are correct Kim about the distinction between silicate and silica. However , in my opinion , it is not worth the risk. I guess I have had it ingrained for so long "don't use sand" that I don't even think about testing and assume this will happen. I hope it does'nt cause Phoenix any troubles.
Chris

Agreed...

I will keep everyone posted. If it works out, perhaps a VERY affordable means of a nice DSB.

If not, you'll hear about me draining this tank and starting over! :D

Two big hobbies in my life... cars, which I've been doing for years... and aquariums. In terms of aquariums I'm entering my second year, so everything is still trial and error. Thanks again for all the help!

[cwa46]

Originally posted by PhoenixINX
Agreed...

I will keep everyone posted. If it works out, perhaps a VERY affordable means of a nice DSB.

If not, you'll hear about me draining this tank and starting over! :D

Two big hobbies in my life... cars, which I've been doing for years... and aquariums. In terms of aquariums I'm entering my second year, so everything is still trial and error. Thanks again for all the help!

I have been buying at Home Depot for years and a sales person there ordered a pallet of Southdown for me about 3 years ago.

If you do research on silica based sand, you will find many others use it becasue it is available. One sand many use is sold for sand blasting and is much finer. You need very fine sand-mud for a well functioning sandbed. The old fabel of silica causing diatoms has not been supported by the hundreds of people using silica sand. The only criticism of silica sand I have ever heard, is that it is rougher and sharper than aragonite sand. This may present a problem to some small critters who live in the sand, but it has never been documented.

Good luck!

[fishdoc11]

The other "disadvantage" of using play sand is it has no buffer capacity. I knew there was something else. I just could'nt think of it.

[cwa46]

Originally posted by fishdoc11
The other "disadvantage" of using play sand is it has no buffer capacity. I knew there was something else. I just could'nt think of it.

This "advantage" may or may not be real. As the rock and sand in an aquarium become covered and encrusted with algae, the effective buffering capacity is reduced. Many tanks see no difference after 3-4 months. Both silica and aragonite sand require buffering in about equal amounts.

[PhoenixINX]

Good conversation!!! Keep up the info!

I stopped the RO-DI filter while I was at work today, just started it back up... canister has been running for 24 hours - water is FINALLY clearing back up.

TDS guage is reading 50! Lets see how everything else looks... :)

[snakedr]

I was in Huntsville this last Thursday and picked up 10 bags of Southdown at the HD at the store on the North side. They still had about 8 bags left, a couple were torn. This is the caribbean, silica free good stuff! The red and blue bag with the 'boy'on the front with coveralls on. It was $6.88 per bag. Hope this helps!
Tom in Manchester, TN

[A. Critter Killer]

Kool, Tom....already getting ready for that 200 gal? It should be in soon! ----Sean

[kbd]

Just coming back on the silica sand.

Some people here in the UK have used silica sand and had diatom troubles....but so have people using expensive aragonite sands. There is probably more inducement here to use silica sands since imported oolitic aragonite media are still about US$ 1.80 per 1 lb. And so silica sands are probably less controversial over here.

I suspect, however, that many reefers are woolly-minded on this subject and assume that all bags labelled "silica sand" are the same. They also seem to be a very trusting lot, which is sweet.
I wouldn't use any substrate without speaking to the manufacturer and conducting my own tests. Even the more expensive "reefer friendly" silica sands (such as Natures Ocean) leach some silicate - some level of impurity is simply unavoidable at any affordable price. The question is how much for an individual brand ?

Fortunately I can afford not to take risks, but many don't have this choice. Even then, I think that attention to detail and a bit of determination can eliminate almost all the risk. I've gone through two Salifert test kits so far......

kim

[fishdoc11]

Thanks for the info Kim. Kinda cool to be getting feedback from somebody across the Atlantic.
Chris

[CatDog]

Tom,

I called down to the Huntsville store that you got your sand and they described the bag right, but they said the manufacturer was Bonsal American - is this name listed on the bags that you have?

Thanks,
CatDog

[pioneerlog]

I have 20 bags for sale.....actually there still at HD while they try to figure out the produce # for their computer system. I should have them bt this friday.......

[dcjketner]

I'm in Arizona, I don't know where or how to find the Southdown
sand out here, Is there any other sand to use...I'm new to the
salt water stuff, anyone please help

[kevlouie]

dcj,

check out www.purearagonite.com they can ship it anywhere in the country. there is a volume calculator on this website. after that you are on your own as far as making it work right (research research research) ;)

[CatDog]

Geoff,

You're the man...I'll take two or three of those bags. Let me know when you pick them up.

Thanks,
Kraig