making a sand run friday

[badu11]

I will be making a sand run to Fort Pierce on friday if anyone is interested. I will be going down from Melbourne @ 1:00. If you want sand I will need containers with secure tops. Let me know before friday.

[Navymedic]

dude i would love a 5 gallon bucket full of sand....but i won't be able to meet with you untill after the weekend....i have navy reserve drill this weekend :( ...i hope to have a larger tank soon and that sand would sure be handy...

[badu11]

I will almost definatley have an extra 5 gal bucket of sand left over for you to take. Maybe you can frag a coral for me or something along those lines.

[Navymedic]

dude i am so sorry but i have no frags to offer, i'll replace the bucket and give you some $$ instead. cool?

[blondebelle]

I need sand...
Where would you take it from the beach or the ocean
How should it be cleaned?
New to the hobby and new advice.
Thanks,
Rhonda in Osteen

[RicksReefs]

i believe he's referring to nice,
fresh & clean southdown.;)

[badu11]

rick is correct! I just got some beautiful sand for dirt cheap (no pun inteneded) There is a place in Ft Pierce that has all the sand you can dream of for next to nothing. Navy I will have some extra sand for ya, so let me know if you want to come over and get some. I live in melbourne.

[Navymedic]

hey thats cool, i think maybe b4 next weekend i'll PM you for directions, then i'll take a road trip :D , THANKS
Mike

[hystrix]

What is southdown:confused:

[danield]

I was all excited today to go to my two local HD's just new they were going to have Southdown in stock.

In fact I was salivating at the prospect of cheaply removing my UG filter and 6" of CC in my 55gal (I know, I know, and yes it tells you how long I have had that tank setup saltwater doesn't it?)and converting it over, since I now have amassed almost all the parts now to build my own hood (2x250w iwaski's, 4xf40t12's 5100K)

Well both of the HD's carry T/C Town and Country play/landscape sand, is this a local distributor for Southdown?

Anyone have ideas on this?

Guess I could set up a 10 gal and throw some cheap domino damsels in to test it out for me,..or better yet, set it up and than take a sample of the water to a lab I know a chemist at to test.

How did you all determine SD was safe to use?

Peace
Dan

[Lutefisk]

Take some vinegar with you in a small jar.

The stuff you want, calcium carbonate, will foam when you add it to vinegar. The other silica based sands might bubble a little but not nearly the reaction of Southdown and other argonite sands.

Many people have had good luck with silica. Do a search and check it out.

Damsels certainly won't have any problem with a silica based sand bed. It will do just fine for biological filtering. The difference will be in the slight buffering capability of argonite vs. the possible diatom issues of the silica. Some people have used dolimite from HD for their "DSB" (?Magnesium Carbonate?)

Paul

[TROPHYKW]

ATTENION NEWBIES : Nick here if any of you new guys have any questions please put a post on our forum ,me or one of the other members of ORCA would be more than happy to help you out.Plus we'll probley save you alot of running around.P.S I don't think any Home depot in Florida carries south down sand ,just the store's up north . Also don't get sand from the beach unless you plan on sterilizing very well also you have to let it sit in the dark {a covered garbage pale } for about a month so all nutrients and micro organiziums die off or you'll have major alge outbreaks in your tank.
Thanks
Nick Golinello
Vice President of ORCA
http://o-r-c-a.com/index.html

[danield]

Nick,

I would consider NorthWest Indiana, up north wouldn't you, and as you could see by my previous post no SD here at several of the HD's I checked,..none to be had,..where are you refering to when you say up north please?

Thank you for your time and attenion

Peace
Dan

[Mr Neutron]

Dan, since we are a Florida reef club, I think Nick was speaking in general as most states are north of us. :)

I would suggest checking with reef clubs in your own state on the availability of this sand.

[TROPHYKW]

I believe most states above florida,they collect southdown here in florida so for some reason they won't sell it here.Go figure
Nick