Another Sand Question

[JoeA]

I bought #100 of white sterile sand. On it it says contains trace amounts of crystallizes silica. Can I still use this in a new tank?

 

[jaiden]

put vinegar on it.. if it bubbles, it should be ok. if not, it's probably ok anyway, but won't help your pH like aragonite would.

 

[JoeA]

did the vinagar trick and no foam.... :? not so sure i should use it . My daughters sand box needs sand too.

 

[dralarms]

Hate to say it but put that in your daughters sand box and bite the bullet and get some reg. aquarium sand from your lfs. I searched for ever and never found any thing that I could use in my tank except the stuff from the lfs. Now that being said don't buy the "live" sand. It's a big rip off. Just get the dry sand. You can use the "play sand you bought but you will be fighting with your ph constantly I think.

 

[BLOODMAN]

Your location says New York. You should be able to find some Old Castle at a local Home Depot. It'll save you a bundle.

 

[Nate C]

ditto the old castle is argonite and will slowly buffer ph over time.

One rumor about silica sand is that it can be a bit too abrasive for sand-burrowing critters like certain snails, crabs, etc... I haven't verified this, but it does make sense to me..

hth

 

[sevise]

I'm from central New York, I found Old Castle at Chase Pitkins. I know they have stores in Western and Central NewYork, not to sure how far East they extend.

It took me about 6 hours of covering all the hardware/garden stores. I carried a small bottle of vinegar and tested right at the store..