Argonite from Walmart?

[bound_for_obx]

I was down at Walmart last night and took a look at their play sand. It was manufactured and packaged by Old Castle out of pennsylvania. And simply labeled as "Play Sand". No mention of "argonite" or where it was from. How can I determine if it is argonite?

 

[jackdp]

Can you describe the bag a little more? Colors of bag, any pictures. The aragonite playsand from Old Castle that I've seen is usually in a red and blue bag, has a picture of a little kid on it or something and is labelled as "Tropical Playsand from the Caribbean" If I remember when I get home I'll take a pic of the bags I am hording HTH

 

[BillyZ]

yea, be sure it's "tropical play sand" and the sand itself will have a more white/grey color than yellowish color of silica sand. also, a good sign you've got the right bag is if it says, "Not recommended for Aquarium use". Ironic isn't it?

 

[bound_for_obx]

The bag was pretty plain looking and didn't say anything about being "from the Caribbean". I don't think that the sand had a yellowish color. I might buy a bag and take some pictures of it. Are there any tests that I can do to determine the composition of the sand?

 

[reefrunner69]

add it to a small cup of vinegar, if it fizzes it's aragonite or some other calcium based sand.

Old Castle is supposed to be the new owners of SouthDown. If it's sterilized, it should be OK.

 

[sumphead]

It will be OK I am sure but it isn't aragonite. Oldcastle is the new owners of what used to be southdown. But Oldcastle is also a stone company out of PA. The sand described here is brown and I am fairly sure it's silica based.

R-

 

[fishfreek]

The vinegar trick works every time. The PH level in the vinegar will disolve the argonite sand where as regular silica style sand it just makes wet.

 

[jackdp]

Even if its not aragonite, it will still work as long as its sterilized play sand. If you want aragonite, hold out for a month or so and the tropical playsand will start showing up in home depots and lowes. I've found it here in PA so I would imagine you could get it in VA.

 

[f-dean]

what about in Oklahoma I paid .5 life savings for 3 inch for my 55. How do you sterlize it. thanks for the vinagar trick will write that down.

 

[reefrunner69]

It should be pre-sterilized.

 

[reefrunner69]

It should be pre-sterilized.........................................................................................................................

 

[srgetz]

i would advise against silica sand, you loose out on the benefits of aragonite - I have seen that sand at home depot and it is not aragonite

 

[bound_for_obx]

I purchased a bag and tried the vinegar test. unfortunately there was no fizzing.

 

[dralarms]

Wished I'd known you were gonna do that. I did the same. Thanks for the update. I had come to post my findings but you beet me to it.

 

[SquishyFish]

Even if its not aragonite, it will still work as long as its sterilized play sand.

Gotta disagree with you on that one. You load a tank with sand that is full of silicates and you will have a tank that needs to shave every other day. Silicates are one thing that contribute to hair algae. Argonite is the only way to go. (unless you like algae! )