Arragonite "Playsand" on DelMarVa Peninsula?

[amahler]

I live in central Virginia and have scoured every Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and K-Mart in my area looking for the elusive arragonite playsand. So far all I can find is the usual silicate crap. The stores can't find any options for me and the UPCs and SKUs I've offered come up as useless or unobtainable.

Naturally, I could buy the same stuff for $39 for a single 30 lb bag at my LFS... but I can't abide knowing the option exists to spend less than the single bag price to get everything I need for my whole 90 gallon tank.

I might be visiting Chincoteague on the DelMarVa peninsula (Virginia's Eastern Shore) in the coming months. Does anyone know the odds of getting tropical playsand or equivalently priced bulk sand from some source in the area during the trip? I'll be driving, so a few hundred pounds worth of bags in the car on the return trip is no problem.

I've seen mention that sources of arragonite sand might be more plentiful as you get more coastal.. but I don't know how true this might be considering how the regional supply process works for major chain stores.

Any suggestions of other commercial sources in the region aside from the usual home improvement stores?

Thanks!
- Aaron

 

[ferretttt]

I used to live in Exmore, which is on the Eastern Shore, like Chincoteague. I will tell you that the only places there are an 84 Lumber in Melfa and possibly Lowes in Salisbury, which is about 45 mins away. I doubt that theu will have it.

 

[Brenden]

I feel your pain. I finally located a pallet of it at HD in MA. HD would not ship it unless I bought the whole pallet. Needless to say I have a 3,000lb pallet of sand now. If you want the SKU# and brand PM me and I will get it for you.

 

[Jermz79]

Hey Brenden!!!!!! BUILD A HUGE SAND BOX for your kids man!!!! 3000lbs of sand should be able to fill a whole swimming pool huh? .... talk about FUN!!!!!!

 

[Brenden]

Actually they already have a sandbox with over 10,000 lbs of sand in it.

 

[Jermz79]

dang!!!! well then ........ hmmmmmm, I don't know what else you could do with 3000lbs. of sand???? Evil tricks on the neighbor!!!!

 

[Brenden]

I sold some of it to the guy that purchased the other 525 gallon tank I had. It is the good aragonite sand so I have no problem storing it. I have sold a bag or two locally also. I may need it for the new larger tank if I ever do it.