sand for substrate

[bheusmann]

I visited Lowes to look for some tropical sand as a substrate for my new saltwater setup. All they had was toybox sand, cleaned, bleached, and strained. There was no marking as to what size the partiles were, but they were very fine. Is this what I want to look for in using sand as a substrate? Thanks.

-Bryan

 

[malkore]

It depends on the brand name of the play sand. You want either Old Castle, or Southdown...these brands are argonite sand.

Otherwise it's gonna be silica sand, and not really ideal. It'll compact too easily, and won't buffer the water at all.

 

[soupy11]

You can tell if it has buffering capabilities with vinegar. If you pour some vinegar on the sand it will fizzle if aragonite/calcium is present. Good luck.