what kind of sand

[mountaindew]

I am getting ready to set up my 125 and I wanted to know what kind of sand can I use.Ive read that you can use play sand as long as it doesnt have silicone in it.They say its not worth using the live sand in the bag because most of it is dead before you get it.So if someone can tell me what is the best sand to use and a good place to get it.

[SeverumGuy]

I'm not too sure of a good place to get live sand, but there are brands that you get good quality and it's not all dead. Plus, for that size tank you're looking at a lot of money for live sand. Best bet is probably just playsand. You can get it from walmart, lowes, home depot or any other place like that. Not to mention it's real cheap. Just make sure you still run some water through it to get any unwanted particles out.

[thincat]

I would spend a little more money and get aragonite sand. It will buffer your water better and really is not that much more money out front.

[mrg02d]

+1Yup, aragonite is the way to go! I wish I had used it for my 20g, but I was new and had no idea. Haha! I have it in my 7.5g pico tank and love it! Looks nice too. Stay away from the "live" sand. Its not just a waste of money, its full of death that you dont want to have coming up for weeks on end. (unless you wash the heck out of it, which makes buying it pointless)
Matt

[ccCapt]

Playsand is silica based...it has no silicone. Any silica based sand can/will release silicates into the water and they can cause a diatom bloom. Diatoms feed on silicates.

Your best bet is just buying dry aragonite (CaribSea brand) sand from your LFS. You won't have to worry about silicates, but also keep in mind aragonite sand DOES NOT buffer anything....unless your pH is around 7.4 where the aragonite will start to dissolve and buffer the water. Then again, if your water has that low of pH, chances are nothing is alive in the tank.

[mountaindew]

you have a very good logo.Im from lancaster.So the cheapest way to go is plain playsand or for a little more dry aragonite.What name brand playsand does not have silicone in it.

[Jimbo7]

I would really just go with the Aragonite, its not even that much more expensive.

[ccCapt]

Originally Posted by mountaindew

you have a very good logo.Im from lancaster.So the cheapest way to go is plain playsand or for a little more dry aragonite.What name brand playsand does not have silicone in it.

No sand of any kind has silicone in it. Any playsand you buy at Lowes or HD will be silica based. Aragonite based playsand hasn't been available for probably 6-7 yrs.

[melosu58]

I too would go with the aragonite sand.

[cmor1701d]

I don't think using silica based sand is that big a deal. The diatom bloom will burn out, it will just take a bit longer. The cost difference of playsand ~$5.00/50# bag vs. dry aragonite ~$20/30# bag when you need a couple hundred pounds is not insignificant ($20 vs. $140). The cost differential rises if yuo decide on a 6" dsb. You can just about get a great skimmer for the difference.

[Jimbo7]

I was thinking playsand was closer to 10 and aragonite was 15... But my prices are fairly outdated. haven't got sand in awhile.

[ccCapt]

The other, more important issue IMO, is the shape/texture of the sand. Silica playsand is basically crushed quartz. It has lots of tiny sharp pieces. Aragonite sand is ground up corals. The sand is smooth from being worn down by water. The shape of the sand may or may not affect sand sifting creatures.
Silica playsand will work and many people use it. You just have to decide if the money saved over buying aragonite sand is worth any potential problems down the road.

[mrg02d]

Id go with aragonite too. Its expensive, but looks much nicer than silica sand. I paid $20 in town for a 15lb bag made by CaribSea.

Plus, doesnt aragonite help to buffer the pH and alkalinity? Seems control over those two things is worth the difference. Im not sure how well they buffer, but anything to avoid having to dose seems ideal.

Matt

[ccCapt]

The only way aragonite will dissolve and start to buffer the water is if the pH drops below 7.4. That should never happen in a reef tank. It will buffer the water in freshwater setups as most are well below 7.4 pH.