OhTheHumanity
Aquarium Advice Activist
OK, I've seen on here he previous posts what type of play sand to buy. Now I can't find them. Could someone please repeat it for the thousandth time please.
I was told by my LFS that I can use regular play sand as long as it is washed and sifted. He also advised to put the sand in boiling water first.
What sand type can be used? Is aragonite ok?
I dont have a problem with hang on overflows. Just dont use those CPR brand ones.
regular silica play sand is useless in a sw aquarium and should be avoided without question as it has no value in terms of PH buffering and biological filtration
yes, you want to find aragonite based sand, not silica playsand
[url=http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm said:Deep Sand Beds by Ron Shimek[/url]]
The organisms do not care about the sediment mineral composition, only the particle sizes and shapes. Most aquarists use the commonly available aragonitic sands to "provide a calcium reservoir." Additionally their bright white color is often aesthetically pleasing. However, if the system's pH and calcium concentrations get low enough to dissolve significant amounts of the sediment there are some very severe problems and all the sand in the world won't help. Very successful tanks may be set up utilizing black lava sand, or fine siliceous sand, as long as the grains are of the appropriate size. There is some concern that siliceous sand will fuel diatom blooms, but such blooms may be controlled by the appropriate grazers.