Why Aragonite?

SaltyTX · 04/21/2009, 04:44 PM

Aragonite is just Calcium Carbonate.

Why not a properly sized calcium carbonate rock? Any reason not to use that? Provided it is pure enough (no heavy metals, etc)

SaltyTX · 04/21/2009, 07:04 PM

a slight bump.

vetdog · 04/21/2009, 07:10 PM

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.php

you should read this article about solubility of the different forms of calcium carbonate

SaltyTX · 04/21/2009, 08:24 PM

Yes, I am familiar with those two forms, I should be more clear for the chemists among the board..

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate specifically is what I am considering. Pharmaceutical grade, non-coated. Sugar sized grain.

Starts as CaCo3 heated to split, rehydrated, add C02.

This makes pure CaCO3, different crystalline structure than the aragonite form... scalenohedral versus orthorhombic. Less than 8% difference in density than aragonite in this specific product.

BlastoEric1589 · 04/21/2009, 08:29 PM

aragonite, SUPPOSEDLY, offers better biological filtration benefits. i prefer crushed coral sand...

Sisterlimonpot · 04/21/2009, 08:31 PM

and it helps with PH stability

Playa-1 · 04/21/2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SaltyTX
Aragonite is just Calcium Carbonate.

Why not a properly sized calcium carbonate rock? Any reason not to use that? Provided it is pure enough (no heavy metals, etc)

I think Aragonite is over hyped. I replaced some Aragonite with Crushed Marble a while back and all is well. I think it's been in there about 6 months now. I was adding a RDSB and couldn't justify the cost of 350lbs of Aragonite.

SaltyTX · 04/21/2009, 08:41 PM

Yep, I dunno why this stuff would not work, might just try it and see what happens. I mean, chemically the same, slight density difference, minor soluability difference. Seems like nothing that couldn't be corrected with dosing if it needed to occur.

SaltyTX · 04/21/2009, 09:01 PM

Playa- I do like the clean look of your substrate. Looks quite nice.

Playa-1 · 04/21/2009, 09:17 PM

Thank you, It's working out very well. I will use the same stuff when I upgrade.

E.intheC · 04/21/2009, 10:18 PM

Playa-1.. I've never heard of crushed marble before.. but I've been doing the BB 'thing' for a while now.. can you put out some more details? Thanks!

SaltyTX · 04/23/2009, 03:42 PM

Yea, I'd like to know where you found the crushed marble, no luck so far.

jasoncw · 04/23/2009, 04:09 PM

I would think crushed marble should work well; it is also calcium carbonate.

reefloverd1 · 04/23/2009, 05:51 PM

yes, I would like to know where you got that marble too.

Aquarist007 · 04/23/2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Playa-1

I think Aragonite is over hyped. I replaced some Aragonite with Crushed Marble a while back and all is well. I think it's been in there about 6 months now. I was adding a RDSB and couldn't justify the cost of 350lbs of Aragonite.

very interesting---have you noticed it supporting inverts like bristle worms and necessarius snails over the last 6 months?

KarlBob · 04/23/2009, 06:06 PM

Quote:

From WetWebMedia.com:
Be sure to purchase media comprised of aragonite (oolitic) material and not calcite. Both calcite and aragonite are forms of calcium carbonate, but only aragonite will dissolve easily at the necessarily high pH of a healthy marine system.

Probably not any more definitive than the earlier citation, but it's what I could find today.

der_wille_zur_macht · 04/24/2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KarlBob
Probably not any more definitive than the earlier citation, but it's what I could find today.

But has anyone actually *shown* that dissolving substrate plays a role in tank chemistry?

IMHO if most of us are stuff ing our tanks so full of corals that we're monitoring and supplementing for pH, calcium, and alkalinity on a regular basis, clearly we're already not relying on substrate to magically buffer these parameters.

Plus, I'm not sure you'd really WANT your substrate slowly dissolving into the water column. Has anyone here ever cleaned out an old calcium reactor? Especially one that was run with really fine media? The stuff practically melds into a solid brick. Not exactly what I want to happen in my sandbed.

With BB tanks proving we don't "need" the biological capacity in a sandbed, that (potential) argument is moot, too.

04/21/2009, 04:44 PM	#1
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	Why Aragonite? Aragonite is just Calcium Carbonate. Why not a properly sized calcium carbonate rock? Any reason not to use that? Provided it is pure enough (no heavy metals, etc)

04/21/2009, 07:10 PM	#3
vetdog Space cadet Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Huntingtown, MD Posts: 1,400	http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.php you should read this article about solubility of the different forms of calcium carbonate __________________ Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary. ~Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 300 gallon DD reef tank, RedSea MaxE260

04/21/2009, 08:31 PM	#6
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	and it helps with PH stability __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/21/2009, 10:18 PM	#11
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	Playa-1.. I've never heard of crushed marble before.. but I've been doing the BB 'thing' for a while now.. can you put out some more details? Thanks! __________________ -Eric

04/23/2009, 05:51 PM	#14
reefloverd1 returns Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 214	yes, I would like to know where you got that marble too. __________________ reefloverd1 Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have Their shoes. Current Tank Info: 14 gal. Biocube

04/21/2009, 07:04 PM	#2
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	a slight bump.

04/21/2009, 08:24 PM	#4
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	Yes, I am familiar with those two forms, I should be more clear for the chemists among the board.. Precipitated Calcium Carbonate specifically is what I am considering. Pharmaceutical grade, non-coated. Sugar sized grain. Starts as CaCo3 heated to split, rehydrated, add C02. This makes pure CaCO3, different crystalline structure than the aragonite form... scalenohedral versus orthorhombic. Less than 8% difference in density than aragonite in this specific product.

04/21/2009, 08:29 PM	#5
BlastoEric1589 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 366	aragonite, SUPPOSEDLY, offers better biological filtration benefits. i prefer crushed coral sand...

04/21/2009, 08:41 PM	#8
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	Yep, I dunno why this stuff would not work, might just try it and see what happens. I mean, chemically the same, slight density difference, minor soluability difference. Seems like nothing that couldn't be corrected with dosing if it needed to occur.

04/21/2009, 09:01 PM	#9
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	Playa- I do like the clean look of your substrate. Looks quite nice.

04/21/2009, 09:17 PM	#10
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Thank you, It's working out very well. I will use the same stuff when I upgrade.

04/23/2009, 03:42 PM	#12
SaltyTX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SC for now.. Posts: 155	Yea, I'd like to know where you found the crushed marble, no luck so far.

04/23/2009, 04:09 PM	#13
jasoncw Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brownstown, MI Posts: 83	I would think crushed marble should work well; it is also calcium carbonate.