silica based sand

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 04:28 PM

ok, I have been on a mission to find some southdown/old castle/yardright good type of sand. I called all over, and most places do not have play sand in yet. I did find a home depot though about 30 minutes from here that had durascape white play sand. After reading online about some peoples vinegar test success with this sand I decided to go and get a few bags, it says on the package something old castle as well. it was last years stock, had 7 bags left, they were wet and half frozen, I bought 4 bags at 3.48 a bag. Got it home and I did the vinegar test and no fizzles. I am using white distilled vinegar, dilluted to 5 percent acidity, assuming this is the right stuff...

So my question is, in a fowlr tank is it safe to use this sand? You find some people saying its okay to use silica and alot of people saying no. If its certaintly not safe and valid reasons why its not I will return this stuff and keep hunting (its 56 bux for 40 pounds at the lfs for aragonite sand, I need about 150 pounds of it).

Paintbug · 02/28/2006, 06:36 PM

i have silica sand myself. other than i dont like the color right now(i couldnt find bright white anywhere), i havent seen any real problems.

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paintbug
i have silica sand myself. other than i dont like the color right now(i couldnt find bright white anywhere), i havent seen any real problems.

how long has your tank been up and running? you have algae problems?

Paintbug · 02/28/2006, 07:27 PM

almost one year. silica sand doesnt cause algae blooms. silica will but, it takes extreme pressure before silica can be released into the water. somewhere around 300ft below sealevel. the algae problems i had were from high nitrates

.

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 07:29 PM

I see, so what is the main reason many people say not to use silica sands?

Paintbug · 02/28/2006, 07:34 PM

because of the old myth about the sand leeching silica into the water

. its been proven it takes lots of pressure before it will. some will also say the grains are real jagged, and will cut the gills of your sand sifters. i havent noticed that with my goby either.

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 07:39 PM

someone else linked me this, lots of info.. and silica does get into the water from the sand but its not really a bad thing it sounds.. It does not say or I am missing it about if its to much silica when you use silica based sand.

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm

xtrstangx · 02/28/2006, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paintbug
because of the old myth about the sand leeching silica into the water . its been proven it takes lots of pressure before it will. some will also say the grains are real jagged, and will cut the gills of your sand sifters. i havent noticed that with my goby either.

Yep.

The whole "silica sand is evil" myth is probably one of the worst.

Paintbug · 02/28/2006, 07:56 PM

that is a great article, i have read it before. however, once you get the the disolving quartz (silica) sand, it like most of randy's articles start to get over my head

. but i have a silica test kit. i have never had any reading other than 0 ppm with it. Randy has the privlege to use $80,000 lab equipment to detect the slightest trace. there is an article with some long term test floating around somewhere on the net. but i dont have the time to dig it up, maybe tomorrow. im not the only one here that uses silica sand, nor am i the only one that has used it successfully.

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 08:02 PM

well I will use the sand I have now then, dunno what kind it is, assuming silica since it did not fizzle when I added vinegar. That brings me to my next question, should I use a deep sand bed? I bought about 200 pounds of sand, this is for a 90 gallon tank, I will be using a sump and will get about 125 pounds of live rock. I have a asm protein skimmer as well, plus have a section of my sump to use as a refugium.

Paintbug · 02/28/2006, 08:08 PM

DSBs are whole defferent debate

. id rather stay away from that one. i will just say i have about a 4-5" DSB in my tank and im happy with it!!

doox00 · 02/28/2006, 08:10 PM

lol fair enough

02/28/2006, 04:28 PM	#1
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	silica based sand ok, I have been on a mission to find some southdown/old castle/yardright good type of sand. I called all over, and most places do not have play sand in yet. I did find a home depot though about 30 minutes from here that had durascape white play sand. After reading online about some peoples vinegar test success with this sand I decided to go and get a few bags, it says on the package something old castle as well. it was last years stock, had 7 bags left, they were wet and half frozen, I bought 4 bags at 3.48 a bag. Got it home and I did the vinegar test and no fizzles. I am using white distilled vinegar, dilluted to 5 percent acidity, assuming this is the right stuff... So my question is, in a fowlr tank is it safe to use this sand? You find some people saying its okay to use silica and alot of people saying no. If its certaintly not safe and valid reasons why its not I will return this stuff and keep hunting (its 56 bux for 40 pounds at the lfs for aragonite sand, I need about 150 pounds of it).

02/28/2006, 06:36 PM	#2
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	i have silica sand myself. other than i dont like the color right now(i couldnt find bright white anywhere), i havent seen any real problems. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/28/2006, 07:27 PM	#4
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	almost one year. silica sand doesnt cause algae blooms. silica will but, it takes extreme pressure before silica can be released into the water. somewhere around 300ft below sealevel. the algae problems i had were from high nitrates. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/28/2006, 07:34 PM	#6
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	because of the old myth about the sand leeching silica into the water . its been proven it takes lots of pressure before it will. some will also say the grains are real jagged, and will cut the gills of your sand sifters. i havent noticed that with my goby either. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/28/2006, 07:56 PM	#9
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	that is a great article, i have read it before. however, once you get the the disolving quartz (silica) sand, it like most of randy's articles start to get over my head . but i have a silica test kit. i have never had any reading other than 0 ppm with it. Randy has the privlege to use $80,000 lab equipment to detect the slightest trace. there is an article with some long term test floating around somewhere on the net. but i dont have the time to dig it up, maybe tomorrow. im not the only one here that uses silica sand, nor am i the only one that has used it successfully. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/28/2006, 07:29 PM	#5
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	I see, so what is the main reason many people say not to use silica sands?

02/28/2006, 07:39 PM	#7
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	someone else linked me this, lots of info.. and silica does get into the water from the sand but its not really a bad thing it sounds.. It does not say or I am missing it about if its to much silica when you use silica based sand. http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm

02/28/2006, 08:02 PM	#10
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	well I will use the sand I have now then, dunno what kind it is, assuming silica since it did not fizzle when I added vinegar. That brings me to my next question, should I use a deep sand bed? I bought about 200 pounds of sand, this is for a 90 gallon tank, I will be using a sump and will get about 125 pounds of live rock. I have a asm protein skimmer as well, plus have a section of my sump to use as a refugium.

02/28/2006, 08:08 PM	#11
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	DSBs are whole defferent debate. id rather stay away from that one. i will just say i have about a 4-5" DSB in my tank and im happy with it!! __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

02/28/2006, 08:10 PM	#12
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	lol fair enough