My Kingdom for some Sand...

[Mr.Blik]

Hello All,

I am in the process of preparing for my new Oceanic 110, and want to go DSB. BB'ers dont flame!!

I have been going crazy looking for Southdown or its new equivelent. Cost is a major factor, so looking for good alternatives at equal (or close to equal) price.

Can anyone help with this most urget request? Thank you in advance.

Mr.Blik

 

[House of Laughter]

If I only had some sand . . . . . . .

House

 

[Deanos]

Did you try our SEARCH function? Using it, I found this thread, where Post #21 will be of interest to you.

 

[ezee]

Mr.Blik,

I have to tell you, I looked for the stuff for months with neither hide nor hair. There are some folks here who have used it before though. I think it is hit or miss based on your location.

E

 

[Mr.Blik]

Dean...yes I was all over that thread but House's HD connection (#21) was a bust...no fizzle... sorry House!

Ezee....I hear what you are saying. But at this point I would go with something other than "Southdown" as long as it is reef appropriate. But dont' know where to turn.

 

[House of Laughter]

Hit or miss - I'll give you hit or miss -

I went all the way to Passaic today - only to find they had durascape that failed the vinegar test - I then spent an hour online and found distributors of oldcastle natural playsand - I went to the local supply store and after trekking through mud deeper than when I was at Woodstock, I found they didn't have it (got my new kicks dirty too, and I am pissed)

So, it's more like miss or miss

Jim

 

[ezee]

Mr Blik,

Petland usually carries some sort of aragonite. I believe it is about $17 for a 20 lbs bag. You might be better off this way. They usually have different sizes, so you can have multiple substrate diameters for your DSB.

E

 

[ezee]

Jim,

Same story here! It was frustrating to hear that some folks just walked into their neighborhood hardware store and stumbled on pallets of the stuff.

Maybe its all gone now. Just a legend of what once was...

lol

E

 

[Deanos]

Shame on you, House!

Dean...yes I was all over that thread but House's HD connection (#21) was a bust...no fizzle... sorry House!

:smash:

 

[Mr.Blik]

So here is the question that begs asking....if you no one can find Southdown, what else are you guys using?

E, I know that i can buy that other sand at $17 a bag but to fill a 110, that would cost me like over 300 bills. Not how I roll man! The "board" has dictated a very specific budget...hehehe

Options ladies and gents....we need options. Perhaps some of our more salty (experienced) MR friends can lend a fin.:wink1:

 

[Tonyscoots84]

i think the LFS argonite sand is ur best bet truthfully.... and ohh safest choice...

 

[chasesng]

here's what i posted just posted at the last thread:


are you guys not listening to my because i'm a newbie?

or because i'm white collar and overweight?

read my lips......the crap in home depot is not arragonite sand!

suck it up and accept that you'll have to limit your search for the least expensive type of aquarium-type sand. ya have to wait for sales locally at one of the bigger chain stores near you.

the workers in HD are either idiots or poorly informed. the guy who sold me the sand there told me it was from a carribean beach. fat lot he knew.

sheesh

having said the above, and read the comment about "limited budget", i can only offer that not everything is meant to be cheap. look all ya want but the few reefers in USA buying southdown sand just arent sufficient to keep a sand and gravel pit in business. just the way life is baby.

 

[jhale]

would you use the sand at the beach's on east long island?

it looks pretty fine. what's the vinegar test?

I ask because I'm out there often and could fill some 5 gallon buckets if the stuff is usable.

 

[kimoyo]

So here is the question that begs asking....if you no one can find Southdown, what else are you guys using?

E, I know that i can buy that other sand at $17 a bag but to fill a 110, that would cost me like over 300 bills. Not how I roll man! The "board" has dictated a very specific budget...hehehe

Options ladies and gents....we need options. Perhaps some of our more salty (experienced) MR friends can lend a fin.:wink1:

Go with a shallow sand bed and call it a day.

 

[cali_reef]

Why don't you guys ask the MR LFS(in home version) to pick some up at his local distributor, I am sure he won't have to mark it up that much.

 

[Kelly]

Vic,
I'm not going to try and talk you into a starboard tank....
but when you come to pick the tank up I'll bring you to my local HD, they carry what your looking for.
F

 

[ezee]

JHale,

The vinegar Test. Dropping a small bit of aragonite sand into white vinegar should cause a reaction, resulting in noticeable bubbling. A sand that does not bubble is not aragonite.

E

 

[DRZL]

They have it at my local Union HD,

I also have a bag, not for me of course, but for my gf SSB

BTW since when has Southdown become LE?

 

[jhale]

BTW since when has Southdown become LE?

since they found out crazy reefers want it

 

[House of Laughter]

Fred - if that's the one in Passaic off Route 21, I was there today and they didn't have it :-(

House