Pool filter sand
- Thread starter Jag586
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Ptrick125
Learning a lot everyday
It works, but aragonite sand brings up your pH, and aragonite sand is actually from the ocean, and I guess it makes the tank look more like the ocean...
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It's perfectly fine for FO or even FOWLR systems, but I prefer aragonite sand for the reasons mentioned above.
The buffering potential of aragonite is debatable. Obvious it does have the capability, but so does everything else. Rock, salt mix, etc.. You should never be short on buffers.
The key is the type. Pfs around here is brown, which works but isn't as nice. I'm now using a white silica based sand instead of pfs. The grain size is perfect though so if you can find a color shade you like, go got it. Aragonite does look a bit more natural though.
The key is the type. Pfs around here is brown, which works but isn't as nice. I'm now using a white silica based sand instead of pfs. The grain size is perfect though so if you can find a color shade you like, go got it. Aragonite does look a bit more natural though.
I wouldn't use it, as mentioned above and also heavily silica based can lead to algae problems, dry aragonite can be had for around $15-20 for 40lbs bag, $8-10 for 50lbs of pool sand rather spend the few extra dollars on good stuff.
play sand is mined from all various locations some might be but generally no. Depending on what you want to stock you can buy it from sugar sized on up to larger granules.
As far as i know they no longer make aragonite play sand. There may be some other forms, of calcium based play sand but they found out long ago that aragonite is worth money.
Silica sand won't contribute to algae problems. It will fuel diatoms slightly, but they'll still be limited by the same things as other algaes. Net growth will remain the same, just diatoms will be a bigger portion of the total algae growth then with aragonite (so it comes down to, do you want brown or green algae to tell you when the glass needs cleaning ?
).
Silica sand won't contribute to algae problems. It will fuel diatoms slightly, but they'll still be limited by the same things as other algaes. Net growth will remain the same, just diatoms will be a bigger portion of the total algae growth then with aragonite (so it comes down to, do you want brown or green algae to tell you when the glass needs cleaning ?
).
No, it's not the same thing as ordinary silica/quartz play sand.
This is aragonite sand: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753226