Difference in sand

[grozier]

Does it make a difference in what kind if sand you buy? Read some where that they used play sand from lowes, is that the same? Don't think it would give the same appearance as ocean sand or the stuff you buy for aquariums.

 

[ErinCahir]

You should get aragonite sand. The play sand has really high levels of silicates in it, which means you will have diatoms for AGES

 

[grozier]

I assume diatoms are bad, and I thought that regular sand wouldn't really work that well

 

[Salty B]

And a silica sand doesn't have the buffering capacity of an aragonite sand.

 

[ErinCahir]

It depends how you define "bad".

Will diatoms hurt anything? No. But they're ugly as heck.

 

[little_fish]

And a silica sand doesn't have the buffering capacity of an aragonite sand.

For any of the sand or rocks in our tank to actually start acting as a buffer the pH would have to drop to about 6.9, at which point you are going to have bigger issues to worry about.

 

[Salty B]

For any of the sand or rocks in our tank to actually start acting as a buffer the pH would have to drop to about 6.9, at which point you are going to have bigger issues to worry about.

Good to know. I thought Cal started to break down at just under 8.