Beware!!!! Now available at many discount pet stores , such as PETCO, are 10 pound bags of Marine White Sand #0, which sell for around $7 per bag. However, the bags do not state the content of the bag, or the composition of the sand. It is a sugar fine sand that looks like aragonite. Both myself and my local PETCO Store have tried to get the manufacturer to specify the composition of the sand. They would not give out the information to a retail customer and would not answer the phone messages or the emails of the local PETCO store. Finally in frustration I convinced the store to let me test the sand. As aragonite is just geometric form of plain calcium carbonate it responds to acid like calcium carbonate, which means it fizzes when dilute acid is put on it, and dissolves when put in full strength acid. I placed 1/4 teaspoon in 1/4 cup of vinegar (which is acetic acid) and nothing happened. I then put another separate 1/4 teaspoon in 1/4 cup of HCl (Hydrochloric acid) and nothing happens. TA DA, that means the sand is not oolitic aragonite or even plain Aragonite that has been crushed, but is instead cheap construction variety builders silica sand worth about $4 per 50 pound bag. The Ocean Marine web site lists the same product with a different item# in 20 pound bags as aragonite, however it is also called Natures Ocean Marine White Sand #0, however PETCO does not stock this item# or bag size. The local PETCO has taken the product off its shelves.
