southdown sand alternatives?

[moneytank]

now that there is no more southdown, what is the next best thing to use for a deep sand bed? that wont cost a fortune.
thanks

[NaCl_H2O]

CaribSea sugar fine or special grade ... but that doesn't answer the "won't cost a fortune" question!

[Ram_Puppy]

Moneytank,

a year or two ago on here there was a guy experimenting w/ an aragonite mined near here that is sold in feed stores for a few dollars per 50lbs. He went to iraq before the experiment was finished but if memory serves, he came back and said the tank was still up and stable.

I am sorry I can't remember what the product was, just that it was added to cattle feed as a calcium supplement.

Other than that, Carib Sea Special Grade.

[TroyPham]

let me dig up the link for ya on RC.


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=676401

i have this in my tank as well as bugpower18t

[moneytank]

troypham,

how long have you had it in your tank, and any problems?

and thank to everyone that has given a reply

[Bug_Power]

No problems here....inverts love to sift it, snails dig in it. Plants grow in it....can't complain other then you REALLY have to wash it since it's not washed at the factory. If your going to do a lot of sand I'd highly reccomend renting a cement mixer or something. I did mine in 5 gallon buckets and it took forever to get clean.

[TroyPham]

it's been going since Jan. of this year. no problems.. it's just like the caribsea reef grade. same size grains just a little dustier. you do need to wash it real well... and when you put water in the tank it will cloud for a day or 2.

my corals(sps) have great color and growth and i haven't lost any thing yet.... yet.. haha.

good stuff.

[GaryP]

Southdown is still available but just by a different name. I think they were bought out. I believe Caribsea gets their stuff from them. Here is the link to their website.

http://www.yardright.com/sand.htm

[moneytank]

Southdown is still available but just by a different name. I think they were bought out. I believe Caribsea gets their stuff from them. Here is the link to their website.

http://www.yardright.com/sand.htmthanks, but i tried yardright, tried to check for a dealer in the area and got no reply for a week. then i tried to email them and it was sent back saying it was not a valid email address. so not sure if yardright is still there or not

[GaryP]

Yardright probably won't talk to you directly unless you are buying a truckload, especially if you mention the word "aquarium." They protect the folks like CaribSea. Try checking with the landscape materials folks and ask about "Yardright" or "Tropical Play Sand." If anyone asks, tell them you are building a "Petanque court." That's another use for it. The bags say not for aquarium use. Yea right! It's just not for aquarium use at the that price. Like I said, they are trying to protect the premium pricing charged for aquarium sand.

[TroyPham]

just get the pavestone stuff.... you can get it at any HD and at 3-4bucks a 50lb bag you can't beat the price.

[GaryP]

Troy, was that stuff you referred to earlier?

[GaryP]

The other name it is apparently sold under is Old Castle.

[TroyPham]

yea Gary. if you look at the link i posted there are some pics of the bag there.

[Jrmass]

I'm just wondering if anyone has tried using this sand since this post has been created? I have a 70 gallon tank with about 150-175 lbs of LS, and 110 lbs of LR and am in the process of setting up a 125 gallon tank. I just bought 150 lbs of Dry Fiji Rock and am looking at getting sand... I would like to know if the sand spoken about in this post actually will work or do I really need to spend an arm and a leg on it at about $1.25/lb after shipping. Thanks,

Jason

[Ram_Puppy]

high Jason,

I haven't heard of anyone's tanks crashing... I had some friends offloading some caribsea special grade at a reasonable price when i setup my large tank, so I didn't buy any.

Troy is still actively posting here, so hopefully he willpop in and give a good word.

[erikharrison]

isnt the pavestone stuff non aragonite?

[Brett Wilson]

If there is enough interest (or you have enough cash and a place to store lots of sand) you can order a truck load of southdown palletes. Ed (hammer) and I did this around 2 years ago, we split HALF an 18 wheeler truck trailer worth of sand with the DFW folks. That's 5 or 6 palettes of bagged southdown sand we had to pick up and store. It takes a hell of a truck and trailer to handle towing around ~17000lbs of sand. You buy it from yardright.

[5.0Stang]

Thats why we need a MAAST trailer! :lol :lol

[LoneStar]

If there is enough interest (or you have enough cash and a place to store lots of sand) you can order a truck load of southdown palletes. Ed (hammer) and I did this around 2 years ago, we split HALF an 18 wheeler truck trailer worth of sand with the DFW folks. That's 5 or 6 palettes of bagged southdown sand we had to pick up and store. It takes a hell of a truck and trailer to handle towing around ~17000lbs of sand. You buy it from yardright.

So how much did all of that cost?

[LoneStar]

Southdown can still be had, I have 12 bags sitting under my new tank stand right now and the yardright stuff is still around also.

So how many 'Mules' did it take to sneak them bags across the border?!?

[SA-DSM]

So where do you get the southdown at? I will be on the border tomorrow, I will ask a few of the 'Mules' and try to get a price.

[5.0Stang]

So where do you get the southdown at? I will be on the border tomorrow, I will ask a few of the 'Mules' and try to get a price.
just what i was thinkin' send those "mules" this way after ur done

[SA-DSM]

Sorry can't do that, I will have to send them back.

[5.0Stang]

:lol :lol Could you just let um go and point me in the direction they went? :lol :lol

[SA-DSM]

After we let them go they always go south over the bridge.

[alteredego]

I've had the Pavestone in my big tank for about 8 months now with no problems. It does take a bit to clean though. If you have any extra, put it on your lawn to neutralize the soil and you'll have to mow the lawn twice a week with all this rain.

[Brett Wilson]

It cost a few thousand if I remember correctlly for a full truck.

[Ram_Puppy]

you guys mean the maast cart wasn't buff enough to handle that load?

[5.0Stang]

you guys mean the maast cart wasn't buff enough to handle that load?
No MAAST member wanted to help push it!

[urban79]

been to 2 HD and cant find it. Has anyone seen it anywhere?

[urban79]

http://safesand.stores.yahoo.net/ornatplaysan.html would be a little cheaper for white sand

[mathias]

$60 for 50 lbs really isn't cheap...

[urban79]

well its like 50 or 60 cents cheaper. But I been to true value and ace hardware and 3 hd and lowes no one has this stuff

[caferacermike]

$60 for 50 lbs really isn't cheap...

I agree. In ATX aragonite (the good stuff) runs $40 or less for 40lbs. Typically $34.

[urban79]

well I finallly found it at HD @ I 10 and devaila. They where stocking it when I was there. So they have about a pallet of it.

[5.0Stang]

the southdown or pavestone?

[urban79]

pavestone. limestone. Its looks just like sand. Just have to wash it for a good time.

[SA-DSM]

How much?

[urban79]

its like 4 somethen for 50lbs.

[caferacermike]

So what's the deal with Pavestone? I'm planning on all aragonite and southdown for my new tank because of the natural benefits like stable CA, ALK and PH. Is Pavestone only a substrate like general sand would be?

[papijames]

I use CaribSea Premium for my 55g tank and it's a good product (not the price though). So Garyp I think that i'm a little interested in that Southdown send you guys are talking about for a sump I'm going to add for my tank. Where in San Antonio can I get that stuff?

[erikharrison]

So what's the deal with Pavestone? I'm planning on all aragonite and southdown for my new tank because of the natural benefits like stable CA, ALK and PH. Is Pavestone only a substrate like general sand would be?


I think, but am not positive, that Jeremy may have some in his tanks at B&B. They have it at HD on DeZavala and IH-10. If I am not mistaken Jeremy (Urban79, not B&B) used it in his sump.