southdown in austin

[brewercm]

btacker is on the right track. Southdown is pure aragonite that is just packaged under the name Southdown and what I believe is now Newcastle or something like that. The quickrete stuff is just a silica based sand and not quite as white. The only difference I've seen proven to any extent is that the aragonite helps with the stablility of PH or something to that affect, could be wrong on that part but someone else might chime in that knows a little more.

[StephenA]

Ditto, the play sand is a silica based product. the only thing to watch for is breathing it! It does not promote algae. check dr ron's book about sand or RC under his forum. He's the one who advised me to use it in my tank. Yes I do have algae but it grows on all 3 kinds of sand in my tank. I used the play sand in the back to build up the depth and pure aragonite to do the rest. Southdown is produced in the same place that the aqurium sand is done.