Play Sand

Discussion in 'Sand' started by sticksmith23, Aug 4, 2011.

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  1. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    Thanks for the info. I haven't made up my mind up 100% yet to as what I am going to do.
     
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  3. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    Sorry about that, I remember finding it and swore I pasted it :confused:

    Anyways, here you go:
    Feature Article: Silica In Reef Aquariums — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

    This is his hypothosis of why some is soluble:

    "If you start with true beach sand, and don’t fracture it much, then it is very likely that you will detect little dissolution of silica from it in a few days (although I’ve not tried it), because most of the readily dissolved minerals would have disappeared long ago (or are trapped inside). But commercial play sands are not typically from beaches, and are not collected with any kind of gentleness. They are often mined from sand pits, crushed, screened, and generally treated rather roughly. This serves to break many of the grains, exposing new mineral inclusions that are then primed to dissolve. This source is, in my opinion, where most of the soluble silica comes from in “silica” sand."
     
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  4. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    Also BTW, re: rinsing.



    "In the first experiment I took 3 cups of sand, and suspended it in 3 gallons of freshly made Instant Ocean salt mix that initially contained less than 0.8 mM of silica (0.05 ppm SiO2). After 48 hours of gentle stirring with a powerhead (the water was stirring, but not the sand), the silica concentration had risen to 17 mM (1.0 ppm SiO2).
    I then rinsed the same sand 5 times with 1 gallon RO/DI water (1 minute each time), discarded the contents, and then ran the same stirring experiment with 2 new gallons of Instant Ocean salt mix. In 48 hours the silica concentration had again risen, this time to 15 mM (0.92 ppm SiO2). Then I let it sit unstirred for another 96 hours, and the concentration had risen more, to 23 mM (1.4 ppm SiO2)."
     
  5. dskyers

    dskyers Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

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    yesterday i actully put 100 pounds of it in my 125 to get it going and its alot of sand i would not put three bags its alot more than you think lol but i did my research and it seems fine. i put a cup of my sand from other tank in as well. and i put some of the water and a piece of live rock in there as well. so we shalll see.
     
  6. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    Thank you, Matt... I guess I stand corrected. That's the first actual test I've heard of being performed on silica sand, despite the number of nay-sayers...
     
  7. sticksmith23

    sticksmith23 Giant Squid

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    Wow, that is some really good information. I definitely never found that in my research. Thank you.
     
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  9. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    +1

    Exactly. Guess one really is never too old to learn... :D
     
  10. saints fan 420

    saints fan 420 Expensive Colorful Sticks

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    sticksmith23- what brand of play sand at lowes are you thinking about using...how coarse is it??
     
  11. saints fan 420

    saints fan 420 Expensive Colorful Sticks

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    what brand did you use and where home improvement store did you buy it at???
     
  12. saints fan 420

    saints fan 420 Expensive Colorful Sticks

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    do you have play sand you ur reef tanks, if so what brand and where did you purchase it.