Which Substrate Is Whiter?

Storm

Storm

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Hello, been a while since I posted (I tend to come and go with the tides so to speak :p). Im going to be moving into a new flat which essentially means uprooting my 300L + Sump. I Currently run crushed a Coral substrate but it tends to get dirty very very quickly (Brown Diatome/Dust grows ontop). So now im looking to change to either A] Sea Sand OR B] Play Sand. My question is WHICH is whiter or looks nicer in your oppinions, looking for a very light light brown color substrate. Ile await your posts.
 
Aragnorite is just sand with a massive price tag attached to it, not needed or required in my eyes (My tanks allready going 2 years on Crushed Coral). Im just wondering which between Play Sand and Beach Sand is whiter, the stores in East London are currently out of Play Sand hence I cant look for myself untill they get in.
 
heya jacquesb ltnc :D. I haven't heard anything from you about the Magazine thing in a while. I kindoff thought the project died. But send me a PM on Updates and ile make a plan. Im sure local EL Reefers can help aswell, got a few on Skype.
 
Storm a nice substrate is the fine shingle from black rock in gonubie. Alot of the locals use it and very few problems have been had with it, plus its free.
 
Yea Tridan i have that to. But im not a fan of the brown and white mixed particles. Im looking for a 1 color (Whiter) alternative. I reckon its Play Sand or Beach Sand. Speaking of which I think we met at "shop name excluded" the other day. You sold my younger brother i brought in all the 3 Striped (Humbug) Damsels.
 
Ok cool how are the little devils doing? Would say then go the play sand route i have normal beach sand in my cube and have a constant diatom problem, figured out they are very high in silicates witch is rocket fuel for diatoms. Good luck
 
Storm said:
heya jacquesb ltnc :D. I haven't heard anything from you about the Magazine thing in a while. I kindoff thought the project died. But send me a PM on Updates and ile make a plan. Im sure local EL Reefers can help aswell, got a few on Skype.
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Hi Storm! Thanks man! I agree - long time no see ;)

No - the magazine is going strong....... slow - but strong. We are now just campaigning for articles, as many people who promised articles, never delivered!

Have a look see here:
South African Aquaria and fishkeeping magazine: AQUATIC FANATIC - Page 6 - General Discussions
 
Tridan said:
Ok cool how are the little devils doing? Would say then go the play sand route i have normal beach sand in my cube and have a constant diatom problem, figured out they are very high in silicates witch is rocket fuel for diatoms. Good luck
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Really? That explains a lot as to why I have constant diatom problems too. :(
 
Kunhardt said:
Really? That explains a lot as to why I have constant diatom problems too. :(
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Tridan said:
Ok cool how are the little devils doing? Would say then go the play sand route i have normal beach sand in my cube and have a constant diatom problem, figured out they are very high in silicates witch is rocket fuel for diatoms. Good luck
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Sorry to disagree Tridan. But that subject is really debatable.....

Yes - some people have diatom issues, others not. With the exact same substrate type?

Silicate sand (ie the "normal playsand effect") is inert, and can never leach anything to the water. Else our glass aquaria would also constantly have diatoms growing on it.
And the glass would become weaker, and weaker.
It is silicate that make glass "strong". Glass is 100% silicates....

Yes - I am not disagreeing that you indeed have some issues with silicates - but it will never be from silicate sand specifically.

Rather from that specific batch of sand - wherever you both have collected the sand from. There MIGHT most likely be some other source which indeed leaches silicates.....
 
jacquesb said:
Sorry to disagree Tridan. But that subject is really debatable.....

Yes - some people have diatom issues, others not. With the exact same substrate type?

Silicate sand (ie the "normal playsand effect") is inert, and can never leach anything to the water. Else our glass aquaria would also constantly have diatoms growing on it.
And the glass would become weaker, and weaker.
It is silicate that make glass "strong". Glass is 100% silicates....

Yes - I am not disagreeing that you indeed have some issues with silicates - but it will never be from silicate sand specifically.

Rather from that specific batch of sand - wherever you both have collected the sand from. There MIGHT most likely be some other source which indeed leaches silicates.....
Click to expand...

Well I never got my sand from Black Rock, I got mine out of town at Queensberry Bay so maybe its not the cause, I also just read that tanks can suffer diatoms for up to a year from start up...so maybe I'm just going through the motions still
 
jacquesb said:
Sorry to disagree Tridan. But that subject is really debatable.....

Yes - some people have diatom issues, others not. With the exact same substrate type?

Silicate sand (ie the "normal playsand effect") is inert, and can never leach anything to the water. Else our glass aquaria would also constantly have diatoms growing on it.
And the glass would become weaker, and weaker.
It is silicate that make glass "strong". Glass is 100% silicates....

Yes - I am not disagreeing that you indeed have some issues with silicates - but it will never be from silicate sand specifically.

Rather from that specific batch of sand - wherever you both have collected the sand from. There MIGHT most likely be some other source which indeed leaches silicates.....
Click to expand...
Hey J agreed glass is 100% silicates, but its bonded silicates, heat fused during manufacture.
I am not using play sand i am using beach sand that is finer than suger fine aragonite, i tested both my tand and the area for silicates and found the reading to be similar in both area's. thus leading me to the conclusion i made.
 
"Aragnorite is just sand with a massive price tag attached to it"

aquamedic aragonite is synthetic its actually 100% hydrocarbonate , from my understanding the caribsea products are natural both are pricy but worth it from an astetic and chemistry point of view.
 
You people seem to forget, Beach Sand contains Crushed Shells. You might not even see it but those tiny white dots mixed with the brown dots add calcium which cause Diatomes to form. But in a sence it can kinda be good for corals since the Calcium will add to creating Coral Skeletons. And Tridant the Humbugs are fine. I eventually inherited 2 because he bought to many...
 
Calcium is required for any Skeletons to form. Take humans for example, we require Calcium to grow strong healthy bones. Since Diatomes have a skeleton the same principle would apply. If u actually think about it, removing all Calcium from your system would prevent any growth of any diatomes, but also prevent your corals from expanding there growth. Its kindoff a give and take relationship.
 
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