Limestone as aquarium sand?

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Want to purchase some limestone from home hardware to use as sand. I currently have a fine a layer of aragonite fine/coarse mix, and I’d think limestone would perform the same job(both CaCO3). The consensus I have seen is that this stuff is fine to use as sand and aragonite sand is overpriced, but I’ve never tried myself.

Have anyone had experience with this kind of sand and in addition, has anyone had experience with this brand? The Pavestone brand that I have heard positive reports about is inaccessible in my location, and I am unfamiliar with gardening and any potential additives they put in this stuff. Don’t want extra nitrogen in my tank.

Link to the product:
https://www.homehardware.ca/en/20kg-agricultural-lime/p/5025849

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah... just spend the money and get the proper reef-safe sand.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Yeah... just spend the money and get the proper reef-safe sand.

It’s unacceptably expensive. Purchasing enough sand to form an anoxic layer in my tank with the standard aragonite sand may be more expensive than all planned livestock combined. I need an alternative.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

20 pounds of aragonite sand costs a hundred dollars, dead sand costs 90, and that isn’t even enough.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Limestone works fine and has been used for decades in the hobby (Randy has a number of posts about limestone you can look at as well) - so, barring any major contaminants in the limestone you buy, it should be fine:

To my knowledge it works fine scientifically and shouldn't mess up any parameters (though I'd cure it for awhile just to be safe). However, as mentioned, the texture and grain size are important.

Some related threads (limestone rocks and pulverized limestone in aquaria):
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/limestone-rock-in-reef-tank.811822/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/crushed-limestone-yay-or-nay.913151/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/limestone.657931/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-kind-of-sand-do-you-use.638606/ (post 7 of this one is the relevant comment)
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/reef-aquarium-rock-explained-part-2.540/https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/reef2reef-faq-1-substrates.537/

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

The concern would be the purity. You'd want to avoid metals and toxins.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

The concern would be the purity. You'd want to avoid metals and toxins.

Yeah, thus the query regarding experience with this particular brand. I suppose I’ll do an acid solution test and test the parameters of a small amount of water with small samples.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Although, if anyone knows a brand of pure limestone sand that is available here in Canada that would be nice too. The products are very different here from the states.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

https://www.rona.ca/en/product/eart...vers-underlayment-beige-18-kg-137546-18375005
https://www.rona.ca/en/product/appalache-valley-dolomitic-limestone-8181801-7696036
A few of the brands… I’ll obtain a sample when I get there.

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah, thus the query regarding experience with this particular brand. I suppose I’ll do an acid solution test and test the parameters of a small amount of water with small samples.

Dude, it's Home Hardware. Just saying... (best of luck in any event)

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

rona was closed by the time I got there, better luck tomorrow I guess.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I expect limestone sand is fine, but it's not identical to aragonite and these would be the most significant differences (IMO):

1. The surface texture may be rough and not rounded like a lot of aragonite, which might possibly irritate some sand dwelling organisms.

2. It will not dissolve as readily down inside it when pH drops (which is not necessarily a problem, just a difference).

 

[Dan_P]

20 pounds of aragonite sand costs a hundred dollars, dead sand costs 90, and that isn’t even enough.

Is the price high because of your location?

 

[zoomonster]

Do it right and save yourself some potential trouble. I looked at Amazon Canada and they have all the Caribsea stuff. 20 pounds of CaribSea 8479009203 ACS000920 Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand for Aquarium, 20-Pound is C$59.26 along with a variety of other stuff.