Be a diligent consumer and examine your substrates closely and confirm the source. Oolitic aragonite has a number of benefits and is an excellent aquarium substrate, when what you have actually is oolitic aragonite! You don’t want to waste your money on fake aragonite and water. At Calcean, we strive to provide the best and most consistent quality products. We were dismayed to see that companies are fooling the public into buying a falsely-labeled material, foolitic fauxragonite if you will. There was 4lbs of water in the 20lb bag and 2lbs of water in the 10lb bag! When you buy dry material, you’re getting what you pay for: substrate. We actually dried and measured the amount of water in a 20lb and 10lb bag of store-bought wet or “alive” substrate. This means you’re spending money on water rather than actual substrate. The packaging will make claims of live bacteria, but there are no more bacteria on wet material than there are on dry material. The difference between them is simply aesthetic.Īnother issue to look for is material that is sold wet. It will provide the same benefits as purely oolitic aragonite since it still contains oolitic aragonite. If you see a combination of spheres and angular crushed shell, this is likely a mix. It’s important to note that some aragonite substrates are a mix of oolitic aragonite and crushed shell. If the grains you are observing are rough and angular, this is likely just crushed shell or regular sand. The word “oolitic” literally means egg-shaped. Grains of oolitic aragonite are smooth and spherical. The easiest and quickest way to figure out if the product is indeed real aragonite is to look at the individual grains closely. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to tell if what you are purchasing is indeed real oolitic aragonite. Otherwise, you’re paying a premium for a substandard product that won’t perform the same as real oolitic aragonite. In order to reap all of oolitic aragonite’s benefits, you need real oolitic aragonite. They masquerade as oolitic aragonite, but under close inspection, they are either coral sand or just regular calcite sand. Unfortunately, however, there are many substrates out there that are all a bit of smoke and mirrors. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better substrate for your marine, reef or cichlid tank. Another benefit is its lack of silica, which helps to prevent diatom blooms in your tank. It’s also the ideal grain size for reef tanks, fish tanks, plenum systems, and refugiums. of surface area providing a huge space for housing ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite reducing bacteria. One kg of aragonite also offers over 1 million sq. Oolitic aragonite has unsurpassed buffering capabilities and helps to maintain a natural pH balance of 8.2 without the constant addition of chemicals. It has no harmful tar, impurities, or organics and is the ideal substrate for marine, reef, and cichlid aquariums. Due to its renewable nature, it is an environmentally responsible alternative. It naturally forms on the banks of The Bahamas on a sustainable and renewable basis.

Oolitic aragonite is a unique type of biogenic calcium carbonate. Coral sand can also be used, but it’s buffering capabilities aren’t as effective and it is usually unsustainably collected, and its collection can damage the reefs. The best substrate for this is oolitic aragonite. However, in a marine tank, there are options that will help you maintain a stable pH, without the addition of chemicals. For example, in a freshwater tank, you would want to use a gravel or rock that won’t affect the pH of the tank. Choosing the right substrate directly impacts the health of your tank. Substrate is the layer of sand or gravel that you place at the bottom of your tank. When you’re setting up your aquarium, one of your first and most important purchases is the substrate. It can be as simple or as difficult as you make it. Keeping an aquarium is a fun hobby, whether you have a small goldfish tank or an elaborate marine tank.

Oolite aragonite sand