I put this in my 55 gallon tank, didn't wash it first (figured I was in no hurry to stock my tank and that I would just wait for the cloudy water to turn clear on it's own) HOWEVER...it didn't cloud the water at all really, I was SO impressed I took a picture of it right after I got my tank filled, so I figured I would let the picture speak for itself. My only not so great comment about it is that it isn't bright white, it's got a beige tint to it, but that may just be my fault, I may have grabbed the wrong bag...

+1point

2of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 2 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

5 / 5 8 reviews

AMAZING!!

October 20, 2012

by fishiesxoxo

fromillinois

i got this to solve my amonia problem and besides the cloudiness, because thats just something that will happen, it was an amazing product!! i love it and i use it in my freshwater fish tank!

+4points

4of 4voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

5 / 5 8 reviews

Great Product

September 7, 2012

by Anonymous

fromTexas

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?4

I used this in my 39 gallon saltwater tank.
I used it un-rinsed. True it will initially cloud the water and takes a while for the fine silt to settle, but he fine silt is where you get the area for colonies of nitrating bacteria to live. I have heard it will also buffer the ph. I have a canister filter that pumps 240 GPH and as long as I do not point the output head straight down at the sub-straight I do not have a problem with sub-straight blowing. I did have to take a new turkey and blow the fine silt off of my base rock and shells. But once the aragonite had settled I have had a crystal clear tank.
Careful pouring of water during water changes will correct the problem of cloudiness after changes.
This a great sub-straight for a saltwater FO,FOWLR, or reef Tank.

0points

2of 4voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

3 / 5 8 reviews

Great Look, lots of work to prep

September 1, 2012

by Cichfreak

fromOregon

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?4

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Reviewer Images

I saw other tanks that had this sand in it and I loved the look so I got it for my new 40 breeder. I highly recommend rinsing this over and over again until the ultra fine white film is gone. Otherwise this will leave your tank cloudy for a very long time like in previous reviews. I rinsed several times before putting in the tank. It says you can add it to a tank without rinsing, but I absolutely insist that you do not follow that direction. RINSE REPEAT.

-2points

3of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

1 / 5 8 reviews

CaribSea Aragamax Sugar-Sized Sand 30 lb

May 21, 2012

by BumSupport

fromAzle TX

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

I have to agree with "cichlidsmart", I was able to clean 60 lbs. (40 lbs. after rinsing) and added to aquarium in a very complicated method without clouding. I have a dozen Malawi Cichlids in a 50 gal. tank. At first the brilliant white sand is beautiful and smooth my cichlids didn't waste any time rearranging the decor ... it's a Cichlid thing .

1. I had to use a very short pickup for an Aquaclear 110 set on lowest flow because it started sucking the sand in when disturbed by the fish.

2. I moved air stone half way between floor and surface because it would just help circulate the white sand into filter pickup, It would settle quickly, but not before it would literally clog my filter every 7 days. I tolerated this for 2 months.

I wouldn't recommend "CaribSea Aragamax Sugar-Sized Sand" to an anyone unless it was maybe a snail tank with no water movement via critters, filter, or air stone.

I have now switched to 45 lbs. of Aquarium Gravel Substrate from CaribSea Item: 2753225 easy to clean in comparison with no clouding issues .

-3points

0of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

5 / 5 8 reviews

not to expensive

May 11, 2012

by mellie

fromNorth Carolina

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?4

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

I use this sand in my saltwater aquarium. Dosen't cloud up when used properly. It's very soft to the touch.

0points

2of 4voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Overall rating

1 / 5 8 reviews

Very cloudy, very fine

May 10, 2012

by cichlidsmart

fromcanada

Reviewer Images

I didn't buy this sand at first because it seemed pricey compared to alternatives like play sand or pool filter silica. I tried washed sand from a hardware store as it was cheapest. It cleaned up nicely after several thorough rinses,held up well in the tank and was not disturbed by the bubble bar,but I wanted a lighter colour. After trying my local pool supply store for silica sand, also a less expensive alternative, and finding it closed, I decided to treat myself to the good stuff.
I washed this product at least as thoroughly as the hardware store sand but could not get it to run clear. As the directions state that rinsing is unnecessary, I finally put it in the tank any way hoping it would settle. Once I topped up the water,the tank became so cloudy I could not see, several hours later the water was still as cloudy, I changed the water three more times to get a semblance of transluscency. The sand eventually settled after several more water changes but it is never as clear as our gravel tank. Everytime I clean my tank, the opaque cloudiness returns and it usually takes three partial water changes over a week to clear it up, again never as clear as I would like. It is impossible to run an aerator and even the flow from the hob filter stirs the sand.The rocks in the tank are always covered in a light dusting of sand, like snow, as are any surface rims on the heater and filter uptake. Here is a photo of my tank two hours after a rock rearranging and water change. The sand has now been in my tank for three months. I would not recommend this product or use it again. I wonder if another Caribbean Sea product would be better but after this experiment, I will likely stick to the cheaper alternatives.

-9points

3of 15voted this as helpful.

Ratings-only reviews for CaribSea(r) Aragamax Select Aragonite

Based on 1 ratings-only review

Overall rating

5 / 5 8 reviews

1 out of 1 recommend this product