Utah Sand
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: General Help
Forum Description: The place to ask about pest, problems, hitchhikers, etc.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50840
Printed Date: September 24 2025 at 8:54pm
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Topic: Utah Sand
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Subject: Utah Sand
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 12:10am
| I have a question about Utah Sand. I bought some "Oolite" sand from someone in Utah about 4 months ago. The sand grains are almost perfectly round. I just put it in my tank last night. I turned the tank lights on expecting the sand to look whiteish underneath the lights but it did not. It is still brown much the color of wet sandbox sand. I thought most sand would go white under the lights but this did not. Does the Utah sand turn white under a hood light? Did I most likely buy Utah Sand? It was not advertised as anything other than Oolite sand. Does anyone have any ideas? |
Replies:
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 1:37am
| it partially depends on your lighting. Whats effective Kelvin rating do you have? I have some myself and the grains are more eggshaped. There's several places in the world oolitic sands come from so it may or may not be from here in utah. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 8:47am
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My first thought is, Did you rinse it first? If not, you may have added all the dirt that came with it, which would make it look more like like brown mud. Second, clean Utah Oolitic sand looks tan in the sun and bright white under typical reef aquarium lighting. I'm with phys/Paul, what is the lighting on the tank? There are pics and instructions for cleaning and use in the Reefkeeping Tips below.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 12:19pm
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No, I rinsed it very very well. I not only stuck the hose in the tank but stayed with it and pumped the hose up and down. If anything I overkilled on the rinsing.lol I am not sure on the lighting I have. This is my first tank and was bought used. The bulbs were fairly new but it has been in storage for about 4 months. I have read some about lighting but admit to knowing very little. I was planning on setting up and cycling the tank and getting my basic start with these lights and then looking into what lights I want and purchasing new lights in 3 or 4 months when I started to add the first corals to my tank. 1 Actinic White F54/85 TVHO that is very bright 3 54W Blue Plus 1 10KK T5 HO 54 1 Current T5HO 460 NM Actinic All of the lights appear to be at least working when turned on.
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Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 4:20pm
| this is strange....my utah sand is completely white under my lighting...it appears your lighting should also be sufficient to make it appear white...it does have to be rinsed good though....I typically do 5 gallon buckets of utah sand at a time and each bucket takes about an hour of rinsing to get it cleaned properly....or maybe you were sold some kind of other sand? HD play sand? |
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 5:35pm
| That's what it took me. About 1/2 hour per 5 gallon bucket. It appears to be oolite from everything I have researched about it. I love the look of the sand, just not the color. I am completely confused. I don't know whether I need to buy more sand or if it will still look the same and it's my lights. I don't live in a reefer heavy hobby area so it is tough to get someone to come out and look. I am totally perplexed and just anxious to add some water and get it going. |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 7:53pm
| pics? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 9:53pm
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If there is no water, that makes a difference. Did you rinse the sand following the instructions in the Reefkeeping Tips thread linked below, where I said to rinse it until the rinse water runs a clear white color? Also the 10K tube may be bringing out more of the sands tan color. It's all about reflected light spectrum. What we see is the color put off by the lights reflected back to our eyes. It would be really helpful to see a pic of what you are seeing. Here is what it should look like. This is 98% Utah Oolitic sand.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 9:59pm
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Yes, that is how I rinsed. It cleaned up very nicely. I only have a pic on my phone and can't download it to my computer. My picture actually looks close to the one you posted. It looks more brownish tan to me than white. I don't want bright white but most of the reef tanks I have seen are more white than what I have. What bulb would bring out the white more? What would I give up by trading to another bulb. If anyone wants to see a cell phone picture I could send you what I have. 208 709-6559 I'm making RO water right now so I need to decide whether or not to stick with what I have or scrap it and start over. Other than the color, the sand is beautiful!! Thanks a ton for trying to help me out guys!!
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Posted By: ptronsp
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 10:11pm
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My Utah sand is very white. I would think it has something to do with your lighting. ------------- The only clowns I like are in my tank! |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 10:13pm
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This may sound kind of silly, but without water in the tank, I believe the room lights are going to add their spectrum of color to the tank. Room lights are usually soft white and that's a lousy color for a reef tank. I'd mix up the water with salt, add it to the tank, turn off the room lights and see how it looks. Feel free to send that pic to 435-632-3366 and I'll take a look. Adding water to a new sand bed is going to stir up a cloud. It helps to add it slowly pouring it onto a dinner plate to keep it from digging up the sand. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: pgravis
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 10:21pm
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you can text me the pic, and I can try and get it posted for you. 801 529-2511 ------------- See my house: www.eclecticvictorian.com |
Posted By: pgravis
Date Posted: August 21 2011 at 11:08pm
Pic of sand in question
------------- See my house: www.eclecticvictorian.com |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 3:29am
That does look more brown compared to what i have. I can tell by the color off the rocks that you have a fairly blue tint for the tank. it could be that the person you got it from, got it from an area with a different concentration of minerals contained in the sand. here's a pic of my sand, i have been waiting to get some good lighting so right now i only have a 50/50 CFL and some 6500K CFLs lighting it (no coral except xenia, shrooms, and galaxia in there right now). If you look at the left corner of the image, the sand looks a little whiter, thats where some light is falling off of my other tank. I collected this myself near the location Mark has on the forums.  Here's another pic a bit closer that's been corrected for lighting color:  Hope this helps!
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 6:26am
| That is some nice looking sand and what I vision for a color. If it's not a light problem I am very very tempted to pull it all out and order some new sand before I start dumping water in it. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 10:30am
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Thanks for the pic. I was hoping it was just the lighting but I have to admit that it does not look the same as the sand I am accustomed to seeing from the dunes west of Stansbury Island. And I've seen literally tons of it. Can you ask the seller exactly where they collected it? Before trashing it, compare it to this pic. If you look at a bit of the dry sand close up, does it look like this? This image was taken outdoors in the shade prior to rinsing. (yes it was a yellow bucket  ) ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 5:18pm
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I can't find the seller again. It was bought off of KSL a couple months ago and I have not seen it listed for quite a while. Can't remember his name either but he lived only a couple miles from Aquatic Dreams in Clearfield. No it does not look like that in either color or shape. The grains of sand are almost perfectly round with a few black basalt flakes in it. I'm not going to use it. I just won't be happy with it. I'm not sure if it is even Utah Sand or not, I just wondered about it. I really want to use white sand so I am going to take everything out and buy some more to start over with. My wife will laugh so hard when I ask her for $200 for more sand.
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Posted By: phys
Date Posted: August 22 2011 at 11:38pm
| I have about 100 lbs of sand left from my excursion. Same stuff as you saw in my tank. Its yours if you want it, you just have to find a way to get it lol |
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 10:13am
| Thanks a ton for the offer!! If I lived closer I may take you up on that but I ordered some new stuff last night. I appreciate everyones help with this. If anyone knows someone who would be interested in what I have I would sell it dirt cheap. I paid .80lb and have since rinsed it so it is sqeaky clean. I have around 125-150lbs and would sell it for $40 and could bring it down to Utah Thanksgiving weekend. It's beautiful sand other than it's not white. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 10:38am
 80 cents/lb.! I guess I'm giving away the right stuff for 50 cents 
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 23 2011 at 12:49pm
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Sounds like it. If you would have posted that up on KSL you would have have $150 in your pocket because I would have bought it from you I searched for a long time before I bought what I did. I thought it was going to be great. The guy I bought it from had a 90 set up and when he showed it to me he pointed to his sand and said "this is what you are getting" and it was beautiful white sand. I have never seen sand more beautiful than what I bought except for the color. The actual sand shape and size is just incredible stuff.
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 24 2011 at 12:11pm
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This message board is the most awesome source of truth about keeping reef aquariums.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 24 2011 at 1:06pm
Hold on a second, Matt... Mark mentioned this earleir on, but I didn't actually read it closely until now...
If you are looking at your sand inside your tank, with your aquarium lighting on, and wondering why it looks "brown" instead of "white"
- and you DON'T have any water in your tank yet (DON'T being the key word here...) -
Then YES, the sand will look brownish... it doesn't look "white" until immersed in saltwater.
Here are a few pics for proof:
Tank with sand and rock in it but NO WATER YET; see how tan the sand looks?
  Same tank after water has been added; note the difference in sand color:
 The presence of water DOES affect the spectrum of reflected light (good call Mark!) and saltwater will actually reflect a slightly different spectrum than freshwater will on top of that (SW being more 'dense')
Put some saltwater in your tank, turn the lights on, and I'll bet you will see alot more "white" out of your "tan" sand...
 ------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
MattinIdaho wrote:Posted By: ptronsp
Date Posted: August 24 2011 at 3:41pm
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We live out in Grantsville and there have been a few people ( us included) that collected the wrong sand the first time out. That being said I completely agree with Bob because when we first added the *right* stuff I was concerned because it was so brown looking before we added the water.. once water was added it was amazing the difference. Why pay for Utah sand when you can literally collect it yourself for free?? That is if you live close enough to do so. I think it's silly people charge for free sand. Good luck to you and if you are in need of sand just send us a PM and we can go collect some for you :)... no charge :). Pam ------------- The only clowns I like are in my tank! |
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 24 2011 at 4:10pm
| BobC63 That looks EXACTLY like my sand. Is yours really round grains. The color is spot on. |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 24 2011 at 4:27pm
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Matt - I don't have that particular sand anymore (I sold the whole setup earlier this year) but I believe the sand had a roundish grain to it.
I am using Utah sand in my current tank again, and can show you it is very "white":
(The brown patches are just a little algae buildup)
 I am thinking that once you add your water in, you will be please with the color on the Utah sand...
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 4:26pm
I agree with Bob. Come to think of it, yes the sand does look tan before water. Sorry I didn't think of it earlier. I've done so may tanks, it doesn't even cross my radar anymore. Good call Bob. 
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 8:17pm
| How much water do you have to add before you would notice the color change? Do you think a couple inches would do it? Just so I could test it? |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 8:30pm
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Stop worrying and fill'er up! Seriously, brown sand is silica sand (like sandbox sand)... and each silica sand grain is angular and crystal-shaped; NOT round or oval. If your sand is round or oval, you are golden. I'm not sure how much water you would need to see a difference - I have never added only 'some' of the water, and then rigged up lights and looked at it... ------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 8:36pm
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I'd try a little of it in a quart sized glass jar filled with saltwater. I'm very curious to see your sand dry and in the shade outdoors. Can you send another pic to the number below? I'm concerned about the black flecks. Good Utah Sand doesn't have any other colors. For many years I collected and gave away Utah sand and rock. I just did a Google search "utah sand for aquarium" The reefkeeping tips thread below came up as hit #5 even here in Hawaii. I assume you found that thread when you were searching for sand. I have shipped sand and rock to hobbyists out of state. Did you drive to Clearfield to pick up this sand? Did the seller offer any Utah Rock? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 8:41pm
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Mark - One time when I collectred Utah sand I got some with little black flecks in it... looked like a little bit of pepper mixed in with salt. It probably wasn't from the 'best' collection site, but it was harmless... ------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 8:48pm
No rock, only the sand. I have some other sand on the way. That is why I don't want to just fill it until I can see the 2 side by side. I do want to see what this that I have now looks like under water though. I am probably going to end up with a 4x2' area of some primo sandbox sand for my kids to play in when this is over. I will take a picture now and see if it comes out. Might have to wait until tomorrow in the sun. Thanks again everyone!!
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 9:04pm
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In a 1qt jar with 1" of sand in the bottom and 1.024 saltwater the color is no different. Mabey I need more water but as of now there is no change in color.
Sent you a picture of the sand Mark.
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 9:19pm
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This is not good Utah Sand. It has other stuff mixed in. It may not hurt anything but it's not going to be the uniform white sandy beach of water buffering aragonite sand you may have been looking for. What type of sand did you order? Here is the pic you sent:  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 9:55pm
| Marcorocks Argonite. I have heard good things about it. They were great to deal with. |
Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 25 2011 at 9:56pm
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I had a little sand left over from the tank when I bought it. Put an inch of it in a qt jar with Salt Water and it whitened right up. I could have used it to start with but it's really coarse and I want to keep some gobbies. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 26 2011 at 8:19pm
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I'm wondering if you might want to ask this MB before making reefkeeping decisions. There are many of us here with many years of prime experience. Unlike many other forums on the web, we are not a lot of loud newbies that just don't know much. We will not berate your decisions. We will let you know all the options but won't hold back when what you are thinking of doing is not a good idea and why. Do your research here from now on. You won't go wrong. For example, your statement about Gobies. They are actually okay in various types of sand, but are you aware of the problems Gobies cause to a LS bed? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: MattinIdaho
Date Posted: August 26 2011 at 10:13pm
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Yes I have read about that. I'm willing to take the negatives that could be caused. This has been a good slow project for me. I'm making mistakes as I go but I am learning and asking questions. I have read many books and have studied. I have changed my plans for corals and fish about 50 times since learning things about different species.
I am lucky to have a few good friends up here that are knowledgeable and have helped me with many things but the sand thing was a mystery to everyone I knew. I actually posted the question on other sites as well but this one was the most helpful. As of today I am happy. I have my new sand and I really like it and I already love the rock I have and I am excited to start my cycle. Thanks for all of the help. I'm not shy about asking question and for sure not to proud to learn from others. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 27 2011 at 11:28am
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"Cycling" a tank is a thing of the past. Have you read about that?
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: nrbelk
Date Posted: August 27 2011 at 2:21pm
| Cycling is a thing in the past? What do you mean? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 27 2011 at 8:33pm
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Bacteria eat the waste or pollution of Nitrogen compounds(Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate). The population of Bacteria in our tanks gradually increases to meet the level of pollution being produced by the animals we introduce. In the past all that hobbyists knew to do was wait it out. They watched the Nitrogen Cycle. That's now old school. The need to wait 6-8 weeks for bacteria to grow before we can have a reef aquarium can be completely avoided by following the procedure outlined in the Reefkeeping Tips thread linked below in my signature line. Tip: Algae is a powerful water cleaner that works immediately. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: DLindquist
Date Posted: August 27 2011 at 8:46pm
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I have a sand sifting diamond goby that I love. No problems at all. He likes to dig caves up against and under the rocks which is fine as all rock work was complete prior to adding any sand. The sand bed is full of life without the brown look across the bed.
Keep the pictures coming. It's so enjoyable watching a reef tank come together. ------------- A government strong enough to give you everything you want, is powerful enough to take everything you have. |