Many play sand brands currently on the market are sourced from silica based sands. Oolitic aragonite is also a great eco-friendly option for play sand. You’re missing out on the many benefits of aragonite by purchasing limestone that is falsely labeled, shorting yourself and shorting the environment. Ask companies where they source their aragonite. Always double check your aragonite and its source. There are also some brands that do not have the correct approvals to harvest aragonite, meaning your tank may have illegally harvested substrate in it. Unfortunately, many brands in the aquarium market claim to be aragonite but are actually just crushed limestone from the land-based mines. Oolitic aragonite is a perfect substrate for marine and cichlid aquariums because it naturally buffers the pH. Consumers and companies alike should be aware of their options so that they can make the responsible decision. There are some key markets that oolitic aragonite is a great contender in ranging from aquarium sand to agriculture. Ethically and sustainably harvested, oolitic aragonite provides an environmentally responsible alternative to other calcium carbonates. Oolitic aragonite is biogenic, renewable, and sustainable. Now, more than ever, is the time to focus on environmentally responsible alternatives. Oolitic aragonite is truly a renewable resource. Carbon dating, a common method for determining the age of something, showed that much of the material is new, having been created in the past 3 to 5 years. The estimated annual renewal rate is 14 to 120 million metric tons per year. The oolitic aragonite reserves on The Bahamas banks are estimated to contain 50 to 100 billion metric tons. These whitings events happen bi-annually, constantly replenishing the oolitic aragonite deposits. Oolitic aragonite is one of the world’s only biogenic and naturally precipitated calcium carbonates and happens extensively in The Bahamas. The white clouds in the water are actually oolitic aragonite forming. The carbon dioxide then binds to the calcium in the water, creating a calcium carbonate known as oolitic aragonite.

As the phytoplankton convert the sun’s rays into energy, carbon dioxide is pulled from the atmosphere. Blooms of phytoplankton (microscopic plant organisms) seasonally move over the shallow banks of The Bahamas.

However, it was found to be an event where oolitic aragonite forms. At first, researchers believed these to be caused by schooling fish disturbing the sandy bottom. It naturally forms during events called ‘whitings.’ Whitings can be seen in satellite imagery as wispy white clouds in the water. Oolitic aragonite is biogenic meaning that it is produced by living organisms. Oolitic aragonite naturally pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its formation and is a renewable resource. However, there is an alternative that is environmentally responsible: oolitic aragonite. This type of calcium carbonate mining is energy intensive, has a large carbon footprint, and is not sustainable. However, the calcium carbonate used in these applications is sourced from non-renewable resources: mines all over the USA, ranging from Florida to Idaho. It is found in your toothpaste, your antacids, as a filler in many of your plastic products, your morning orange juice, your morning newspaper, the carpet under your feet, and even in the car that you drive to work. The average person interacts with calcium carbonate daily as it is extremely versatile and as such, is used in many different applications. This affords aragonite many advantages, such as a higher surface area. Most calcium carbonates look like building blocks under a microscope, however, oolitic aragonite looks like lots of interlaced needles. It is a distinct type of Calcium Carbonate and while it has the same chemical make-up, it looks different under a microscope providing it some irreplaceable advantages.

This unique mineral is called Oolitic Aragonite. Oolitic Aragonite: Nature’s Renewable Sand from the Oceanīeneath the gin clear waters of The Bahamian banks lies a unique mineral that looks much like sand but is unlike the sands on the beaches of Florida or California.

Bahamas oolite live sand