# Zeosand vs Zeobrite vs Zeobest?



## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

So I saw this thread with someone experimenting with zeobest zeolite sand as an alternative substrate

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/5075-150g-Wormcasting-ZeoSand-quot-high-tech-quot

It seemed very promising to me and the color seemed pretty good. I order a bag online from Amazon and I get a different brand. I opened the bag up and the sand is a dark gray color, almost green. When I soak it in water and wash it a little, it turns a very ugly dark green. So I emailed the company that sold it through Amazon and they said that it was the same manufacturer and they recently changed packaging and labels.  So why is the sand shown in the thread almost white and the sand I got a green color? I did some more research and found that there are several companies, zeo inc (which makes zeosand), Northern Filter Media (which makes zeobest), and Zeotech (which makes Zeobrite). Either the person I was talking to is ignorant or just lying to me, or she was correct and perhaps all these companies are just the same? 

All I want to do is buy whatever JDowns got.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

When I tried a zeolite sand as a substrate I could only find one brand, and it was that ugly green stuff. It is sold as swimming pool filter sand here. I never was able to find a source of the other two brands.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

You must have gotten the zeosand. I can understand maybe a slight green color, but this stuff looks like algae sludge, especially when wet. 

Well I took a risk, perhaps a stupid one, and ordered from another site. I'm in the process of trying to get a refund or perhaps in some futile attempt to get them to actually give me the right product. I have researched the brands thoroughly and I am convinced they gave me the wrong product. If I end up with the same bag of ugly green stuff delivered to me from the other site, I think I'll just give up on this stuff and go back to regular pool filter sand.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

I use Zeobrite and it is white'ish. Sold as swimming pool filter sand here.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Ah I'm so glad you responded to this. I was about to give up because I ordered from another vendor and they gave me the same exact ugly green stuff as before. Luckily I got a refund for one of them. I just gotta find a local pool supply store that has it

By the way, what does your zeobrite bag look like? Can you show me a picture online?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

http://www.amerimerc.com/2736473621filter-accessories~zeobrite.htm?gclid=CN3l1-6sv6wCFYUbQgodbjytpg#

http://www.nextag.com/zeobest/compare-html

http://www.doheny.com/poolsupplies/...term=zeosand&gclid=CNzx1rStv6wCFQ40hwodKVdSqA

The magic of Google!


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Hoppy from my experience, the bag they show online isn't what they send you or even what it looks like anymore. And when I did a search, there seem to be two different versions of the bag.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

takadi said:


> Hoppy from my experience, the bag they show online isn't what they send you or even what it looks like anymore. And when I did a search, there seem to be two different versions of the bag.


Since I was only able to get one of those, I don't know what the others look like, except as shown online. What bothers me is that Zeolite sand is a naturally occurring mineral, so the color may vary widely even within the same brand. When we use something for a substrate we always want it to look like we want it to, and if you had two bags with different colors that would be a problem. Because it isn't sold for use where the color means anything, I doubt that the manufacturer pays any attention to color.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

Here's my bag I bought recently.


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## takadi (Dec 13, 2010)

Very late response, but I did order 50 lbs or so of zeobrite and it was a SUCCESS! Perfect color, a creamy white and peach, no crappy green color. It is very dirty though and smells sort of funny under the wash, like some sort of melting plastic. I am experimenting with it in a new set up with mineralized topsoil underneath and the sand as a cap and I'm gonna run carbon on it for a while in case it has any nasty stuff in it. I put a bit in my loach tank and they seem to be enjoying it, and plants seem to be growing very decently in it too. Can't wait


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