# Cheap black sand in bulk?



## Mxx (Dec 29, 2010)

Use the search function on this forum. Search for Black Beauty or Black Diamond Sand, which is used for sandblasting and there should be an industrial supplier in your area.


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

+1 black diamond, you can get it 50 lbs for $7.99 at tractor supply company.
it's definitely best to wash it all though, sometimes there's a nasty oil slick that comes up if you don't. and geez, it takes like three hours to wash a whole bag. so that would take forever... 
black beauty might not have that oiliness problem, i'm not sure.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

Ah I thought it was commercial stuff being sold like fluorite, had no idea it was so cheap. I take it I want the finest grade possible if I want to keep cories?

*Nevermind I guess the course stuff is better, too bad the closest Tractor Supply is a 3 hour drive :/


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## Willamette (Jun 19, 2012)

Well, fluorite is a manufuctured clay product, as opposed to actual sand. The "sand" version is just ground up finer.

Pool filter sand is a relatively precisely ground product, made from silica, very consistant, as it is designed to be filter media and trap specific particle sizes.

Play sand on the other hand is extremely unrefined, and can vary in its composition very widely. Nasty stuff, really...because of its inconsistent size it can compact and being messy, etc.

Blasting sand (black diamond, black beauty) is made from coal slag, but after its been rinsed is perfectly safe for aquarium use. It is manufactured specifically to run in sand blasting equipment, and so is similar to pool filter sand in terms of consitency. Great stuff for aquarium substrate. And cheap as dirt. (literally)


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