# 3M CQ Colorquartz dirt cheap and free shipping! - All Gone.



## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

What size bags are they? as in lbs.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

Regular 3M 50 lb bags.


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## Coconutmuffn (Dec 14, 2008)

I just snagged a bag too!! Thank you so much for the heads-up!!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Nice deal! I'm going to order some- I really like this stuff. :thumbsup:


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

yes definitely thanks.  I just started searching for this product locally and they wanted $40/bag everywhere. Half price and no shipping. Now I can afford some plants when I start the tank lol


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## t0p_sh0tta (Jan 24, 2008)

I came across this, and this is a good deal for those without local suppliers. I can pick up T and S grade for $23/bag locally.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

It's better than my "local". LOL 21.12 to the door and no gas. I was thrilled when I found it. I had planned to drive 3.5 hours one way and pay $30+ per bag.


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## lizziotti (Mar 8, 2008)

Thank you, thank you I've been looking all over for this stuff! :bounce:


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## vince-anity (Feb 10, 2009)

so this stuff is cool to use in a planted tank? can i be used on top of some first layer laterite?


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## lizziotti (Mar 8, 2008)

yes I'm going to use it over mineralized soil. I've beeb told it holds a slope real well I'm not sure about the S grade though which is too bad because it comes in more colors. I like the brown ranges it comes in. Anyone know more about the S grade? I'm not finding too much out.


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## Kahuna (Nov 23, 2008)

Is it inert?


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## jargonchipmunk (Dec 8, 2008)

Kahuna said:


> Is it inert?


Short answer:

Yes.

Long Answer:

Yes it is.

roud:


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

I believe I read that the S grade floated around too much to hold a slope well. I have no personal experience with it.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I believe there's only 4 bags left after my order. So those wanting in, jump on it!


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

Wow. That went quickly.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

michu said:


> Wow. That went quickly.


Very quick. The lady was so confused about why they've received so many calls for this discontinued sand. 

And thanks for the heads up on this deal. My friend is starting a tank so I had to grab this for him. Great deal.


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## Kahuna (Nov 23, 2008)

jargonchipmunk said:


> Short answer:
> 
> Yes.
> 
> ...


TY! & Thank You Very Much! ....LOL


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I just cleaned out the last few bags they had. 

Thanks for the heads up.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Just got my 2 bags... said there's still some left...


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> Just got my 2 bags... said there's still some left...


Just ordered 2 bags myself...and they said there's still some left...


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I hope everyone gets their bags. Either they're giving incorrect stock numbers, or they're taking orders without checking inventory. My sales woman put me on hold to check their actual stock because she said they'd been receiving lots of orders.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

The woman I spoke to apparently double checked while I was on the phone, then wanted to triple check and call me back. 

I'm wondering more along the lines if they're just ordering more as they get orders. From my understanding, the T-grade product itself isn't being discontinued, this particular vendor is just discontinuing it from their product line.


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## t0p_sh0tta (Jan 24, 2008)

^ correct, my local supplier has tons of the stuff (literally) and gets weekly shipments from 3M.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

My 6 bags were delivered today. They stuck them inside 5 gallon buckets; so I got 6 buckets with lids out of the deal, too.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

I'm thinking we're an odd crew when we think of buckets as a perk...lol


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## vince-anity (Feb 10, 2009)

just called... the woman said they had just ran out. she chuckled a little bit as she told me too. haha. oh well.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

I suspect she's glad since the grade T has kept her busy the last few days. LOL I probably should have warned her that I was going to post about CQ.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

She didn't have it that bad. I took ten bags. ;-)
I'm planning on one being the grit in my future epoxy garage floor. They sell the materials at far less than the paint stores.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

She called me back and apologized- they were actually out and she didn't realize it. :icon_cry:


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm sorry, Lauraleellbp.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> She didn't have it that bad. I took ten bags. ;-)
> I'm planning on one being the grit in my future epoxy garage floor. They sell the materials at far less than the paint stores.


It's your fedex guy that's going to have it bad. 10 buckets to carry at 53 pounds/bucket. I hope you don't live on a hill he has to climb as I do. LOL


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

michu said:


> For those of you wanting 3M Colorquartz, I have found a place online that has 27 bags left of Grade T Black and is getting rid of it for $21.12 each. Free shipping! What a deal, eh? Since this grade is not part of their product line, you must call them to order. 800-535-3325 (press 1 to reach their order desk).
> 
> Grade S is a regular product they carry and always have it for $38 a bag with free shipping. This grade can be ordered online and all the various colors can be purchased. http://vbpstore.com/50-lb-bag-of-3m-color-quartz.html
> 
> I ordered 6 bags of the grade T and they shipped almost immediately via FedEx Ground.


THANK YOU man, I own you one. That was one of the best deals I've got in this hobby. I still can't believe they shipped it for free. I called them at 10 and the lady was suprised that I am asking of it (I think she had got a lot more calls from you guys). Since I've got two bags I am thinking of using it alone. I mean, I was planning to use fluorite black or 50/50 mix of colorquartz and fluorite black in my new tank, but since I've got 100# of colorquartz, maybe I'll use it just by itself? What do you guys think? Is there any significant difference between using nutrient rich substrate and dosing with dry ferts and using plain gravel and dosing? How is your experience?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

LOL Thx michu. Fortunately, I do have a local supplier, and don't really "need" any ATM... I was just trying to get some for cheap. 

Marcinsmok- IME carpeting plants do best when you've got a nutrient-containing substrate.

I like my 50/50 CQ/Flourite mix really well- but you could probably do pretty well mixing in something cheaper like SMS or Turface if you can find it in black/grey.

I've got an area of plain gravel in my tank- and the E. tenellus will NOT grow into that area.


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Marcinsmok- IME carpeting plants do best when you've got a nutrient-containing substrate.
> 
> I like my 50/50 CQ/Flourite mix really well- but you could probably do pretty well mixing in something cheaper like SMS or Turface if you can find it in black/grey.
> 
> I've got an area of plain gravel in my tank- and the E. tenellus will NOT grow into that area.


Hmm, and I thought I will save What about laterite? I read people do this but I have no experience in that? Does it work? Are there any other ways of making a substrate more rich in nutrients?


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## discuscardscorys (Jul 29, 2008)

i have an all gravel low/med light tank that i dose excel, KNO3, KH2PO4, and traces (effectively ei but with low light and excel instead of co2) and e tenellus grows like CRAZY! I just spent three or four hours pulling up the carpet and thinning it out and replanting the larger plants, at the end of which i threw out about 2/3 of the original plant mass. I have found that when i stop dosing, the e tenellus reproduces but much more slowly. i have found that it will barely grow in the shade of my lotus though, if at all.


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> She called me back and apologized- they were actually out and she didn't realize it. :icon_cry:


x2...but just like Lauraleellbp I didn't really have a huge need for it. I'm sure I can find it locally, but the price and shipped to my door sure would have nice...lol


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## themainer (Sep 30, 2008)

I was lucky enough to get in on this deal. I walked away with three buckets.. hoping it will be enough. Looking to set up a 100g or 125g with mineralized top soil, so this will make a good cover. As Michu said, they shipped each bag in a 5g bucket, so that was a nice bonus.

Here are a few pictures of the goods...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

jargonchipmunk said:


> Short answer:
> 
> Yes.
> 
> ...


lol


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

themainer said:


> Looking to set up a 100g or 125g with mineralized top soil, so this will make a good cover. As Michu said, they shipped each bag in a 5g bucket, so that was a nice bonus.


 
Could you please explain how you're gonna mix it with soil. Is it going to work that way? I am total amateur when it comes to substrates other than nutrient ones like fluorite. I was planning to mix my colorquartz with fluorite black but since I ordered two bags I don't need any more substrate so I'd like to make my own nutrient rich substrate, but I don't know how.


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## themainer (Sep 30, 2008)

marcinsmok said:


> Could you please explain how you're gonna mix it with soil. Is it going to work that way? I am total amateur when it comes to substrates other than nutrient ones like fluorite. I was planning to mix my colorquartz with fluorite black but since I ordered two bags I don't need any more substrate so I'd like to make my own nutrient rich substrate, but I don't know how.


I sure can. I am following the process for mineralized top soil, which will create a nutrient rich substrate in the form of dirt/mud. I can then take the colorquartz, line the sides of the tank (any side that a viewer might see), and then lay down about a 1" deep layer of my mineralized top soil in the middle. After that, more colorquartz can be laid on top of the soil and shaped to create whatever kind of landscape you want.

This works great for any rooted plants because they get all the nutrients they need from the soil. It may take a little while for the plants to take off since their roots need to get down to the soil, but once that happens, the result is usually pretty good.

Here are a few links for you to look at. The first one is the on going thread here at The Planted Tank talking about the mineralized top soil, the second one is a post at Aquatic Plant Central about the same thing (I am posting this because the first page shows the progression of what I just explained and how it actually looks/works). Hope this helps.

TPT Mineralized Top Soil
APC Mineralized Top Soil


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

The only thing I am aware of is if the topsoil mix will show up thru the colorquartz when I am uprooting or stirring the substrate. What do you think?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

marcinsmok said:


> The only thing I am aware of is if the topsoil mix will show up thru the colorquartz when I am uprooting or stirring the substrate. What do you think?


It will mix, but eventually settle back. (assuming you don't launch it all into the water column )


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## ingg (Jan 18, 2007)

Pull plants slowly and the soil stays underneath. If it does come to the top, it settles back in, one of the reasons you mix clay in the mineralized soil, it makes it heavier and clumpy so it'll sit down.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

themainer,

I put my aquarium together last night. Sorta. Anyway... my footprint is 72X18 and I used 3 bags. This gave me the 1 inch in the front and 3 in the back. I would have liked to have put in a fourth simply to raise the soil height a bit more since my tank is so darned tall, but my hands and feet were frozen from washing the CQ outside.

Another note for those that have never used CQ T-grade. I didn't rinse the CQ as well as I thought I should. It was just too darned cold outside to rinse more than 3 to 4 times (3 times for the top of the bag, 4 for the bottom). The water was still gray on my last pour off at least half of the time. I fully expected to have gray water when I filled the tank, but I did not (I did pour the water in down the side of the tank). The water was a bit cloudy, but this was more due to the soil that I accidentally uncovered when my stump floated, pulling up mud. Twice. LOL The cloudiness was almost completely gone within 2 hours at which point I went to bed exhausted. When I got up this morning, the tank was crystal clear. So the point to this long story is that I don't think it has to be washed as much as I've read here. The dust obviously sinks quickly. It also stays sunk because I replanted some plants that floated to the top overnight and clouds were not created. I'm pleased. 

The gravel is just beautiful, btw. I've seen pics of it here, but I was still surprised at just how nice this stuff looks.


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## themainer (Sep 30, 2008)

That's great news Michu! I am may end up with a 125g from craigslist if all goes well this weekend and it sounds like the 3 bags I bought should be enough. I was a bit worried that I should have just bought a few extra bags to be on the safe side.

I am a ways off from being able to set up the tank (no stand yet, since I don't even have a tank), but I'm definitely looking forward to the experience.

Thanks for the tip on the washing. I am in western NY and it's below freezing here, so will have to wait a few months to do all my rinsing.


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## michu (Dec 9, 2008)

themainer said:


> That's great news Michu! I am may end up with a 125g from craigslist if all goes well this weekend and it sounds like the 3 bags I bought should be enough. I was a bit worried that I should have just bought a few extra bags to be on the safe side.
> 
> I am a ways off from being able to set up the tank (no stand yet, since I don't even have a tank), but I'm definitely looking forward to the experience.
> 
> Thanks for the tip on the washing. I am in western NY and it's below freezing here, so will have to wait a few months to do all my rinsing.


Definitely wait. I can't remember being so cold in my life as I was yesterday. Sopping wet in the cold with high wind. One good thing about high wind is that it blows much of the dust away when you pour. LOL I woke up this morning with every muscle in my body aching and a sinus headache. If I'd had any idea... I would not have bought such a large tank.

As for craigslist, I bought my tank separately from my stand. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought a complete setup. I ended up paying much more for less. I've seen many beautiful setups come up after purchasing mine that I wish I'd got instead and would have cost less than half what I paid by purchasing separate pieces.


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