# Tahitian Moon Sand



## Eileen (May 31, 2009)

Do not buy Tahitian Moon sand. It is a very fine powdered black sand and I read somewhere that a person got it and it was like coal and was floating and sticking on their hand and was so bad that they took it back to the store. AquariumSands.com has all kinds of sand and it has free shipping. You can also try http://www.drsfostersmith.com they have Eco-Complete Black 20lbs. Complete aquarium substrate for luxuriant plant growth and required no rinsing. Item # Cd-12989 for $23.99. Most black sand has iron in it and is good for plants. Stay away from the fine power sand a big problem and it is messy and can get in your filter also.Eco-Complete is all you would need for your tank. :fish:


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## ryanbach51 (Jul 10, 2009)

I've done a fair amount of research prior to posting, and I know that TMS is completely inert. I've also read that most people that had cloudy water or a big mess did not rinse it thoroughly.

I probably will end up using Eco-Complete with some mulm from an established tank underneath, but no other substrate offers that striking black color.


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## RandomKayos (Oct 3, 2008)

I have 11 tanks with TMS and have had no problems as long as it's rinsed. I also start them with mulm only under the sand. Plants grow very well in these tanks.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Eileen said:


> AquariumSands.com has all kinds of sand and it has free shipping.


Has anyone used the black gravel from this site? Does it need a lot rinsing?


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

I have the black sand from that site (got it off ebay for a much better price than the website currently sells it for)

Apparently it has a fairly high iron content because it is magnetic. If it gets a in a magnetic algae cleaner it will scratch the glass.


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## BottomFeeder (Jul 26, 2008)

I currently have two tanks with TMS including my pressurized 29g. I love the way it looks, and it hasn't been difficult to maintain, but I wish I would have gone with a more nutrient rich soil in the pressurized tank.


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## Rod Hay (Feb 11, 2006)

While the TMS definitely looks nice; I HATE how hard it is to gravel vac. It is a tedious chore to make sure you're not drawing it up into your siphon. I've tried small miniature vacs to slow down the water's flow, and I still get it. I have to continually pinch the hose to let the sand all fall out . . . but I still get it. It gets stuck in the water change bucket! Then stuck in the tub or toilet where I dump the water change . . . etc., etc. Then, it doesn't all easily rinse out of the tub. I've taken to letting the tub completely dry, then sweeping it all up! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, granted, you don't need to gravel vac planted tanks all that much. Yet the finer grained the substrate is; the more debris just sits on top instead of sift down to the lower levels. 

Unfortunately the tank that has TMS is on the second floor. I'm not risking carrying 2 or 3 gallons of water down a flight of stairs just to throw it outside in the grass. I can just see myself missing a step and making a big mess. I know myself enough . . . it's bound to happen!


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