# Black Sand



## TactusMortus

I bought caribsea tahitian moon sand from there I believe it is called and it was black. Great stuff however I later purchased some Black Diamond blasting sand from my local tractor supply and it is the exact same product. I mean I can hold one in each hand and run it through my fingers and I can not distinguish between the two. It is like $8 for a 50 pound bag. I love the stuff doesn't lose color my cories love it despite others saying it was going to be an issue. It is also available in at least two different sizes maybe more.


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## nalu86

TactusMortus said:


> I bought caribsea tahitian moon sand from there I believe it is called and it was black. Great stuff however I later purchased some Black Diamond blasting sand from my local tractor supply and it is the exact same product. I mean I can hold one in each hand and run it through my fingers and I can not distinguish between the two. It is like $8 for a 50 pound bag. I love the stuff doesn't lose color my cories love it despite others saying it was going to be an issue. It is also available in at least two different sizes maybe more.


same here 
+1

don't forget to wash the black diamond couple of times. And use a surface skimmer for the couple first days to skimm the grease.


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## Tiff

Thanks! Do you have to worry about gas pockets with that? 

I guess just looking for a blck substrate that's not too much of a pain to clean or is too lighr. Tried eco in the past but my plants are growing so nuch faster in my current PFS.


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## ThinkTank

blasting sand has sharp edges (used for sandblasting...). Not good for bottom dwellers like cories if you have them... Their barbells will eventually wear down or fall off.


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## TeamTeal

fine grade spectraquartz/colorquartz (if you can find it). it is just like black sand.


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## TactusMortus

ThinkTank said:


> blasting sand has sharp edges (used for sandblasting...). Not good for bottom dwellers like cories if you have them... Their barbells will eventually wear down or fall off.


I hate when people comment without reading entire posts. Also people who have no experience using the product who review it for you. I have a tank with approximately 30 or so cories one of which just spawned. No barbels wearing down everyone is as happy as can be nice fat and healthy.


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## TactusMortus

Tiff said:


> Thanks! Do you have to worry about gas pockets with that?
> 
> I guess just looking for a blck substrate that's not too much of a pain to clean or is too lighr. Tried eco in the past but my plants are growing so nuch faster in my current PFS.


Yeah ecocomplete is just to light in my opinion. The sandblasting sand is even heavier then Pool Filter Sand in my opinion. Very similar however except for the grain size they are smaller.


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## nilocg

TactusMortus said:


> I hate when people comment without reading entire posts. Also people who have no experience using the product who review it for you. I have a tank with approximately 30 or so cories one of which just spawned. No barbels wearing down everyone is as happy as can be nice fat and healthy.


I have blasting sand in my 75 gallon tank, it has been set up for the past 6 months or so. The cories have not had any issues with it.


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## Tiff

Thanks again for the responses everyone! Quick question...for those who have the blasting sand do you have MTS (snails) or do you not have to worry too much about pockets?

Thanks again! I really appreciate the responses.


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## TactusMortus

Tiff said:


> Thanks again for the responses everyone! Quick question...for those who have the blasting sand do you have MTS (snails) or do you not have to worry too much about pockets?
> 
> Thanks again! I really appreciate the responses.


Sorry forgot to answer that part. I do not have any problems with pockets. However even will pool filter sand in my experience. If you get to crazy with the depth you will end up with pockets.


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## tuffgong

+3 to Black Diamond


I swear by Black Diamond for cory tanks also. It's the exact thing as Tahitian Moon Sand. Trust me, I used like 5 bags before I discover the Black Diamond. You can't beat the price of the Black Diamond either. Tractor Supply almost gives it away at that price. I have two bags on standby right now! It makes a great cap over the potting soil in my tanks.

I plant heavy and poke the substrate with a fork as needed to avoid anaerobic pockets forming. I do have MTS, but not enough to make a difference IMO....


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## Tiff

Great! Thanks everyone! Now I just need to find some! I live in Wisconsin (farm country) so I'm sure there are plenty of places that supply it. I have an established tank so this might be a chore but worth it.


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## [email protected]

ThinkTank said:


> blasting sand has sharp edges (used for sandblasting...). Not good for bottom dwellers like cories if you have them... Their barbells will eventually wear down or fall off.


This one's been discredited. 
The most barbel damaging thing in a tank is ammonia. 
The natural habit of many corys is fast flowing streams and rivers. Up the filtration.


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## Tiff

I was able to find some not far from me..hopefully will pick it up this week. Quick question before I go...is there a certain grit/grade that I need to get it or does it only come in one? 

Thanks again!


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## mach_six

Tiff said:


> I was able to find some not far from me..hopefully will pick it up this week. Quick question before I go...is there a certain grit/grade that I need to get it or does it only come in one?
> 
> Thanks again!


I think 20-40 grit is the only size they sell from TractorSupply for the Black Diamond brand. I wonder if it's worth the 50 mile drive.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/...k-diamond-20-40-blasting-media-50-lb--3905403


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## TactusMortus

Tiff said:


> I was able to find some not far from me..hopefully will pick it up this week. Quick question before I go...is there a certain grit/grade that I need to get it or does it only come in one?
> 
> Thanks again!


Before yesterday I would have said it doesn't matter however. I bought the smallest grain yesterday. I will check the size later for you. I found out when putting it in my tank that the sand is not completely black it has a lot of dark brown in it as well as black. I happened to like the look it looks more natural however if your after a completely black substrate I would go with one of the bigger sizes.


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## Tiff

Good to know..thanks! I definitely want all black, if possible.


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## amp

Anyone try the Little Fury Fine Blend (30-60)? When I was searching Tractor Supply for Black Diamond that came up too. Looks like it might be a little bigger grain size then the Black Diamond.


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## TactusMortus

Well the Black Diamond at my local tractor supply comes in three different sizes. The largest is quite a bit larger then a grain of sand so I don't see why you would want larger then that.


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## Tiff

Thanks! I'll see what our local one has in stock.


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## TactusMortus

When you go look at the bottom of the bag it has three different boxes where they take a marker and mark which size it is mine is the smallest. Either one of the larger ones I have used and they are both dark black. You can also normally find a nice collection of the stuff around where they keep the bags because it has leaked out.


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## Tiff

Thank you! :icon_smil


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## aaronbrown

i used black diamond and with lil ferts and light my plants out grew my tank


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## mach_six

TactusMortus said:


> Before yesterday I would have said it doesn't matter however. I bought the smallest grain yesterday. I will check the size later for you. I found out when putting it in my tank that the sand is not completely black it has a lot of dark brown in it as well as black. I happened to like the look it looks more natural however if your after a completely black substrate I would go with one of the bigger sizes.


Here's the MSDS sheet for the 20-40. They have more than 3 sizes. It's mainly composed of coal slag and quartz.

http://www.ati-blackdiamond.com/new/docs/MaterialSafety4B5219.pdf

Was this really dirty when you were washing it?


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## Tiff

Doesn't quartz affect water parameters? I know when I was doing research on adding rocks to my tank it states not use quartz unless you're looking to increase the pH/kh?


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## mach_six

Tiff said:


> Doesn't quartz affect water parameters? I know when I was doing research on adding rocks to my tank it states not use quartz unless you're looking to increase the pH/kh?


I'd always thought quartz was inert. The coal slag could affect the pH.


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## Abrium

This sounds uber promising. I am going to sit up a 10 gallon tank in my wife's classroom with cherries and this sounds exactly like what I need. I am glad that I read this thread. And I would also like to commend TactusMortus for calling a spade a spade. 

By Mortus


> People don't read the whole post


You sir are correct and it frustrates me a lot also because it seems the people that provide negative commenting never follow through. You see only 1 post from them and thats it. Good for calling it out man.

You know I wonder how well this sand could be used to make live rock also... Not for this thread but for the price y'all really got me wanting to explore the uses available!


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## tuffgong

I never noticed the grain size on the bottom of the bag before. Thanks for pointing that out Tactus Mortus! So there's a line through the last two boxes. So I have either 40/80 or 30/60. I'd say it's almost completely black when submerged. I don't rinse at all when I use it and just add the water over a plate to avoid stirring up the substrate. I always gets tons of floating particles, but they sink after about 2 hours and the tank is usually clear in about 3. Love this stuff!! My favorite black sand substrate by far.


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## TactusMortus

To be honest I never rinse the stuff and I am not gentle about filling up either. It normally clears up in less then an hour. My surface skimmer skims what little film there is on top of the water. The stuff is pretty clean stuff in my opinion. Especially after trying to use playsand that stuff is filthy, messy, and is the lightest stuff ever. 

The coarser grain blasting sand is some awesome stuff nice and heavy unlike aquasoil and some of the other substrates. If only they could make something similar to blasting sand in weight and appearance but had the fertile attributes of some of the other soils I would pay double price for that stuff.


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## JasonG75

aaronbrown said:


> i used black diamond and with lil ferts and light my plants out grew my tank


 
I use back Diamond as well...It caps my dirt.


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## Tiff

This is the most action I've ever had on a post  I really appreciate it. 

So I don't have to worry about the pH or kH going up?

Thanks.


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## JasonG75

With black Diamond sand.....NO


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## Tiff

Thank you.


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## londonloco

I'm also considering it as a cap for a soil 75g I'm setting up. Anyone know if it has a high Cation Exchange Capacity? Sorry to hijack this thread....


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## JasonG75

Also let me make this clear about SAND as a cap. Yes it looks great and it works. However you really NEED something to keep the dirt AREATED (sp) if I could do it over I would have used small rounded gravel. So if you use sand you're going to need snails to allow air to the roots. Guess what I SELL SNAILS....


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## tuffgong

I doubt the CEC is high especially compared to some of the more porous substrates, but it makes a great cap over dirt. I setup a 125g using dirt and Black Diamond as the cap and the plants grow like weeds. Go for it. I plant really heavy and occasionally poke the substrate to avoid anaerobic pockets.


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## Tiff

I bought some!! Woo hoo! It was the 20/40 (the only size they had).

Funny thing, I realized I have a bag of black fluorite stored away (I thought I had given it away when I tore down my last tank). So, I'm thinking of mixing the two. I hope something like that works, otherwise I could use just the straight sand.


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## mach_six

Tiff said:


> I bought some!! Woo hoo! It was the 20/40 (the only size they had).
> 
> Funny thing, I realized I have a bag of black fluorite stored away (I thought I had given it away when I tore down my last tank). So, I'm thinking of mixing the two. I hope something like that works, otherwise I could use just the straight sand.


I have a few bags of Flourite, how big are the grains compared to it? I was thinking of mixing it so I can use the flourite in other tanks.


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## Tiff

They state that they are 1-3 mm.


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## Jadenlea

Hi guys,

Brand new to your forum here. I found you while I was researching Tahitian moonsand. I saw the stuff at petsmart and fell in love with it but am getting mixed reviews about it from fish keepers. 1 that it will keep make my water hard and thereby keep the PH high. Also that sand could damage my filter. (HOB filter aquaclear) Lastly, that it isn't heavy enough to hold down plants. 

I was thrilled to see all the posts about the blasting sand due to the price difference. Boy has buying stuff for this aquarium been expensive. I have a 46 gallon bowfront and plan to do live plants but probably not to the point of needing co2 cartridges (at least not at first)

I have a few questions for all of you who have been using it.

1. are the concerns stated above something you have found to be true?

2. Is the blasting sand REALLY as similar looking to the TMS as it seems to imply here? I love the way the TMS is shiny and sort of shimmery looking. 

3. Will I be able to grow plants in the blasting sand or TMS? Should I try mixing some of the eco complete in? I worry that will ruin the look of the sand. 

4. is the blasting sand a bit heavier then TMS? (to hold plants down better)

Lastly, do you think the larger grade blasting sand would be sharp? I was thinking of mixing in a bit of the larger stuff just for texture. Also a possibility.. using blasting sand as a base and then covering it with less of the TMS to save a bit of money.

Thanks for any opinions and information you can give me. Nice place you have here. I am going to browse more of your forum!

Jade/sherri


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## JasonG75

I only recommend it as a CAP for dirt. This sand and ANY sand can get rather compact and will not allow air into the soil. This is why SOME (like myself) use trumpet snail. 

"Lastly, do you think the larger grade blasting sand would be sharp?" YES very sharp, even the fine sand is a little sharp.

I wouldn't recommend this FINE sand alone. If I had a choice to do it over again I would have used FINE gravel as a cap.


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## Coursair

I have Tahitian Moon Sand over Flourite sand. So far so good. 









Holds down my plants BETTER than gravel. Easier to plant in as well. 

Moon sand IS prettier than blasting sand. I have a layer of Moon sand over my blasting sand in my other tank. I do have MTS snails. 










So far no issues with gas bubbles. 
So far plants are doing well. I have Osmocote + buried in all my tanks.


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## HolyAngel

TMS is totally inert an will not affect ph/kh/gh, says so right on the bag.

I haven't had an issue keeping plants down in it at all.

and it wont damage the filter unless you REALLY stir up the sand that is right under the filter intake..


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## Jadenlea

coursair what a beautiful beta!!!


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## Jadenlea

so if I use sand I should have a couple snails to stir it up? I would imagine loaches would work the same?


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## TactusMortus

JasonG75 said:


> I only recommend it as a CAP for dirt. This sand and ANY sand can get rather compact and will not allow air into the soil. This is why SOME (like myself) use trumpet snail.
> 
> "Lastly, do you think the larger grade blasting sand would be sharp?" YES very sharp, even the fine sand is a little sharp.
> 
> I wouldn't recommend this FINE sand alone. If I had a choice to do it over again I would have used FINE gravel as a cap.


I have to disagree with you I love the stuff I have the large grit in one of my tanks and the finer grits in the others. As long as you don't go too deep you wont have any issues. However if you are piling it over dirt then the dirt is the problem. Have heard a lot about burping with dirt tanks. I don't think any of the sands are sharp whatsoever I don't know if you are getting a different brand or what. Also it is primarily the same grain size which means it is not going to compact like playsand would therefore it does allow some flow. Not a lot but some which is why I suggest not going extremely deep.


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## TactusMortus

Jadenlea said:


> so if I use sand I should have a couple snails to stir it up? I would imagine loaches would work the same?


I do not have any snails and loaches and cories don't do enough stirring. However that being said I think the person who was mentioning the sand compacting is having issues because he is putting it over soil. If you use it straight up with root tabs you should have no problem. Just make sure you don't go over say 3-4" deep. The sand is all the same grit size hence the grit size difference in the bags. Which just like pool filter sand means that it will not compact.


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## TactusMortus

Jadenlea said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Brand new to your forum here. I found you while I was researching Tahitian moonsand. I saw the stuff at petsmart and fell in love with it but am getting mixed reviews about it from fish keepers. 1 that it will keep make my water hard and thereby keep the PH high. Also that sand could damage my filter. (HOB filter aquaclear) Lastly, that it isn't heavy enough to hold down plants.
> 
> I was thrilled to see all the posts about the blasting sand due to the price difference. Boy has buying stuff for this aquarium been expensive. I have a 46 gallon bowfront and plan to do live plants but probably not to the point of needing co2 cartridges (at least not at first)
> 
> I have a few questions for all of you who have been using it.
> 
> 1. are the concerns stated above something you have found to be true?
> 
> 2. Is the blasting sand REALLY as similar looking to the TMS as it seems to imply here? I love the way the TMS is shiny and sort of shimmery looking.
> 
> 3. Will I be able to grow plants in the blasting sand or TMS? Should I try mixing some of the eco complete in? I worry that will ruin the look of the sand.
> 
> 4. is the blasting sand a bit heavier then TMS? (to hold plants down better)
> 
> Lastly, do you think the larger grade blasting sand would be sharp? I was thinking of mixing in a bit of the larger stuff just for texture. Also a possibility.. using blasting sand as a base and then covering it with less of the TMS to save a bit of money.
> 
> Thanks for any opinions and information you can give me. Nice place you have here. I am going to browse more of your forum!
> 
> Jade/sherri


Sorry for the third post but after using this stuff on 9 tanks including 6 of my own I think I know a bit about the stuff. I have used all of the grain sizes and can tell you none of them are sharp. I have my hands in them constantly as I am ocd when it comes to replanting until I come up with something I love.

I bought my first bag of blasting sand after buying TMS and realized it is identical I mean when it comes to appearance I can not tell a difference. Except for the smallest grit blasting sand however which has a dark brown and black to it.

If you get the larger grits they are heavier however they all seem to work great for planting. I would not mix two different sizes however that will lead to compacting. Which is the issue the dirt tank guys are having.


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## wkndracer

*issues the dirt tank guys are having with sand*

Not so sure it's a compacting issue over the natural soils so much as not allowing enough gas to exhaust as the bacteria chew through the organics. Capping with sand I stay at about 3/4 to 1" maximum capping depth. PFS, play sand and Black Beauty have been used in my tanks. Black Beauty is very similar to the product that's the topic carried through most of this thread. Play sand went south and I had problems with it. I feel it was the fine mixed grain that caused it. Play sand had a dust like component in the grain mix. PFS and BB have done well for me so far both over soil and alone. Prefer the dark look of the slag.
Cory, Kuhli and Clown loaches living in a slag capped NPT since mid June w/o barbel problems. Tank appears good to me.










Blasting grit MSDS listed as inert or any sand has zero CEC to my knowledge. Doesn't mean it won't make a good choice for substrate.

Not liking the stark white of PFS I capped the sand with Flourite original >1 year ago, of course it all mixed together but no problems in the tank.

EcoComp mixed 50/50 w/Black Beauty. One tank over soil another 1.5" just the BB/EC mix with no known issues. These tanks don't have the age on them some of my other systems have but appear healthy.

This thread was a good read and I'm not sure if what I've included here helps any but it relays what I have in house.


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## frrok

wkndracer said:


> Not so sure it's a compacting issue over the natural soils so much as not allowing enough gas to exhaust as the bacteria chew through the organics. Capping with sand I stay at about 3/4 to 1" maximum capping depth. PFS, play sand and Black Beauty have been used in my tanks. Black Beauty is very similar to the product that's the topic carried through most of this thread. Play sand went south and I had problems with it. I feel it was the fine mixed grain that caused it. Play sand had a dust like component in the grain mix. PFS and BB have done well for me so far both over soil and alone. Prefer the dark look of the slag.
> Cory, Kuhli and Clown loaches living in a slag capped NPT since mid June w/o barbel problems. Tank appears good to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Blasting grit MSDS listed as inert or any sand has zero CEC to my knowledge. Doesn't mean it won't make a good choice for substrate.
> 
> Not liking the stark white of PFS I capped the sand with Flourite original >1 year ago, of course it all mixed together but no problems in the tank.
> 
> EcoComp mixed 50/50 w/Black Beauty. One tank over soil another 1.5" just the BB/EC mix with no known issues. These tanks don't have the age on them some of my other systems have but appear healthy.
> 
> This thread was a good read and I'm not sure if what I've included here helps any but it relays what I have in house.


Thanks your input. I'm thinking of going with BD with my new 20L set up with dirt.


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## TactusMortus

wkndracer said:


> Not so sure it's a compacting issue over the natural soils so much as not allowing enough gas to exhaust as the bacteria chew through the organics. Capping with sand I stay at about 3/4 to 1" maximum capping depth. PFS, play sand and Black Beauty have been used in my tanks. Black Beauty is very similar to the product that's the topic carried through most of this thread. Play sand went south and I had problems with it. I feel it was the fine mixed grain that caused it. Play sand had a dust like component in the grain mix. PFS and BB have done well for me so far both over soil and alone. Prefer the dark look of the slag.
> Cory, Kuhli and Clown loaches living in a slag capped NPT since mid June w/o barbel problems. Tank appears good to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Blasting grit MSDS listed as inert or any sand has zero CEC to my knowledge. Doesn't mean it won't make a good choice for substrate.
> 
> Not liking the stark white of PFS I capped the sand with Flourite original >1 year ago, of course it all mixed together but no problems in the tank.
> 
> EcoComp mixed 50/50 w/Black Beauty. One tank over soil another 1.5" just the BB/EC mix with no known issues. These tanks don't have the age on them some of my other systems have but appear healthy.
> 
> This thread was a good read and I'm not sure if what I've included here helps any but it relays what I have in house.


I definitely think your input helps the more people we get showing things like your healthy cory the less misconceptions people will have about using the blasting sand.


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## Jadenlea

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the imput. It is making me feel really good about the choice I really wanted. 

I think what I will do is go with the blasting sand and then top it with moon sand to make sure i get that nice shimmer on top (seems some people say the blasting sand has it and some say it doesn't) 

In anycase, it will still save a significant amount of money. I definitely do not want to go with the grade that has brown in it. Do you know specifically which grade I need to get to get the jet black sand?


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## TactusMortus

Jadenlea said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Thanks so much for the imput. It is making me feel really good about the choice I really wanted.
> 
> I think what I will do is go with the blasting sand and then top it with moon sand to make sure i get that nice shimmer on top (seems some people say the blasting sand has it and some say it doesn't)
> 
> In anycase, it will still save a significant amount of money. I definitely do not want to go with the grade that has brown in it. Do you know specifically which grade I need to get to get the jet black sand?


I noticed the brown on the lowest grain size if you look at the bottom of the bag and that box furthest to the left is marked then that is not the stuff you want. If the middle or the right box are slashed through your good.


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## Jadenlea

thanks~!


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## Aubzilla

I bought a bag of 20-40 last night and it looks just as black and shimmery as the Tahitian moon sand.


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## Jadenlea

I am going to buy a bag tomorrow on my way home from work and give it a look!


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## NWA-Planted

Well, screw the flourite I may go with straight black diamond! Definitely save me a lot of money...


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## TactusMortus

NWA-Planted said:


> Well, screw the flourite I may go with straight black diamond! Definitely save me a lot of money...


Keep in mind flourite does have distinct advantages because it has a high cec value. Which means it has the ability to take in and store fertilizers.


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## Buff Daddy

TactusMortus said:


> Keep in mind flourite does have distinct advantages because it has a high cec value. Which means it has the ability to take in and store fertilizers.


Does anyone know what CEC value Black Diamond or Tahitian Moon has?


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## Jadenlea

Darn. I picked up 20/40 today and that grade does have brown in it. bummer. 
It is not the most fine. Can't beat 7 dollars for a 50 lb bag. I still may use it under the TMS.


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## TactusMortus

That is a bummer maybe only the largest grade has the pure black. As far as CEC of tahitian moon sand I bet it has next to none it is just sand.


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## lauraleellbp

Buff Daddy said:


> Does anyone know what CEC value Black Diamond or Tahitian Moon has?


Zero.


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## NWA-Planted

I am aware of flourites CEC capabilities, but not overly concerned, current planted tank has regular pet store gravel and plants are thriving, may get a bag or two of flourite red for some accenting


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## wheatiesl337

I was looking for an inert black sand type substrate a while back. I couldn't track down any color quartz and i was considering the black diamond. I decided to wait because a number of people expressed concerns with it. Glad I stumbled on this post today to find some people using it with confirmed success.


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## xxbenjamminxx

I have also been using the Black Diamond blasting sand in several of my tanks for well over a year now, including in my Shell Dweller tanks and they have had ZERO problems with it thus far. I didnt know that this stuff would be good for growing plants in and may be changing my 75g over to this as well since I love the dark look, esp with my black Calvus over it. 

When I was deciding to try it or not I posted on several other forums and found that all problems with corys was all "hear say" and couldnt find a single person with first hand experience of problems that was clearly from the sand and not other things like ammonia and the whole barbels on cories. 

One other thing for others who want to switch sand on a running tank, siphoning out the old sand works the best for me. I just siphon out the window into a rubbermaid tote and let the water flow over while letting the sand settle in the bin. After washing the sand I slowly lower a drinking pitcher worth of it at a time to the bottom and just pour it in where I want it.


Hope this helps!


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## NWA-Planted

Woot I am excited, and the tractor supply write next to my house has it for $8 a bag! Which granule is the larger? Is it the 30-60 or the 20-40? Assuming its the 30-60, does it really make a difference which size is used? They both look to be pretty small.


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## Mxx

I was looking into using Black Diamond, but then I read the definition of what iron slag is and it doesn't sound 100% inert - By-product formed in smelting, welding, and other metallurgical and combustion processes from impurities in the metals or ores being treated. Slag consists mostly of mixed oxides of elements such as silicon, sulfur, phosphorus, and aluminum; ash; and products formed in their reactions with furnace linings and fluxing substances such as limestone. During smelting or refining, slag floats on the surface of the molten metal, protecting it from oxidation (see oxidation-reduction) by the atmosphere and keeping it clean. Slag cools into a coarse aggregate used in certain concretes; it is used as a road-building material, as ballast, and as a source of available phosphate fertilizer.

Some of that sounds fine, but some of it I'm not so sure of. I may go with Estes PermaColor Quartz which at $20 for a 50 lb bag is not expensive either. The Estes stuff I believe is quartz with a fully inert ceramic coating. Available here - http://ntruddockcompany.thomasnet.com/viewitems/specialty-construction/spectraquartz?&bc=100|1003 
or here sold to the aquarium trade at a premium - http://store.seacorals.net/esmaortraqsa.html

Comparisons and thoughts?


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## Jadenlea

thought Id let you guys know Petco has the TMS and instant aquarium TMS 

for $15 for a 20 lb bag .. no shipping after $49.

I believe the sale was going till tuesday


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## NWA-Planted

Mxx said:


> I was looking into using Black Diamond, but then I read the definition of what iron slag is and it doesn't sound 100% inert - By-product formed in smelting, welding, and other metallurgical and combustion processes from impurities in the metals or ores being treated. Slag consists mostly of mixed oxides of elements such as silicon, sulfur, phosphorus, and aluminum; ash; and products formed in their reactions with furnace linings and fluxing substances such as limestone. During smelting or refining, slag floats on the surface of the molten metal, protecting it from oxidation (see oxidation-reduction) by the atmosphere and keeping it clean. Slag cools into a coarse aggregate used in certain concretes; it is used as a road-building material, as ballast, and as a source of available phosphate fertilizer.
> 
> Some of that sounds fine, but some of it I'm not so sure of. I may go with Estes PermaColor Quartz which at $20 for a 50 lb bag is not expensive either. The Estes stuff I believe is quartz with a fully inert ceramic coating. Available here - http://ntruddockcompany.thomasnet.com/viewitems/specialty-construction/spectraquartz?&bc=100|1003
> or here sold to the aquarium trade at a premium - http://store.seacorals.net/esmaortraqsa.html
> 
> Comparisons and thoughts?


I was kinda wondering about that, but seems several people have used it without any issues, not overly concerned about it. Peoples results seem to be pretty consistent a well. That quartz item doesn't sound bad either, though being a ceramic coating, its still going to be porous wouldn't it?


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## Mxx

NWA-Planted said:


> I was kinda wondering about that, but seems several people have used it without any issues, not overly concerned about it. Peoples results seem to be pretty consistent a well. That quartz item doesn't sound bad either, though being a ceramic coating, its still going to be porous wouldn't it?


I haven't been able to find a great deal of information about the specific coating used. If it's like a ceramic pottery glaze then that's not permeable. If it wasn't coated then I might worry the quartz would lead to dissolved silica and possibly diatomaceous algae, (not sure if that would actually cause that however). 

But a ceramic glaze might very well still be something silica based anyway, and possibly contain things like aluminum oxide which is one of the ingredients in the blasting sand which I was actually possibly worried about. The black diamond contains silica as well though, ANYONE having diatom algae problems in the tanks they're using it in? 

Estes gravel is coated in epoxy though, which may or may not be more inert, but I don't know if their sand actually is as well. The 3M quartz sand was definitely described as having a ceramic coating but that still could be ceramic mixed with an epoxy binder even. Maybe I need to have a little talk with Estes myself to find out.

Either is probably quite safe and will achieve good results, but apart from the cost perhaps Flourite sand is still more inert. Actually just checked that and clay itself is aluminum silicate anyway...


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## Jadenlea

If you guys go with the blasting sand, make sure to look at it carefully before you put it in. As I said, I picked mine up saturday. Not only did it have lots of brown sand mixed in with the black, but it has STRAIGHT 1/4 inchs pieces of thin slag in it also. It is not all round sand. I will try to take a pic when I get home. Maybe I got a bad bag but it was definitely nothing like the tahitian moonsand.


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## DogFish

Can someone could post a pic of either grain size. Maybe next a dine so we have scale. I like the construction sand cap in my Nano. I think I'd like to try Black Diamond as a cap over MTS in my next Aquarium.

Thank you.


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## wkndracer

Destined to never follow directions LOL
I don't have a dime, so I used a quarter.
Don't have Black Diamond either it's Black Beauty.
Do have a have a half decent camera.


















This is general purpose Black Beauty (cheapest grade sold).
Pic #2 show a clay colored grain on the coin and there are maybe 1/100 in what's added in a tank outta the bag so I don't complain. 
It looks like shiny black glass right out of the bag and the same way in the tank.


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## Mxx

By the way, the Estes Permacolor Quartz are resin coated, to answer my own question - #
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/Product_Literature.html
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/pdf/MSDSFLOORINGSAND.pdf
Not sure exactly what to think of that, nevertheless.


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## DogFish

Mike - Is Black Beauty Aquarium gravel or blasting media? If it's blasting media is there a grade #.


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## Jadenlea

Here is the black diamond blasting sand that i got saturday. 

See the straight pieces?


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## Tiff

I just changed my PFS to this yesterday...looks GREAT!!!! I had to rinse it a lot more than I thought though...even more than the black Fluorite. Can't wait until the water is completely clear! I definitely recommend it! The grade I got was 20/40.


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## Aubzilla

I don't have any pieces like that in my bag, nor did I see any brown pieces. It might be a locale thing- I am in NorCal.


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## wkndracer

DogFish said:


> Mike - Is Black Beauty Aquarium gravel or blasting media? If it's blasting media is there a grade #.


it's blasting grit and the stuff is graded in options what I have is general purpose (cheapest of cheap hehe)


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## DogFish

Jadenlea said:


> Here is the black diamond blasting sand that i got saturday.


Thanks for posting the pic, what grade is that?


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## Lesley

As for the Black Diamond Blasting Sand, what grit is best for use in the aquarium? I noticed it comes in many grits. I'd like to try the stuff if it's that good. How do Shrimp like it?


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## frrok

Anyone have any luck finding this black beauty or black diamond in NY? like nyc or long island area? I've been looking but so far not luck...


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## Buc_Nasty

I got seachem flourite black sand, which should be called seachem flourite GRAY sand. It was IMO not even close to black. Also extremely dirty even after rinsing 6 bags for 45 minutes. Took at least 24 hours for the tank to clear up. With that said, I put some plant bulbs in and they were shooting off like 5 inches within 2 days. 

I decided on my masterpiece tank that I wanted black sand and not gray sand tho, so i took it all down and put tahitian moon sand in. Looks MUCH MUCH better. The only downfall though is that the bulbs died off within 2 days. I'm going to try some more with root tabs and flourish comprehensive dosing. Overall the tahitian moon looks so much better than its worth the bad plant growth...i'll eventually find some plants that do well in it. 
Also the seachem is like $20 for a 15lb bag and tahitian is $20 for a 20 lb bag.


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## Azarakiah

Tiff said:


> I just saw that Petco sells black aquarium sand. Any thoughts or opinions? Anyone ever tried it? Didn't know if it was lighter than PFS or possibly discolor over time. Thanks!


 
exactly what i used, got it form petco, i think i got 4 bags of it and called it good, 5 i think would be way to much tbh for my 55 gal. plants seem to do just fine it it for me and i dont have very good lighting, but i am pumping co2.


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## OverStocked

Lesley said:


> As for the Black Diamond Blasting Sand, what grit is best for use in the aquarium? I noticed it comes in many grits. I'd like to try the stuff if it's that good. How do Shrimp like it?



The larger the better. I have a pile of the smallest(very very sharp) and some bigger in my tank. It is much more "square" and less sharp.


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## BirdieWren

I've had that petco black sand in my 7g dirted, filterless aquarium for 6 or 7 months now. I like it. No discoloration or problems with it at all.


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## crazyDHsquirrel

Hey all, new member here. I've been lurking for quite a while, taking in the wealth of knowledge, but I finally decided to take the plunge!

I really want to try this stuff out in my 55gal tank, but I don't have a local distributor for Black Diamond. Shipping this stuff is 4x more than the sand itself! I'm currently in Northern Idaho, but will be going to Boise, ID soon. Does anyone know where I can get some on the west-side of the country without having to ship? I've been searching for the past hour, but nothing yet. Any help would be appreciated


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## Seedreemer

Just wanted to add my 2 cents regarding Black Diamond. I put it in my 75g several months ago with fert tabs and lots of crypts and anubias. End result is I wouldn't hesitate to use this again due to the beauty and price. Oh, and I had to search but finally found it locally at a Tractor Supply.

Pros and Cons:

1. Had a bit of a time keeping the large (12" plus) anubias in but they eventually rooted and are fine now. Smaller plantings stayed in fine.

2. Didn't rinse it and Eheim cleared the slightly cloudy water and surface within 24 hours.

3. Absolutely no barbel problems with my cories. 

4. My hands felt a bit raw after planting so I assume the bags I used may have been a bit sharp.

5. My only complaint is how lightweight it is. I have to be very careful when filling my tank as the water flow blows the sand around very easily. I'm going to be putting in some black river rock over it soon just because I personally find it so aggravating.


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## markisashrimp

First thing I would like to start of with is...This thread has been very helpful to me. Seems like all the areas with sand has been covered (as far as I know lol)

I'm new to keeping live plants. Always wanted a planted tank just never gotten around to starting one up because of the reef tanks i use to have going (recently gotten out of reefing). So I have been lurking around to read up (cuz I do not like asking noob questions) on getting started in planting simply because I need/want to do this right the first time. Which brings me to this particular thread on a google search on black sand.

Now after reading this whole thread twice, I went out to the tractor supply store and purchased 50lbs of the BDS for $8. I'm so excited about getting started. Still have a few more things to read up on before I start.

Anyways......Thank you everyone who have taken part on helping out new comings to this hobby, like me.


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## Kntry

Thanks for all the information. 

I went to Tractor Supply last week and looked at the BBS but thought it was too fine. I'm going back to get a bag now!


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## barbre44

Is this the BBS discussed here?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/black-diamond-20-40-blasting-media-50-lb

I think it is, but it doesn't say sand in the description.


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## Kntry

Yes, that's the one. It comes in 2 sizes. Everyone here has said to use the medium, not small.


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