# Looking to Buy Black Substrate - Colorquartz



## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

I am loving the look of the 3M Colorquartz Black, not sure if I want T or S grade.

WHERE CAN I BUY THIS! I am just south of the Norfolk, VA area. The 3m website blows and will not even list the product, web site problem.

Has anyone bought this in the VA or NC area?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Colorquartz is no longer manufactured, so it will be pretty hard to find. 

Now, I did find a "cheap" source for black sand which is basically colorquartz. 

http://zoosand.com/sand.html

They say it is safe. I think it is made the same way as colorquartz was.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

They also have a crushed lava rock product that is interesting too. Not sure if I'd like the size

http://zoosand.com/Black_Lava_Rock.html


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## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

This is realy disappointing information....to see so many aquariums with black sand it seems ridiculous on how hard it is to find......


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## soundgy (Jul 8, 2010)

Just wanted to put in my 2 cents. I used flourite black and eco complete black. If you order from dr foster and smith, they sell flourite black sand. I just ordered the sand for the first time, so I don't know how it is yet.


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## nikkers (Apr 16, 2009)

I read somewhere about Black Diamond blasting sand form Northern Tool. 50# under $10.00


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

over_stocked said:


> Now, I did find a "cheap" source for black sand which is basically colorquartz.
> 
> http://zoosand.com/sand.html
> 
> They say it is safe. I think it is made the same way as colorquartz was.


$5 a pound!!??  I think ADA would be cheaper!


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## soundgy (Jul 8, 2010)

Wow, thats extremely expensive. Even the flourite black sand that I purchased from the Doctors was $22 for 15.4 lbs. Not even $2 per lb.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Look at bigger quantity. Remember this is shipped price. 49 for 45 if I remember. 70ish for 90 lbs. Shipped. 
Sent from my droid using Tapatalk


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## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

Well, I'm filling a 100g and 80g, I've got to find a cost effective way of doing this. I know about the blasting sand, my only concern is the sharpness of it. I am planning on picking up a bag next time I'm in VA.


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## aaronbrown (Apr 13, 2010)

black diamond sandblasting media is 7.99 for 50# here at tractor supply i use it in my 72 and soon to be 75 and my corys and my loaches have no problems with it or any of my other fish


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## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

how many lb's did it take for your 72?


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Ive also got black diamond from Tractor Supply in my tank and its been great so far to work with. I dont have cories, but my ottos sure spend a lot of time laying on it. Plants are growing like beasts in it too.

7 dollars for 50 pounds of it.


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

Thank God you guys are approving of black diamond! I have been wanting to use it because I am such a tightwad but everything I've found has been one person saying they used it and then 80 other people who havent used it nagging at them and saying they are stupid. People are just jealous when you find a cheap alternative and make them feel foolish. Its the nature of internet forums.
Its final. I'm going to use it in my next tank then. I've heard the Black Blast from Menards is about the same thing and is safe according to the manufacturers.


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## TeamTeal (Mar 31, 2010)

you guys have to add root tab or other things to the black diamond for planting right?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

over_stocked said:


> Look at bigger quantity. Remember this is shipped price. 49 for 45 if I remember. 70ish for 90 lbs. Shipped.
> Sent from my droid using Tapatalk


Do you have any? What's the grain size? It looks tiny in the pics- like S grade Colorquartz, which I didn't like...


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> Do you have any? What's the grain size? It looks tiny in the pics- like S grade Colorquartz, which I didn't like...


I had a sample of it, but cannot find it. I equate it to 20 grade PFS in size.


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## nokturnalkid (Apr 3, 2007)

Too bad shipping would be killer, the last time I bought some cq, they still had about 4 pallets or so left.


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## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

I called the closest Northern Tool store and they said they had over 80 bags of it, and that is normal stock. At 8 dollars a 50lb bag I'm going to try it.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

I tried black blasting media years ago and hated it. Sure it is cheap... but ugh. Every time I stuck my hand in it I came out with little black slivers. My catfish basically had no barbells left when it was over. 

There is some info that suggests it becomes impacted in the digestive tracts of fish, too, and also causes tears in the digestive tracts as well. 

I care too much about my fish(and they cost too much) to use it again.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Personal experience/research

*Black diamond - black beauty - Coal slag* 

I had planned to use this stuff in my 46g bowfront but after reading mixed reviews i thought id test it out in a 10g. Glad i did!

PROS:

*Cheap - *i got a 50lb bag for 8.99
*Looks great* - A nice black with good grain size and has a glimmer to it - it will also have some gold/copper colored peices in it.
*Plants grow like crazy in it* - as roots grow the sharp grains make tiny abrasions in the roots actually allowing better nutrient intake.
*Compounds *- I believe most the compounds it can release into the water column are natural and beneficial to plant growth. But... we dont know at what rate it release's what compounds.
*Very heavy* - you wont have to worry about sucking it up when your vaccuming (a con to most fine substrates)

CONS:

*VERY rigid *- the grains are literally comparable to fine crushed glass (It is for sandblasting - specifically designed to be rigid and abrasive)
*Limited stock* - i didnt test this - but bottom dwellers/sandsifters are susceptible to fine cuts along their belly and in their mouths along with other hazards - leading to stress and potential death.
*Scratchs *- Again this stuff is VERY sharp, I practically ruined a 10g tank. The bottom of the tank aside, get one grain of this stuck between a magnet cleaner and.... well, Ill let you guess.
*Planting* -After doing some heavy planting your fingers will feel almost raw. Not bad, but not pleasent.
*Origin* - This stuff is a by-product of coal 
*Impurities *- ???

I kept some neons in a 10g with this stuff for several months all was well and had some great plant growth!!! After deciding to add some bottom dwellers and noticing all the tiny scratchs in the tank i decided to "gently" throw it out. 

Ive still got like 30lbs and will probably use it again for a propagation tank. (ONLY in that same 10g)


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

Coal is completely aquarium safe. Big chunks of it actually make awesome decor. Coal slag has some nasty stuff in it though but it has to be relatively safe for use as sand blasting media because of inhalation. 

MlDukes,
Everything you described about it sounds great to me except maybe the glass scratching. I was just going to use it to cap soil in a 10 gal NPT. I wasn't going to have bottom dwelling fish, just shrimp and a few midlevel fishes probably.

I've heard some people say it scratches them and others say it doesn't. I bet it varies bag to bag on how rounded it is. Its only $4 a bag here so it might be worth it to buy bags from different stores until I find one that is suitable. I can just dump the unused stuff and let it turn into dirt over the next thousand years. Or mix it into potting soil to provide extra drainage to my house plants. hhmmmm


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Franco said:


> Coal is completely aquarium safe. Big chunks of it actually make awesome decor. Coal slag has some nasty stuff in it though but it has to be relatively safe for use as sand blasting media because of inhalation.
> 
> MlDukes,
> Everything you described about it sounds great to me except maybe the glass scratching. I was just going to use it to cap soil in a 10 gal NPT. I wasn't going to have bottom dwelling fish, just shrimp and a few midlevel fishes probably.
> ...


 
I kept ghost shrimp in with it and they did fine, theyre so light they just scurry across it. 

Keep in mind coal slag is used by professional sandblasters. I wouldnt think they would use it if it were inconsistant in size/texture from bag to bag.
I think it varies more on the individual health and species of the fish. 

Fair conclusion:

It may harm/kill your fish.
It will  scratch up your tank.
But... your plants will do great in it.

That being said, you can now atleast make an informed decision.

Below is a zoomed in pic of boiler slag needles - This is what coal slag looks like before it is crushed and screened to the appropriate sizes for diff applications.


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## BakedStuffedHuman (Jul 9, 2007)

Just don't risk it.

Fish are living creatures too.

There are just too many stories online that talk about how the fish had problems for me to consider using it. 

Spend the extra couple of bucks and get SMS or Black Moon Sand and be 100% safe...

YOUR FISH WILL THANK YOU FOR IT!!!


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

BakedStuffedHuman said:


> Just don't risk it.
> 
> Fish are living creatures too.
> 
> ...


+1 roud:


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## OhNo123 (Jan 8, 2008)

Look into substrate from aquariumplants.com?
It's relatively cheap and shipping is only $5.. however, I've never had it so I don't know the actual intensity of the black color itself. I've read that it's a little more grayish than absolute black.

I'm using fluorite sand and man, it's one of the dirtiest substrates i've dealt with. There were also chunks of what looks like... rocks. They're pebble sized and they're orange and it's very ugly to look at. It took me awhile to pick out all of them from the surface of the substrate. There might be even more buried underneath- who knows.

You can also look into tahitian moon sand from petsmart. I also use this in my planted tanks. It's a nice black, but there's also a lot of translucent yellow-ish gold-ish grains mixed in there. It doesn't look bad, but i would rather have all black.


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## xGROMx (Sep 2, 2008)

When you say spend the extra couple of bucks, have you really compared? Like I said up top somewhere this is going to be for a 100g long tank and possible another 80g tank. There is no such thing as a couple more bucks. :/

I would love to use somthing else if it were sold in larger sizes that isn't so expensive. The bad think is I want black, I live on the ocean, I've got plenty of real sand.....


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

xGROMx said:


> When you say spend the extra couple of bucks, have you really compared? Like I said up top somewhere this is going to be for a 100g long tank and possible another 80g tank. There is no such thing as a couple more bucks. :/
> 
> I would love to use somthing else if it were sold in larger sizes that isn't so expensive. The bad think is I want black, I live on the ocean, I've got plenty of real sand.....


I truely understand your predicament. I was also stuck on black substrate and a budget searching for a cheap alternative.  Like you i stumbled onto coal slag. After trying it myself and seeing first hand the drawbacks i quickly ruled against using it. I bit the bullet and went with black eco complete. I tried to save enough to buy 1 bag a week. A month or so later I wound up with 80lbs for my 55g. It was well worth the investment longterm for me my plants and my fish.:wink:


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Heres some photos of black beauty in my tank, and another that Im setting up for some shrimps. Also, when I purchased mine at Tractor Supply, they had 3-4 grit sizes and I picked up the largest grit. 

I DO have one of those mag float glass cleaners, but I dont even dare take it near the substrate. 

I also made the mistake of not rinsing it the first time I used it and it left a dusty ring around the top of the tank after the water evaporated. Not a big deal though.


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## soundgy (Jul 8, 2010)

g33tar, your first tank looks beautiful! Would you mind posting or PMing me the list of your plants. I think I see blyxa and HC, but I am a n00b so I don't really know much.


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## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

I love the simplicity and flow of the first tank. Looks great g33tar! 

Coal slag has NEVER before been so elegant. lol


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## BakedStuffedHuman (Jul 9, 2007)

This is the same argument as overstocking a tank.

"I can't afford a 100 gallon, so my bala shark, pleco, angel fish and discus fish will just have to make due in my 10 gallon."

There is no reason for the fish to suffer. Sell the 100, buy a smaller tank and use the saving to buy a substrate that won't rip out the fish's eyes and guts. 



xGROMx said:


> When you say spend the extra couple of bucks, have you really compared? Like I said up top somewhere this is going to be for a 100g long tank and possible another 80g tank. There is no such thing as a couple more bucks. :/
> 
> I would love to use somthing else if it were sold in larger sizes that isn't so expensive. The bad think is I want black, I live on the ocean, I've got plenty of real sand.....


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