# Flourite Black vs Flourite Black Sand and Detritus



## Harry Muscle (Mar 13, 2007)

Looking for anyone who has experience with both Flourite (any color I guess technically) and Flourite Black Sand. Is there a significant difference in how much "junk" (or detritus) stays on top of the sand vs any of it sinking in-between the grains of the normal flourite?

Or in other words, would you say that a tank with Flourite Black Sand is significantly more work to keep clean cause everything (ie: dead plants, etc.) stays on top of the sand, however, in a tank with normal Flourite it simply sinks in-between the grains. Or would you say they are more or less the same?

Thanks,
Harry


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

I have used both, and I find the sand better for ease of planting, and for ease of keeping somewhat clean.
I found regular Flourite gravel to be a little sharp/rough on my corries, and then the amount of mulm that built up in the substrate was quite high (though the crypts loved it).

I also found that Flourite gravel was a pain in the ass for planting some things, and you actually would damage root systems when trying to push plants down into the substrate.

I would go with sand, personally, and use the addition of root tabs for added nutrients.

Remember, you don't actually really vaccuum the gravel in a planted tank too much, or at all, but if you do find there is mulm built up on top of the sand, just skim above it with some airline tubing and your good to go.


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

I don't like flourite for planting things in. With sand it is easy to jam stems in but flourite is too coarse.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I've used both, but don't ever vacuum either of them...


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