# Black Diamond 20/40 Closeup



## jeremyTR (Mar 21, 2012)

I can't find that stuff around me.


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## talkinggoat (Jul 2, 2012)

It's supposed to be the same thing as Black Beauty... if you can find that. 

I googled around and found a company called United Western Supply, in Seattle that might cary something like it. Maybe give them a call. They list it as one of their products, on their website.


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## Luis138 (Mar 15, 2008)

I have looked and looked and the only one carrying this is Tractor Supply, Co., unfortunately the closest one to me is about a 2 1/2 hour drive one way.

Luis


Ageless, still I am.


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

this stuff is great (and cheap), but make sure to thoroughly rinse it or you could end up with an oil slick on your tank!


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## Trickerie (May 10, 2012)

Is it just me, or does it appear to be too abrasive? I'd be concerned with my corys with that stuff in there. It does look amazing though


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

Trickerie said:


> Is it just me, or does it appear to be too abrasive? I'd be concerned with my corys with that stuff in there. It does look amazing though


it's not so bad, i've run my hands through it for hours cleaning it and came out fine... cory barbels usually disintegrate due to water quality, not "sharp substrate" which is more of a myth than anything. i've heard a good number of success stories (and no failures) with black diamond and cories- search "black diamond cories" on the forum or just google if you don't believe me.


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## Trickerie (May 10, 2012)

CatB said:


> it's not so bad, i've run my hands through it for hours cleaning it and came out fine... cory barbels usually disintegrate due to water quality, not "sharp substrate" which is more of a myth than anything. i've heard a good number of success stories (and no failures) with black diamond and cories- search "black diamond cories" on the forum or just google if you don't believe me.


I believe you, but I know all about cory barbels disintegrating from water quality. I was referring to their bellies really. :O


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## talkinggoat (Jul 2, 2012)

Trickerie said:


> I believe you, but I know all about cory barbels disintegrating from water quality. I was referring to their bellies really. :O


I'm looking at it @15 megapixels, and I can't see any sharp edges... nothing even close to glass. There are sharp angles, but everything is rounded. I'm more worried about what looks like metal flakes everywhere. It's almost like Edward fell into a batch and got chewed up in the machine... hopefully.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

Trickerie said:


> Is it just me, or does it appear to be too abrasive? I'd be concerned with my corys with that stuff in there. It does look amazing though


 
my 6 peppered cories are fine


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

I keep a raphael, dragon gobies, cory cats and many more bottom dwellers over blasting grit. Mine is a finer grade. In most of my tanks, it is mixed with natural gravel or eco-complete for a bit more natural churned up kinda look.


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## stevenjohn21 (May 23, 2012)

There is metal of some sort in black diamond. If you run a magnet up and down the bag you will hear tiny grains following it...... is it harmful to our fish ? Who knows !


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## secuono (Nov 19, 2009)

I use this, very cheap, a bit weird when washing it, but totally safe. Bottom dwellers fine with it, mbuna moved mouthfuls of it, all good. Plants grow in it, too.

It is sand blasting grit/sand.


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## talkinggoat (Jul 2, 2012)

Maybe that's the Iron they refer to, when they describe it's contents.


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## clayman65 (May 6, 2012)

I just put black diamond in my tank. It's definitely not sharp since I was mixing it around with my hands rinsing it. The weird thing about it is the wire pieces in it. Some look like small pieces of steel wire and others look like small glass tubes.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

stevenjohn21 said:


> There is metal of some sort in black diamond. If you run a magnet up and down the bag you will hear tiny grains following it...... is it harmful to our fish ? Who knows !



wat


Nonsense. People.. if you haven't got 1st hand experience with this stuff please refrain from FUD. This stuff is silky, not abrasive in any way. Yes it is BLASTING MEDIA but if you know anything about sandblasting you know that this stuff is on the bottom of the aggressive scale for it's purpose. No catfish is going to suffer from it. No iron is going to turn your hands black. There no no OIL in it. It is thoroughly washed before it's bagged. Some particles will tend to float when you put it into water but will settle quickly. If you read the NUMEROUS threads on here you will see that it's an inert sub with no CEC value that is suitable for just about any scape.

It is also NOT the same as Black Beauty. That is a different brand, and not to be confused.

People on the west coast have trouble getting it. You might want to call ATI (1-800-343-0117) and register your thoughts with them.


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## chomper149 (Dec 16, 2011)

question regarding the 1st set of pictures, just looking at the first set of pictures you can clearly see a few coal slag rods? that could potentially be spikes? whats everyones opinions on those? are they in every bag and no one has had a problem with them sticking in fish gills or the like?


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## aquarium hippy (Feb 7, 2013)

I have this stuff in my tank and my horse faced loach sifts it through his gills constantly with no adverse effect. 



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## chomper149 (Dec 16, 2011)

and you also have those rod like pieces of the coal slag?


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## aquarium hippy (Feb 7, 2013)

Yes

Jason


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## Absntmind (Jul 16, 2012)

I purchased a couple bags of this from our local TS with the intent of changing my substrate from play sand. While rinsing I noticed a LOT of the needle like glass pieces of all sizes, some very small. After rinsing for almost an hour and realized I would never get most of it out I decided not to go with it. I researched and read many people use it without issue, though if I'm going to put media in the tank to be used for a length of time (years?) I came to the conclusion that it'd be better to just wait and spend the extra money for something else. 

I love the way it looks but seeing as some fish take the substrate into their mouths, even passing it through the gills, I couldn't use it in good conscience. Yet I also understand the quality of this stuff varies from area to area. 

Just my .02


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Loads of people using this in their tanks for a while. I've got it in one tank, love it, and have no issues with it. Are there real problems reported with actual use, or is it all just non users complaining that it looks like their could be problems with it.




Our local Harbor Freight carries it. It's not listed on the web site, but it must be in their system somewhere.


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## Lonestarbandit (Feb 7, 2013)

I used it before no issues. Use playsand now and no issues there either.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Rinse it well and dont sweat the oddball particle here and there. 

It's great. Cories love it.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

I have pygmies on BDS for about a year, no issues.
my sterbai and metae are doing great on it in my new tank


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## MtAnimals (May 17, 2015)

I drive past a TSC getting ready to open here.....looking forward to getting some of this when they do open.


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## SNAXX (Dec 30, 2015)

ichy said:


> I have pygmies on BDS for about a year, no issues.
> my sterbai and metae are doing great on it in my new tank


That's a Corydoras Melini, False Bandit Cory.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

SNAXX said:


> That's a Corydoras Melini, False Bandit Cory.


that's it! I knew it was some M cory:smile2:


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