# Top Fin Black Sand or CaribSea Sunset Gold?



## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Thats an easy choice for me, I do not like black as a substrate. Very unnatural to my taste. 

I have Sunset Gold in one of my 30 gallon tanks. Here is a picture:


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## Yaboihunt (Mar 27, 2019)

The Caribsea also makes a whiter color sand that looks pretty good!


YaBoiHunt


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

My experiences with Top Fin products have been so bad I would be hesitant to even buy their gravel. I do like black substrates, and it's probably fine, and manufactured no differently than Estes or anyone else's aquarium gravel but that's one I would shy away from just due to who manufactured it.


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## ricktfoster (Feb 15, 2017)

Blue Ridge Reef said:


> My experiences with Top Fin products have been so bad I would be hesitant to even buy their gravel. I do like black substrates, and it's probably fine, and manufactured no differently than Estes or anyone else's aquarium gravel but that's one I would shy away from just due to who manufactured it.




If I may ask, what have been your experiences?


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

I don't sell or carry Top Fin, but I've gotten a lot of their products in my shop to look at and hope to repair. With any other filter brand, it's almost always as simple as replacing (or even cleaning) the impeller. Not Top Fin. I've had the impellers blow out and be impossible to remove, multiple motors die that the customer claimed didn't run dry, and more than a couple of heaters that failed in the "on" position. Oh, and one that shocked me when I went to test it. I get So many Aqua Clears, Marinelands, Aqueons and Tetras in my hands and can't recall these problems ever happening with those brands. At this point I can't presume it's just dumb luck.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

I have black eco complete in tank right now. I won't be doing a black substrate again. It never looks natural to my eye. I would say always go natural. If you want to try something different then pick a different natural color. Lots of reds, whites, and even some light grays are natural.


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## ricktfoster (Feb 15, 2017)

minorhero said:


> I have black eco complete in tank right now. I won't be doing a black substrate again. It never looks natural to my eye. I would say always go natural. If you want to try something different then pick a different natural color. Lots of reds, whites, and even some light grays are natural.




I have EcoComplete now and I hate it. I regret ever buying it.. it’s ugly, doesn’t look natural and it’s always got algae growing it.... plus I’m always picking java moss off of it.


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Discusluv said:


> Thats an easy choice for me, I do not like black as a substrate. Very unnatural to my taste.
> 
> 
> 
> I have Sunset Gold in one of my 30 gallon tanks. Here is a picture:




Beautiful! Thank you for sharing


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## celadon (Nov 9, 2015)

I have Sunset Gold and Peace River in my aquarium. I like it a lot! (Sunset gold in the front. It's a little washed out in this picture.)



This picture is a pretty accurate depiction of the color in my tank.


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

ricktfoster said:


> I have EcoComplete now and I hate it. I regret ever buying it.. it’s ugly, doesn’t look natural and it’s always got algae growing it.... plus I’m always picking java moss off of it.


That's a bummer, I really like it, though wish they made more colors. You can always add a little natural Flourite or something to it and mix. As for the algae and java moss though, don't think that's the fault of the Eco Complete.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

*Rickfoster*

CaribSea Sand definitely looks good, I like their peace river gravel as well but it's expensive. I suggest you look for Cemex Lapis Lustre #3 mesh sand. This stuff should sell for about 20 for 100lb bag. Thr sand is siffed, washed and dried.


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## ricktfoster (Feb 15, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> CaribSea Sand definitely looks good, I like their peace river gravel as well but it's expensive. I suggest you look for Cemex Lapis Lustre #3 mesh sand. This stuff should sell for about 20 for 100lb bag. Thr sand is siffed, washed and dried.




Thanks! I’ll look into that one.


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