Black Beach Reef Sand Substrate

[mwilliams]

Does anyone out there have any thoughts on the Black Beach Reef Sand Substrate ????? VS the standard beige color substrate...

 

[Jaybird]

Most substrate that I ave sen for SW tanks is white. Not sure what the beige substrate is. Most people use crushed coral or white argonite sand. I haven't seen too many tanks out there that use black reef sand. Can't see what it would hurt. Aesthetics I guess.

 

[mwilliams]

I was just curious because basicly everyone uses that one color (white) and have never seen anyone using the Black color.

 

[Jaybird]

I think most people use the normal sand as it looks more "natural". I guess there would be some reflective qualities of the white sand with regards to light. It's not like your hermits and snails will refuse to go across it because of the colour.

 

[mwilliams]

Thanks. Plus I just thought if I where to use the black I would never know when it was time to clean the substrate either. So I will stick to the white sand....

Thanks again.

 

[mellowyellow]

I'm going to use both black and white substrate in my 50g. I'm doing so to add depth. A trail or path of white substrate from my 30g and the black will be added to the left which is a terrace w/fake coral and the right side will be black with live rock. The black will set off the white path to the back of the tank.

 

[mwilliams]

Sounds interesting do you have any pics ???

 

[mwilliams]

Any thoughts out there on the Caribsea Seaflor Fiji Pink Reef Sand?

I don't know about anyone else but I can not tell it is or has Pink in it?????

Is this something new on the market?

 

[melosu58]

I had a friend that has the black sand and she eventually got so she does not like it. She said it stays dirty all the time. To me there is nothing better than good ole aragonite sand.

 

[thincat]

Black beach sand is ignious rock and not coral at all. So it would have no buffering of CA in your tank. It also might contain heavy metals which is also not a good thing for a reef setup.

 

[mwilliams]

By the sounds of it I defiently will not be using the Black Sand.

 

[mr_X]

the reflective ability of white substrate would be more than enough reason for me to choose it. my buddy has a black sand bed. his tank looks dim to me.

 

[Jaybird]

Thincat: good advice. I forgot about the ph buffering

Black beach sand is ignious rock and not coral at all. So it would have no buffering of CA in your tank. It also might contain heavy metals which is also not a good thing for a reef setup.

 

[iDream]

yeah i have black and white sand in my tank (mostly black) and it seems dim to me so when i move it i'm going to get some nice white aragonite! (look at that rhyme!)

 

[mellowyellow]

Sorry. THe tank isn't up and running yet. I'll try pictures then.

 

[mwilliams]

Which type and brand of Substrate to start a new tank off with there are several to chose from. Aragamax. Carb Sea, Ocean Direct??? Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand, Aragamax Sand, Original Grade Substrate?????

 

[Fishguy2727]

I don't like white sand. It is bright, and every little thing stands out. I think it is also a little cliche. I used black Estes' Marine Sand Ultra Reef which is a silica based sand that has a polymer coating so that they silica doesn't cause any brown algae problems. I will definitely keep using the black and still love it. With a balck background and black substrate all the colors of every fish and coral stand out really well. Light colored backgrounds and substrates can actually cause fish to decrease the amount of pigmentation in their skin and wash out. Here is a pic of my tank:

 

[mwilliams]

I had been looking at the black sand because that was what I was thinking too that it would make all the colors stand out better but in the other threads on page 1 said do not use the black sand not good for Reef Tanks??? I like your setup...

 

[iDream]

love the color! with my lights i dont think i could pull out that sort of color, hence why i'm going with white

 

[Fishguy2727]

White sand won't compensate for lack of lighting.

Natural reefs have rock rubble, corals, and white sand underneath, not black sand. If you want a strictly natural reef with corals and fish that would only be found together in nature then black is not the color for you.