Black Sand Cheap!

[jratuszn]

I decided to go with a sand substrate for my new setup, and came across some beautiful black silica at a local rock/landscaping place. $3.60 for an 80 lb. bag! It's intended to be used with paver blocks. It's fairly grainy, so I hope it won't compact too much.

I'm gonna rinse the bejeesus out of it, but do you think it will leach anything into the water (I have heard of issues with silicates leaching into the water, but so many people recommend silica sand, I am wondering where the disparity is here).

Thanks!

-Jeff

 

[justDIY]

ooh - let me know how it goes!

I've been looking for a good black substrate

almost bought some blasting grit called "Black Magnum", it was $6 for 100lbs ... but I couldn't tell what it was made out of, and the package claimed each grain was extra sharp! - not sure fish would like that!

 

[madasafish]

I thought silicates were some of the least reactive minerals out there, e.g. quartz. I don't think they would leach. Who told you that they would leach? (BTW, I'm studying to be a geologist, and have plenty of friends who could think this issue over...) Any further indication on the package of the chemical composition of the sand? Does it perhaps have a lot of pyroxine (blackish mineral)?

I'd be interested to hear how this experiment goes, too--I'm thinking about sand for my next tank, and could do without having to pay $50 for it!

 

[justDIY]

well ... geology should tell you that silicates are generally lacking in color... with quartz being the clearest usually.

the coloration is caused by doping or having other material trapped in the crystals.

some of that coloring material might not be completely 'sealed' in the crystal and could leach into the water.

if you feel like doing some basic chemistry, you could go by your hardware store and get the smallest bottle of muratic or sulfuric acid they sell... then fill a glass jar with a little of the gravel and cover it with acid ... if it bubbles or discolors then it's probably not safe to use in a freshwater tank.

 

[TankGirl]

You can also do this test with white vinegar. I have in my car, not yet unloaded, a 50-pound bag of paver sand that is a rust color, I think due to garnet compounds (like what is in sandpaper) so I am hopeful that it will be inert. Silica is basically what we think of as "sand," the colorless or nearly so grainy stuff, and it is inert. If any materials are used to add color then rinsing should reveal this, or it will stain your fingers, or something. I would imagine, however, that anything developed to be used in outdoor applications would have to be relatively durable without dyes or the like that would wash away with weather. This particular sand I have is going to really go great in my tank and I hope it retains the almost terra cotta color it has. I will let you know if I am able to use it. It was $2 US for 50 pounds at Lowe's, and is coarser than play sand. I love sand!

 

[madasafish]

Ouch, justDIY. I know that silicates are generally lacking in color! That's why I suggested that the sand might actually be more pyroxine-rich than silica-rich...

Anyhoo...

 

[justDIY]

sorry about that ... my post did come off sound a bit harsh!

 

[TankGirl]

Well my paver sand turned out to be plain ole silica sand, no color at all! The pretty rust color rinsed away immediatley. It is a much coarser sand than play sand, and contains almost gravel-sized grains, so that is a good thing for me. I do wish it had the color, though. I have heard that the Onyx sand that looks black actually rinses out to a grey concrete color, so for black sand you have to go with the Tahitian Moon Sand from Caribsea.

 

[madasafish]

Is that affordable, Tankgirl, and is it readily available?

Just FYI, (almost justDIY!) there's also black sand on the Hawaiian beaches (pulverized basalt--the Hawaiian Islands were created by a hot spot on the Pacific plate, which is entirely basalt). I wonder if that ever gets sold? Probably too environmentally depleting...

 

[madasafish]

Coz, I'd like to get some if it is...
But how do you get muck out of sand if you can't use a gravel vac!? I've always wondered how that works... Any suggestions?

 

[TankGirl]

The paver sand is extremely cheap and is available at most home centers, like Home Depot and Lowe's. It is much coarser so I think is a much better choice for aquariums. I use a prefilter (sponge) over my filter intake to protect the impeller from sand and use a small syphon, as I have sand only in my 12-gal tank currently, and I just gently move the syphon over the surface, and the mulm gets picked up. About once a month I give the sand a good stir to elminate anaerobic pockets, which are deadly. MTS are good for helping with this too, as they burrow into the sand. I have also purchased Tahitian Moon sand, by Caribsea, which is true black sand. I think Big Al's has it for $11.99 for 20 pounds, but that is not including about $7 shipping, so not so cheap! I have found a store locally who is willing to order it for me. I really like the way sand looks.

 

[rabbit]

Tankgirl, may I recommend garden centres? I buy my aquarium sand from a local garden centre that sells pond supplies. Its a very nice terra cotta coloured ceramic sand designed to be completely neutral and inert, aside from looking very nice of course.
I cant recall the name of the product off hand, but Ive seen it in several of the stores around in southern ontario so Id guess that its not anything specialized.
I paid $8 canadian for a bag. (I think its 20 lbs)

 

[jsoong]

I've been thinking about getting sand/gravel from landscaping places as well. A year or so ago, I got some "concrete sand" for my garden (I paid about $20 Can. for a small truck load - about a cu yard!). It consists of grey & white grits about 1/8 to 1/4 inches. Did wonders in loosening my clay soil, but I thought that would be nice in an aquarium as well.

Now, apart from the viniger test, anything else to do to test for toxins or problems in those products not specificaly said to be made from aquarium?

 

[TankGirl]

I have gotten sand from a garden center that was a lovely terra cotta color, and it really went well with my fish and plants. However, upon rinsing it to prepare it for the tank, the color rinsed away! This was sand designed for use with paving stones, so it was for outdoor use, and I don't know why it was colored at all, since the color would wash away in the rain. Anyway, it was very nice sand and much coarser than play sand or even pool filter sand, which I use in another tank.

 

[kilgor25]

real black sand?

I've seen a lot of talk here about black sand in its many forms. Does anyone know where to find some genuine, volcanic black sand, from a real black sand beach? It seems surprisingly hard to find.

 

[grimlock3000]

"IDoes anyone know where to find some genuine, volcanic black sand, from a real black sand beach? It seems surprisingly hard to find."

There are a lot of moral issues with taking sand directly off a beach for retail sale. Most beaches are protected from any sort of landscaping modifications. People worry enough about errosion, watching a bunch of tractors rip up a beach would make touch off a few nerves, so I doubt few companies would try this

 

[TheNewGuy]

hawaii has big eco laws about that kind of stuff I don't think that they let go very easily.

 

[TankGirl]

Caribsea Tahitian Moon sand is what I have, and though it is heavy to ship Big Al's charged me $7.00 for shipping, here is the link-
http://www.bigalsonline.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi

I was unable to find it locally, but later on I did see it here and they wanted $19.99 for it, so it was still cheaper to get it from Big Al's. It is pure black sand, not colored artificially.

 

[Scottw68TN]

suprisingly petsmart has it here 20.00 for 25lbs.