New to the site..and to hobby...need advice

[66deuce]

New to the site and I am getting my first aquarium this weekend. It's a friends 65 gallon aquarium and it's a swedish(I think?) style pump/filter setup. Anyways, I really want to get jet black live sand, but don't know if it's available. Anyone have black live sand? Had an experience with black live sand? Also some recommendations on some fish would be good. I really think tangs are beautiful, but what other fish get along with tangs?

Thanks in advance.

66deuce

 

[66deuce]

Anyone?

 

[darb2]

sorry, i have never seen black sand.
most tangs can get along with most fish, but can be terratorial, so add them last. How bout a pair of clowns and a royal gramma?

 

[Atari]

There's some black sand at LiveAquaria but it doesn't look like you'd get any buffering qualities from it.

 

[66deuce]

There's some black sand at LiveAquaria but it doesn't look like you'd get any buffering qualities from it.

Thanks for the replies. What are "buffering" qualities?

 

[Atari]

Buffering just means it helps to keep the pH around where it needs to be. It's not an essential property to have in sand but it's nice. Crushed coral or aragonite will buffer pH whereas a silica based sand will not.

 

[BBReef]

the black sand ive seen is typically refered to as moon sand. i think that it is tiny pieces of lava rock from volcanic islands. ive seen it on online sites and lfs, but the lfs stores around here tend to get a lot more stuff than ones around the country

tangs can live with a number of other fish, but u'll have to get a small one for a 65 gal. and once it grows too large u'll either have to upgrade or find another home for it. tangs need a lot of room to swim.