So anyone know where to get some cheap black sand? I can get a 50lb bag of pool filter sand for like $10 but can only find black sand for $1 per pound. Figured someone here might know of a cheaper substitute to spending the dollar per pound route that is black-ish.
Black Sand?
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A dollar a pound is about the going rate for Tahitian Moon Sand. The two alternatives I know of are:
1) Black beauty, which is coal slag. I don't recommend using it, but others have had good luck with it. It's pretty cheap.
2) 3M Colorquartz. It's been said to be nicer than TMS and can be had for just a little more than half the price. The problem is that it can be very tough to find. You need to have a retailer nearby where you can pick the stuff up. You could order it online, but with shipping its probably not worth it. Check here:http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/Products/Buy/♦
1) Black beauty, which is coal slag. I don't recommend using it, but others have had good luck with it. It's pretty cheap.
2) 3M Colorquartz. It's been said to be nicer than TMS and can be had for just a little more than half the price. The problem is that it can be very tough to find. You need to have a retailer nearby where you can pick the stuff up. You could order it online, but with shipping its probably not worth it. Check here:http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/Products/Buy/♦
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i hope im wrong about this but u mentioned black beauty ist that a fine grit that is used for cleaning rust and paint off of steel used as a sand blasting agent i hope im wrong
i wouldn't use black beauty. not the safest stuff. it isn't even sand really. it's iron slag...there is info about it here http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/sand.php
Your 3 basic choices when looking for black sand are:
Black Beauty - It's coal slag with the possibility of other stuff being mixed in. It's questionable from a safety standpoint and this topic has been covered several other times in the past. If you do a search for "black beauty" you can find some good threads about this. It's upside is that it's cheap. I've personally never seen it for sale around here, but I've also never looked for it.
Tahitian Moon Sand - It's really expensive, usually about $1/lb. I've found it to be widely available, I saw some at Petsmart. Based on photos that I've seen, it seems to have fairly large grain size and is somewhere between a large sand and a small gravel. It also appears fairly irregular in shape/size, maybe a little sharp. Here's a photo I found online.
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3M Colorquartz - It's middle of the road. I paid $50 for 100 pounds of this. I've found it to be fairly available, but you have to check 3M's website to find a retailer. It's available in 2 grades, T-Grade, which is larger and more irregular/pointy, and S-Grade which is small and very round, good for fish that like to dig or spit sand. It's a nightmare to clean(from my experience) but well worth my stained bath tub. I think it's the best looking substrate I've seen so far and my fish love it. Here are some of my shots of the substrate.
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Black Beauty - It's coal slag with the possibility of other stuff being mixed in. It's questionable from a safety standpoint and this topic has been covered several other times in the past. If you do a search for "black beauty" you can find some good threads about this. It's upside is that it's cheap. I've personally never seen it for sale around here, but I've also never looked for it.
Tahitian Moon Sand - It's really expensive, usually about $1/lb. I've found it to be widely available, I saw some at Petsmart. Based on photos that I've seen, it seems to have fairly large grain size and is somewhere between a large sand and a small gravel. It also appears fairly irregular in shape/size, maybe a little sharp. Here's a photo I found online.
3M Colorquartz - It's middle of the road. I paid $50 for 100 pounds of this. I've found it to be fairly available, but you have to check 3M's website to find a retailer. It's available in 2 grades, T-Grade, which is larger and more irregular/pointy, and S-Grade which is small and very round, good for fish that like to dig or spit sand. It's a nightmare to clean(from my experience) but well worth my stained bath tub. I think it's the best looking substrate I've seen so far and my fish love it. Here are some of my shots of the substrate.
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You can Get Tahitian Moon here https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10859/product.web for only $8.92 per 20lb bag! (+ shipping ofcourse)
I just called the only 3M ColorQuartz distributor in my area and they told me $26 per 50lb bag! Plus it's a one hour drive!
I just called the only 3M ColorQuartz distributor in my area and they told me $26 per 50lb bag! Plus it's a one hour drive!
thats a decent price first off. cleaning is way easier then sand especially using an old pillowcase. lastly the hour would be worth it. *** driven an hour for a date so i figure the fish are worth it. your choice though good luck. :thumb:DemasoniLover said:
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I drive 101 miles from my house to That Fish Place. Its a terrible drive full of traffic and back roads. I hit traffic almost every time I am forced to go, the round trip takes a FULL day for me. That being said, its worth ever minute, every gallon of gas, and its a heck of a day.
If I was you I would look at it this way.
1 hour hour round trip $25 bucks
2x 26 dollars for a 50lb bag $52
Not having to worry that the sand you bought will kill your fish...
Priceless.
Besides, 100 lbs of Black Tahtian will cost you 100 bucks, way I see it, your saving money.
If I was you I would look at it this way.
1 hour hour round trip $25 bucks
2x 26 dollars for a 50lb bag $52
Not having to worry that the sand you bought will kill your fish...
Priceless.
Besides, 100 lbs of Black Tahtian will cost you 100 bucks, way I see it, your saving money.
[
I just called the only 3M ColorQuartz distributor in my area and they told me $26 per 50lb bag! Plus it's a one hour drive![/quote]
thats a decent price first off. cleaning is way easier then sand especially using an old pillowcase. lastly the hour would be worth it. I've driven an hour for a date so i figure the fish are worth it. your choice though good luck. :thumb:[/quote]
But do you fish put out?
I just called the only 3M ColorQuartz distributor in my area and they told me $26 per 50lb bag! Plus it's a one hour drive![/quote]
thats a decent price first off. cleaning is way easier then sand especially using an old pillowcase. lastly the hour would be worth it. I've driven an hour for a date so i figure the fish are worth it. your choice though good luck. :thumb:[/quote]
But do you fish put out?
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I know they nibble on my finger when I put my finger in the tank... I wonder what they would do if I put my....Nighthawk said:But do you fish put out?
never mind.
3M CQ is the way to go...
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TERRIBLE. You absolutely fail at life, forever. Worst thing I have laughed to in awhile. I feel almost like I need a cold shower after giving that a good laugh. :lol:I know they nibble on my finger when I put my finger in the tank... I wonder what they would do if I put my....
never mind.
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That depends on whether the species you keep are meat eaters or not. I know that too much protein is not good for my Mbuna.
If I had to pick a fish to get friendly with, I'd have to go with my biggest adult Melanochromis labrosus:
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lol...
I think you've actually thought tooooo much into this. :lol: :lol:
I think you've actually thought tooooo much into this. :lol: :lol:
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