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Black Sand

Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=685
Printed Date: June 24 2026 at 1:55am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Black Sand
Posted By: Keither
Subject: Black Sand
Date Posted: June 30 2003 at 7:13pm

I only ask because I've never seen or heard anything about till I stopped by Bird World the other day and saw Black sand, I'm pretty sure it's only ornimental, but am I correct?  Is there any benifit/or lack there of?

PS I got my fish books, The Concientious Aquarist(however you spell it) and the New marine aquarium!  I'm so excited, thanx for teh ideas on books everyone!.

David



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My bubbles....
He likes Bubbles.



Replies:
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: June 30 2003 at 9:45pm

Here's my thought on this.  Doesn't have the benefits of other substrates.  However, it is the coolest best lookin' stuff you can get.  I've only seen a few tank set up with it, but boy do they stand out as awesome tanks. 

Adam



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Come to a meeting, they�re fun!


Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: June 30 2003 at 10:29pm

What kind of sand is it?  I'm guessing it's not quartz?



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Jon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing...



Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 30 2003 at 11:08pm

I was under the impression that it was an obsidian which is quartz.

A school of neon and/or cardinal tetras looks awesome over black gravel and dark background! Live green plants made that tank a wonder to behold!

If coupled with an RDP refugia using CaribSea aragonite that black sand would make a neat main tank. But I wouldn't do it alone with more than a few fish.

My two cents worth.



Posted By: KeoDog
Date Posted: July 01 2003 at 6:22am
I was told by a person who has the black sand that when detrius starts to build up a little it makes the sand look very dirty.  She says she would not reccomend  it.  Take it for what its worth.

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Kevin Kunz (Sandy, UT)
300g reef

"A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud."   Ayn Rand


Posted By: dianatabor
Date Posted: July 03 2003 at 10:25pm

It's not necessarily only ornamental.  It really depends what kind it is.  Caribsea has a sand called Indo-Pacific Black (1-2 mm, Aragalive Water packed bag) that is "the same pacific rim ecosystem reef sand as found in Hawaii, Bali, Sumatra, Costa Rica, Tahiti and Java. This sand has a striking combination of jet black volcanic sands and pure aragonite."  This info is from CustomAquatic.com (http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/listcat1.asp?CatID=ss">http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/listcat1.asp?CatID=ss). 

I'm in the process of setting up a new mini reef tank (~17 gallons), so I've been doing a lot of research on different sands.  I ended up falling in love with pink sand and ordered a couple of different kinds (Caribsea Bermuda Pink and Arag-Alive Fiji Pink) from the web site above.  Maybe next year I'll get a chance to show it off in the Reef Tour? 



Posted By: imaexpat2
Date Posted: August 18 2003 at 6:07am

I think Mark is right! 

I wanted something a little different when I was setting up my 125.  I didnt want to buy a ton of Indo-Pacific Live sand which is a mixture of black and white sand.  Looking at Carb-Seas on-line catalog, they had some stuff listed called Tahitian Moon.  Its wasnt queit the same as the black in Indo-Pacific.  It was sugar grain in size and I rather suspect as Mark said Osidian, at least it looks that way.  It reminds me very much of the black sand beaches of Barbados!  The Indo-Pacific though is made with what appears to be black volcanic sand.

At anyrate I got 40lbs of it, 20lbs Fiji Pink, 40lbs Special Reef Grade, and 60lbs of Indo-Pacific Live sand.  It came out pretty good when mixed together.  I think it looks awesome!  It has a nice salt and pepper look to it.  I am the only person that I know of running this type of mixture in my area.  It does indeed make for a very strikingly look!



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300 gal. Frag System
300 gal. Live Rock Vat
240 gal. SPS/Clam Reef Tank
135 gal. SPS/Clam Reef Tank
75 gal. Softies only Tank
65 gal. LPS/Softies
24 gal. SPS/Softies Nano Reef



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