I know this has been beat to death and I have searched the forum and read a 100 threads . I was about convinced to use it when I read this thread.......
20/40 grit for me as well.30/60 grit is finer.
I too saw the photo a couple year's ago.
Could have been just something that found it's way into that particular bag/batch or..staged .
I found a mouse on my whopper from Burger King,(not really) but would happily settle out of court, for free whopper's for life.
i have it in my 75g almost a year now with no problems, 20/40 grit from tractor supply. just make sure to rise it very well. i just rescaped my tank last week and here's what it looks like 1hr after a rescape
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and here is what it looks like when the tank is settled older photo
Went to another TS and got a bag of 20/40 . Will start on the redo tomorrow , so here is a before pic......I decided to try it on my 10 gal fry/plant grow out tank first . If I like it I may do my 75 .
I presume these are safe, yeah? [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Blasting-Abrasive-Misc/dp/B0000AXAUQ?ie=UTF8&keywords=black%20diamond%20sand&qid=1461454629&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Black Diamond Blasting Abrasive [Misc.]: Home Improvement[/ame]
yes same thing i use but the 20/40 version which is bigger grain(this is what you will want), 30/60 is way to fine if you have sand sifters it will be everywhere because how light it is. i use the 30/60 in my sand blaster for soft metals because how small it is and it almosts breaks down to dust afterwards
So got the redo done . Took about 2 hours . I found nothing in the BDBS but the grit and some larger pieces that I just sifted out . It did take a lot of rinsing . Once in the tank it settled quickly in about 30 mins . It is almost crystal clear again now about 3 hours after done . I like the look and it is much easier to plant in . Thanks to all for helping with my concerns and giving me the confidence to try it . I recommend BDBS to all with planted tanks .
Here is a pic about an hour after finishing . The MTS and Ramshorns don't know what to do yet , but the fish love it....lol
nope,it's pretty small.I set up a tank with it as a cap over MGOCPM,rinsed it in a bucket while stirring it with my hands,didn't get any cuts,no foreign material either.
it did leave an oily looking residue that washed out with plain water on the bucket though.
I originally put two bags in and it worked just fine. I didn't use any dirt just BDS. I later added a 1/4-1/2 bag more just to build my scape up a bit. I'd buy three if that's the only tank you have. If your dirting then 3 should be plenty. If you've got the extra dough and multiple tanks buy a fourth bag, you'll want it in more than just the 75 and it's not bad to have a bit extra just in case you wanna change things up.
Yea I have a standard 75 and it says 200lbs for 4 inch depth , but 4 bags @ $9 a bag no biggie . I just wash it in a bucket like some have said and I have read some use a pillow case to rinse it in . It doesn't take as long as you might think.....lol
Not to hijack but I have a tractor supply close by. They have the stuff in stock but they have a medium and a fine listed without any mention of the grits listed like you guys are showing.
Any correlation and does one do better than the other? I have used eco complete in the past, Ada aquasoil and one of those turf builder baked clay products (can't remember the name).
Is the fine too powdery to plant in? Or is it just a water clouding mess?
I wish I could get soilmaster select again. I had a 50lb bag around for awhile and used it up in some rose pots I made up a few years ago after I exited the hobby for a hiatus.
Has anyone used this stuff with Dwarf shrimp? Neo's to be precise.
I was debating snagging a few bags for my new 20 longs (I got 8!) that need substrate for shrimp, while doing split builds with a portion dedicated to amazonia in each tank to help buffer.
Thought I'd ask on an existing post!
I have kept cherries and CRS (separate tanks) for over a year and a half with it. Couldn't afford anything else at the time, and even now, I would rather put money toward other things.
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