Black Sand??

[Blazin]

Hello everyone!
I was wondering if anyone knows where I can buy black sand around chicago?

edit: I know about Black Diamond blasting media, but I feel that it might be too rough for my baby axolotl

Thanks,
-Blazin

[Warlock]

Originally Posted by Blazin

Hello everyone!
I was wondering if anyone knows where I can buy black sand around chicago?

edit: I know about Black Diamond blasting media, but I feel that it might be too rough for my baby axolotl

Thanks,
-Blazin

they have different grits..

[steven p]

Originally Posted by Warlock

they have different grits..

And some of it is suprisingly soft.

Edit: I have a burrowing banjo cat over mixed grades of blasting sand, he seems to love it. I can go grab him and check for signs of damage if you'd like.

[Blazin]

Originally Posted by steven p

And some of it is suprisingly soft.

Edit: I have a burrowing banjo cat over mixed grades of blasting sand, he seems to love it. I can go grab him and check for signs of damage if you'd like.

What kind of grit do you have?
I know in sand paper the higher grit is smoother and finer, is that the same with black diamond?

[steven p]

Originally Posted by Blazin

What kind of grit do you have?
I know in sand paper the higher grit is smoother and finer, is that the same with black diamond?

I think its like 20/40 and 30/60 I bought a lot of the finer stuff, like dusty black sand... PITA to rinse, but it awesome stuff, for me anyway. Then I picked up 100 lbs of some of a coarser grade, reminds me of medium sized granules in eco-complete. Much cleaner and would likely be better for letting mulm reach roots quickly, as well as circulation...

Cont.

On the left is the larger grain, the right hand side is the finer grade. I had the banjo over both and have kept Cory cats a striped Raphael, dragon goby, synodontis sp. All without any damage caused by the atuff, in fact, the first time I introduced corys to it I was shocked how quickly they began shoveling through the substrate.

[bigbert22fishiz]

Black diamond sand is actually not rough. I have Cory cats with beautiful and very nice barbels. It is pretty smooth. I thought it would be sharp, but isn't. You can get it at tractor supply co.

[PlantedTankLover]

I also use black diamond sand. Love it! You just have to clean it really well. Mine came oily but I left it soaking over night in 5 gallon bucks and the oil all came to the top of the water so was easy to get off. Not all of it came clean, but in less then an hour in the tank it was all gone.

[bradlgt21]

I always heard that this stuff damaged gills and stomach's of burrowing fish. I am looking for black sand for a Lake Tanganyka tank but with the syno petrocola and the cichlids that use it for digestion I have been steering away. You guys think this stuff is safe for fish that eat it for digestion? If so where do you get it. I live in Elgin.