Finding black sand: suggestions and recommendations

[bettaMagenta]

I was thinking about the seachem flourite, but I got warned it might be too harsh for Cory's. Since my tank probably won't have them, but you never know what the future holds, I'm looking for alternative black sands.

I came across the Froghouse black aquarium sand on Amazon - no link from my phone, sorry. Seachem also has a black clay "gravel" that caught my eye.

If I decide to add Cory's down the line, I want to know what safe options are out there for them.

[Clack]

If you're thinking about adding Cory's down the line, I'd advise against black sand. From what I recall, there was a thread on this recently - it can cause them to darken up, which seems to be a stress response. Not sure how other bottom dwellers react, but if Cory's are on the cards, it's probably best to steer clear of black sand.

[infold]

I had a bad experience with Seachem Flourite, it's indeed sharp and granular, just like others warned. My snails weren't too fond of it either, they'd rather avoid it altogether. Not worth the money if you ask me. I also tried some black sand from PetsMart, and I noticed it was made in China - what's up with that? Do they do something special to make it black? It's been three years and I still can't get it completely clean. Someone mentioned here recently that black sand shows dirt, and I have to agree. I'd stick with plain old play sand or pool filter sand, it's cheap and works great.

[bettaMagenta]

I'm actually looking for black sand for a different tank, my Tilapia breeding tank. I want the male to have a suitable substrate to build his nest, and black sand is ideal since it provides great contrast to the eggs. This way, I can easily spot them, and so can the mothers, making it simpler to pick them up. I could use regular play sand, but to be honest, I'd prefer black.

[bettaMagenta]

I'm not trying to derail my own thread here, but isn't camouflage a natural instinct for most fish? I mean, many species, including plecos, can change colors to blend in with their surroundings so much that they're often misclassified. Do we really know for a fact that black sand stresses out Corys, or could it be that they're actually happy with the darker color? I'm pretty sure the dirt and mud in their natural habitat can be pretty dark, so maybe it's not as big of a deal as we think.

[boomer]

I was thinking about the seachem flourite, but I got warned it might be too harsh for Cory's. Since my tank probably won't have them, but you never know what the future holds, I'm looking for alternative black sands.

I came across the Froghouse black aquarium sand on Amazon - no link from my phone, sorry. Seachem also has a black clay "gravel" that caught my eye.

If I decide to add Cory's down the line, I want to know what safe options are out there for them.

You can get inert black aquarium sand that's a safer choice. Flourite is different, I've used it before and didn't see any benefits for my plants over regular inert sand. With cichlids like Tilapia, it's also important to consider the roughness of the sand since they feed from the substrate.

[Burgermuncher]

I've had my fair share of experience with Seachem Black Florite Sand, and I've got to say, it's got its downsides.

First off, it's sharp - I've taken a closer look under the microscope, and it's pretty angular, which isn't great for cories. It also compacts a bit too well, and I haven't seen any significant improvement in my plants' growth compared to regular sand or gravel. Rinsing is another issue; I've had to rinse out around 10% or more of the volume, which is a hassle.

Then there's the cost - it's pretty pricey. And if you're not careful, the fines can cause problems with your filter. They're light and slightly magnetic, which means they can get trapped on the magnetic impeller of your filter. I've had one of my impellers and drive casings damaged because of this.

That being said, I am using it in a shrimp tank with an air-driven sponge filter, and it seems to be working okay in that setup. The shrimp don't seem to be affected by the angularity of the sand, and it looks more like a dark gray color depending on the lighting.

[bettaMagenta]

I've decided to go this route... I ended up finding a suitable black sand on Amazon that I'm going to try out for my Tilapia breeding tank. I'm hoping it'll make it easier for the mothers to spot the eggs and for me to collect them. I know some of you mentioned concerns about black sand and Cory's, but like I said earlier, I'm not planning on keeping Cory's in this tank.

[barnicle]

I'm not sure about your tank setup, but if you're not planning on planting, that black sand might be a bit of a waste of money. I've had good experiences with limpopo black sand myself - it's got a fine gravel texture that works well for me.

[bettaMagenta]

Couldn't find the Limpopo black sand in the US, unfortunately. Did come across this Aussie sand on Amazon though - seems like a decent alternative.