Black Sand Users!

[SM8]

Ill be asking a good few questions over the coming weeks so bare with me
 
Im planning on fully rescaping my aquarium and one of the first things im deciding is the sand.
 
 

Now at the moment i have white sand which seemed a good idea as for the past ten plus years i've always kept gravel but now i have my own tanks i am really into catfish, bristlenoses, cories etc and they all like sand
 
 
 
the problem is with white sand IT NEVER LOOKS WHITE as its covered in debris instantly.
 
 
 
 
 
Now i want to change to black sand but my question is, does it still look ridiculously dirty still or is it much less obvious.
 
I am going to be purchasing the Unipac Limpopo black sand, does anyone else have this and is it actually black.
 
Also i was reading that you have to aerate the sand, is this true and how would you go about doing it or is it just a case of every water change siphon around or just stir it up a bit?
 
 
 
 
And finally if you own an aquarium with black sand can you please upload a picture in this thread so i can see what you guys have done with them!
 

 

[Brahmza]

I'm using substrate that's not as fine as sand, but as close as you can get. It's black, and assuming you have appropriate bottom feeders, it will stay black. Any leftover food on the bottom gets picked up quick because it sticks out on the black substrate. I have 6 cories and 2 plecos. They clean it up quite well, but shaking it up during water changes definitely won't hurt. With something finer than mine, I assume it will stay that much cleaner because stuff won't fall down as far.

 

[SM8]

thanks for the reply....
 
 
any other people who have black sand!
 
 
Bit confused what to buy, i've seen the unipac limpopo sand which isn't fully black so im not having that
 
not seen the caribsea tropical black sand ...
 
 
any advice on whats the best to go for?....i've seen the tahitian moon which looks lovely but is not good for bottom dwelling fish like cories etc due to the sharp nature and is also magnetic i've read.
 
 
 
what black sand is actually safe, black and can be used with bottom dwellers!

 

[SM8]

Also will the black sand show all the poop and dirt like the white sand did, as the last thing i want to do is spend all that money again on sand and find out i hate it like i did with the white sand!
 
 
 
ideally i would love black gravel but i love my catfish, cories, BN's etc so gravel wouldnn't work?
 
 
 
any ideas as im really stuck now and have to buy it this week !

 

[tom9182]

I don't have black sand, but it is less finer than sand.  It is black and i've never seen feces show up on it, it's not noticeable.

 

[SM8]

I don't have black sand, but it is less finer than sand.  It is black and i've never seen feces show up on it, it's not noticeable.

what do you have instead? and do you have a picture?

 

[tom9182]

I'll try to find a picture on my phone, i should have one.

 

[SM8]

Thanks! And what substrate is it?

 

[tom9182]

Here are 2 pictures, one with one of my discus

, and one with my old tank setup.
 

 

 
And i'm not sure what kind because it came with my tank when i bought it from a friend.  Sorry
 
Tom

 

[SM8]

That looks great

if its not sand what exactly is it? I know you dont know but i mean when you run your fingers through it or look closely

 

[tom9182]

It feels rocky.  Like i'm not sure how to explain it.  Maybe like fine gravel?  Definetly not as soft or fine as sand, maybe a bit bigger/thicker.
 
Tom

 

[SM8]

Hmmm maybe a rounded smooth gravel

I wonder how bottom feeders would cope with really rounded soft gravel as opposed to sand

 

[tom9182]

I have a few cory cats in there along with 4 plecos and they seem to like it.

 

[SM8]

Hmm now you have me thinking!

Need some more views to clear this up as i need to make a decision asap

 

[nellynelly]

I have too very dark substrate very close to sand but not quite,,,excellent stuff in two of my tanks, i recently aquired another tank with sand in, my gosh the poo, always notice debri now in that tank, have to go dark,,,lol