Black Sand?

[weezawoo]

I know you can get the very expensive black sand for aquariums, but is there a cheaper alternative, similar to play sand which is a cheaper aternative? I was toying with the idea of changing to back sand in my new tank, but it is 5ft so it means a fair bit of sand!
Any ideas would be great!

 

[Uriel]

The only black sand i have ever managed to find was the expensive stuff.

 

[jacko32]

there arent any cheap alternatives ive found i had to buy the expensive trilcot at £35 for 25kg and it took the whole bag to cover an area of 80cmx60cm

 

[karin]

Just a warning. I bought some cheaper stuff at a nice aquarium shop. It was somewhere between sand and gravel with the "grains" about a 1/16 of an inch... what is that 1/4 to 1/8 of a cm. But it has sharp edges. Pretty because it has some glittery action going. I love the color and look in my tank, BUT I suspect that this gravel has caused the loss of 4 bristlenose plecos. I won't be getting any soft belly fish until I replace this stuff in the spring.

 

[twodoctors]

Just a warning. I bought some cheaper stuff at a nice aquarium shop. It was somewhere between sand and gravel with the "grains" about a 1/16 of an inch... what is that 1/4 to 1/8 of a cm. But it has sharp edges. Pretty because it has some glittery action going. I love the color and look in my tank, BUT I suspect that this gravel has caused the loss of 4 bristlenose plecos. I won't be getting any soft belly fish until I replace this stuff in the spring.

I changed mine from black gravel to black fine gravel/sand. I think it says 2-3mm. Cost me £35 for a big bag (probably 25kg) at a LFS but later found out that it was selling for £30 at a even nearer LFS! Anyway I used 80% of a bag to fill a 98x45cm tank up to about 2 inches. It's by Unipac.

Adrian