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What Unipac Product do you use?

  • COLOURED SANDS ā€“ 500Āµ to 600 Āµ - PLEASE STATE COLOUR USED

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • SILVER SAND ā€“ 300Āµ to 400 Āµ

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • SILICA SAND ā€“ 1500 Āµ to 2000 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • AQUARIUM SILVER SAND ā€“ 150 Āµ to 250 Āµ

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • AQUARIUM SILICA SAND ā€“ 800 Āµ to 1000 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • MAUI COARSE ā€“ 1000 Āµ to 2500 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • MAUI FINE ā€“ 1000 Āµ to 1600 Āµ

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • FIJI COARSE ā€“ 1700 Āµ to 2500Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • FIJI FINE ā€“ 1000Āµ to 2000 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • SAMOA COARSE ā€“ 1400 Āµ to 2000Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • SAMOA FINE ā€“ 1000 Āµ to 1600 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • LIMPOPO BLACK ā€“ 1000 Āµ to 1200 Āµ

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • SENEGAL ā€“ 1000 Āµ to 1200 Āµ

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • CONGO ā€“ 800 Āµ to 2000 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • TANA ā€“ 800 Āµ to 2000Āµ

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • CORAL SAND ā€“ 800Āµ to 2000 Āµ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • OTHER PRODUCT - Please state in topic

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5

RCA

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I use the Unipac Tana (recommended) and more latterly the Sengal, my preferred. Ā I have just bought some Limpopo for a new project, but am considering whether to switch it to one of the sands? Ā Therefore, I am interested in what other people own and what fish they keep in their tanks with these products (also an option for other), plus your experiences.
Ā 
Please can you vote for the types you use (will allow multi-choice) and thenĀ respondĀ with the following:
  1. What species of fish do you keep?
  2. What was your main reason for choosing the type(s) you did?
  3. How often have you used these products or is it your first experience with them?
  4. If you use the "coloured sand" have you found it maintains its colour or fades over time?
  5. Do you have a planted tank, and if so are you happy with the plants in this substrate?
  6. Anything else you think of, pros/cons...?
Source for Poll:Ā Unipac
Ā 
I have read that Grey is a good colour to show fish off to their maximum, but have yet to find a dark Grey sand product, the best I have come across is the Black Coloured Sand by UniPac, but as I have yet to use their coloured sand and am unsure if it maintains its colour over time? Ā Please let me know if you know of a Grey sand product?
Ā 
Thanks in advance everyoneĀ 
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Ā 
Ā 
 
I have only used Limpopo Black out of what you have listed, It is inert so wont hold anyĀ benefitsĀ for plants.Ā 
Ā 
If you are hoping to keep a planted tank you can still use this but would need to dose ferts, and I would suggest using root tabs if you want any plants that are heavily root feeders. I have kept a large variety of fish and all have been kept on fine gravel because I do not like dealing with the mess sand can make when disturbed.
Ā 
One of my friends used to have grey sand in his Cichlid tank, I do not know what brand it was but it kept its greyĀ colorĀ the whole time he had the tank running which was around 3 years.Ā 
Ā 
As a planted tank enthusiast I like to use substrates that either holdĀ nutrientsĀ and slowly release them, but I am limited what planted substrate I can use because I have Corrydoras, so I use Caribsea Eco Complete (fine version) I would like to use either ADA Aqua Soil or Colombo Flora Base, but theĀ activity from the Corrydoras would cause the substrate to cloud the water slightly.
Ā 
At the moment I need to keep my 8 Lazer Orange Corry's happy in my main tank, but will be using some Colombo Flora Base in my Arc60 once it gets re scaped.
Ā 
What ever you choose it can be made to work what ever plans you have.Ā 
Ā 
Cheers
Dan
 
Thanks Dan for your response that is very useful. Ā There are so many debates about gravel vs sand etc., and I think unless we have tried the different options it is difficult to know. Ā I wish I knew where your friend got his grey sand from, I guess he would no longer know?
Ā 
In respect to plants I use the JBLĀ Aquabasis Plus underneath the Senegal and that appears to be working well without too much disturbance from the Corys. Ā Currently though I am having trouble keeping the recently acquiredĀ Blyxa Japonica in the substrate as my Pencil Fish seem to be obsessed with it. Ā I may need to add some weights until it can get established.
Ā 
I am also planningĀ Lazer Orange Cory's plusĀ Black Venezuelan Cory'sĀ in my project, see link in signature. Ā Stunning Cory's both of them ...
 
477030_2.jpg

It was 5$. Also included strange rocks in it. Doesn't look too bad after a while though. I thought it was a nice contrast to my black sand tank, though I cant recall what the name of it was.
 
Don't think mine is any of the above - its more a very very fine gravel......

Have just had a quick look at the bag but nothing descriptive at all :/

Sorry that's not much help!
 
Is it a Unipac bag Shelster? If so, the name is usually on a label on the back next to the barcode :) Could be fine grade nordic (river stones), arctic (whiter river stones), canterbury spar (pinkish tinge to it) or several others.
Ā 
Personally, I would expect the coloured sands to lose their colour over time and wouldnt personally use them...
Ā 
I keep looking at the Limpopo Black Sand and thinking it looks nice but I honestly cant think up a tank scape in my mind in which black sand would look either natural or just good. Just my opinion! I struggle almost as much with the (aquarium) silver sand... although saying that... i would use that with a lot of leaf mulch for some biotopes so could at least have a use for it!
Ā 
I like the idea of sand...Ā  but it is just so impractical!!
Ā 
I always ended up reverting back to 2-4mm Nordic Gravel though always wished there was finer but in the same colours. Turns out one of the above is pretty much that.. cant remember which now! It was either Fijii or Samoa Coarse Sand :) I would definately want to use that next time :)
Ā 
Its coarser than the really smooth sand but still fine enough to be great for cories (though tbh i think some people worry too much about cories, its not 'sand or nothing' its just keep gravel as fine as possible and smooth, not sharp like a lot of coloured ones are) but also has enough weight that its actually quite easy to use a gravel vac on with a bit of practise! I hate having tanks i cant use a gravel vac on so in heavily planted tanks, I use JBL Manado without covering it and tbh, as weird as the brown is to look at at first, it is actually easy to get used to and is easy to cover with plants anyway,
 
Thanks MBOU, I've just been back out to check, but no barcode, or bag size???

It's a genuine product, here's the bag.....

Ugh, think photobucket down atm.
 

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