Black sand...
- Thread starter nvmycj
- Start date
gemmy
Active Member
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/Live-Rock-Sand_c_4.html There is a sand calculator at the bottom of that page.
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
IMO Live sand may speed up the cycling process a little, but not a whole heck of a lot. You can still seed the black sand with some regular sand from an established tank....just put a scoopful of the established "live" sand on the tank bottom and cover (mix if you wish) with the black sand.
Live rock is a better vehicle for moving the cycle process along. Get some pieces that are fully cured with an established microbial population, and a few pieces that are "halfway" cured and let them finish curing during your cycle. Good way to get the system going, and things will be ready to roll in about 3-4 week's time that way.
Just my opinion of course....your mileage may vary.
BTW I *love* the look of good black sand. I've been too afraid to try it myself, but I've seen lots of tanks that really look fantastic with that kind of substrate! You're gonna post pics, right???
Live rock is a better vehicle for moving the cycle process along. Get some pieces that are fully cured with an established microbial population, and a few pieces that are "halfway" cured and let them finish curing during your cycle. Good way to get the system going, and things will be ready to roll in about 3-4 week's time that way.
Just my opinion of course....your mileage may vary.
BTW I *love* the look of good black sand. I've been too afraid to try it myself, but I've seen lots of tanks that really look fantastic with that kind of substrate! You're gonna post pics, right???
nano-newb1983
Active Member
if you want a speed up the cycle, just add a raw, uncooked shrimp into ur tank once ur sand and rock is it.. the Shrimp will start a ammonia spike to get the cycle rolling
katsafados
Active Member
My LFS said some type of black sand can be harmful to corals, since alot of it is heavier then normal sand or something and it gets on corals and irritates them because the corals arent able to shake the sand off.
Another thing to worry about is if the sand has any traces of metal, I heard some can be harmful in salt tanks.
Another thing to worry about is if the sand has any traces of metal, I heard some can be harmful in salt tanks.
S
smartorl
Guest
I honestly think your lfs is basing that off of their personal opinion. Alot of people don't like the look of black sand. I have even had lfs's try and talk me out of black because they only carry white. I have heard that it will cause tank crashes, it gets dirty and ugly, and it's contaminated, in addition to people just not liking the look personally. I first saw black sand on a forum in 2004 and had to have it. I have been using it since. Now it's pretty common in lfs's and is even being sold in "live" form.
I have heard many talk about it looking dirty after a while. Well, in my experience, if you don't have adequate flow and don't do proper maintenence, any substrate (or lack of, BB) will end up "dirty". I have sand that has been in a system for 3 years and looks as good today as the day I put it in. I wouldn't say I notice any difference between the grains on black and normal sand, although it is not a powder sand.
As most sand that is labeled "live" is bagged with a little water and stored on a shelf for God only knows how long, I question how "live", these live sands are. I always seed with sand from an established sand bed. This is a good practice to do routinely anyhow as it adds diversity to your tank and keeps your sand "live".
I have heard many talk about it looking dirty after a while. Well, in my experience, if you don't have adequate flow and don't do proper maintenence, any substrate (or lack of, BB) will end up "dirty". I have sand that has been in a system for 3 years and looks as good today as the day I put it in. I wouldn't say I notice any difference between the grains on black and normal sand, although it is not a powder sand.
As most sand that is labeled "live" is bagged with a little water and stored on a shelf for God only knows how long, I question how "live", these live sands are. I always seed with sand from an established sand bed. This is a good practice to do routinely anyhow as it adds diversity to your tank and keeps your sand "live".
katsafados
Active Member
The LFS uses the black sand too, but maybe the guy was talking about a certain type. He said it gets stuck in corals mouths when they open up and its hard to get the grains out. He even told me to shake the coral off in some water after buying it to make sure all the black sand was off it.
nvmycj
Member
Thanks to all for all the replies! I always appreciate everyone's opinion on here!! But with all these replies, more questions come up...
1. While I'm cycling my tank, do I leave my filters and powerheads running?
2. And this is not related to this thread, but I am not getting email alerts that tell me I've got a reply to my thread. Any help would be great!
Again, thanks to all for your patience and help!!
1. While I'm cycling my tank, do I leave my filters and powerheads running?
2. And this is not related to this thread, but I am not getting email alerts that tell me I've got a reply to my thread. Any help would be great!
Again, thanks to all for your patience and help!!