anyone use black reef sand ?

[81Shaun]

does anyone use black reef sand ? kind of like how it looks but was curious about whether or not I should get some of it or just use the white. im setting up a 24 nano and just got thinking it would probably look better. does it come with buffers in it like the white ? and what size should I get? heard some holds nitrates in.

 

[BigRedSquid]

I had black sand in my 20gal I loved the way it looked I never had any problems with it

 

[BigRedSquid]

I'm gonna go with it again on my 100

 

[afamousjohnson]

It shows the dirty pretty well but when clean looks sweet. I have also heard it has a magnetic sense to it so a big watch out is it will stick to your magnet cleaner so watch your glass.

 

[DSP]

Black looks cool in the beginning but as it ages it loses its color and looks more brown, Plus it looks messy when everything starts to settle on it like pieces of rock that break off, Detritus and all that stuff, Every time Iv tried black I ended up removing it after a few months.

 

[Steveowhits]

I like the indo black and white sand. It has a salt pepper look that I like .

 

[81Shaun]

great thanks guys appreciate the help. im setting up a 24 nano and just thought it would look good. how much should I use?

 

[saltjunky]

Love my black sand but it is magnetic so watch out have not noticed mine turning brown or showing waste but I only have six fish and a pretty good clean up crew in a 65

 

[marvelousone]

I like mine.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

If kept clean (gravel vac during water changes) I think it looks great. Definitely magnetic as mentioned so watch your algae magnets and keep pumps far off the bottom. Recently moved a reef that had black sand and it destroyed my MAG18 impeller (and left scratches throughout inner housing) just by pulling a few grains into the pump. I use the MAG to pump water out of tanks into reservoirs. Shouldn't impact your decision much but something to be mindful of. Black sand provides no buffering capacity.

 

[81Shaun]

I like mine.

very pretty and love those clowns!

 

[81Shaun]

thanks everyone appreciate getting back to me.

 

[BigRedSquid]

What do everyone mean by buffering capacity

 

[OceanDude]

I wish my local LFS sold black sand other than the CaribSea live aragonite. Other than that, my only option is PETCO sand which is high in silicates. The struggle is real.

I live the look of black sand in a reef!

 

[eliramos]

I'm kindve getting tired of mine too
i went with the shallow black sand look but to be honest i miss the brightness of the white sand.
i think its a cool change up but i feel like in the end you can't beat the original classic look!

 

[trido]

I like the indo black and white sand. It has a salt pepper look that I like .

This is what I have in my tank now. Mostly white with 5-10% black. I like it better than in any tank with all white I've ever had. Some black does stick to magnet cleaners and will scratch your glass and acrylic if your not careful.

 

[Joe G]

I had black sand in my first tank and I thought it looked great.
Over time as it got dirty,the sand did start to look a mess,but white sand also looks bad after a few years.For me it's just a preference thing .

Although I once read that white sand is better for sps,mainly because it reflects the light back to the under parts of the coral .
Where as black sand will simply absorb the light .

These days I have white sand and prefer it over black simply because it makes the tank pop more in my opinion .
If I ever do a smaller 2nd tank I will most likely put black sand in it, and have the best of both worlds .

 

[81Shaun]

thanks for the replies everyone. now what size sand size should I get? ive heard some can trap nitrates so just want to make sure im off to a good start.

 

[Eienna]

thanks for the replies everyone. now what size sand size should I get? ive heard some can trap nitrates so just want to make sure im off to a good start.

Pretty much, just avoid crushed coral or other large-grain sands.

 

[81Shaun]

ok, thanks