Black or white sand ?

[YES]

What kind of sand everyone uses and why which is better and easier to maintain? Which looks nicer?

 

[JasonK84]

I went with special grade aragonite for the uniform small grain because I plan on adding a couple diamond goby sifters once my sand bed has populated well with critters. I have also looked at some burrowing wrasse and they also require small grain sand.

Depends on preference and stocking plans.
Here are pics of a tank I had with black sand and my current tank with white.

 

[A sea K]

Tough call, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so its really what looks pleasing to you. I have used white aragonite based sand on every marine tank I have had, really like the look of the black though and have actually considered changing.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

White sand is going to overall make the tank brighter and help reflect more light up to the undersides of corals. Black sand is going to be easier to maintain and look more consistent (typically).

IMO, if I were doing sand, it would be white...

 

[SeaJay]

I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started and just went with the recommendation of my LFS and went with Fiji pink. He never steered me wrong and I’m thrilled with my setup, but I’m fish only and will probably remain that way for the foreseeable future, so I kinda wish I had gone black purely for the aesthetic. I love the look of it.

 

[Musovski]

I have black sand now, i really wish i went with crushed coral for my sand bed

 

[YES]

I have black sand now, i really wish i went with crushed coral for my sand bed

Why?

 

[YES]

I have white now in my tank and don’t like it all that much for for my new tank I went with back will see

 

[Musovski]

Why?

its magentic. plus crushed coral is a natural pH raiser

 

[Southpawblues]

Caribbean black Hawaii volcano sand. Makes the corals on the sand bed really pop

 

[tpotc]

i only had white sand when i started...so i am stuck with it..i would love to have black sand

 

[nycfishy]

Careful with black sand sticking to your algae scrapper and scratching your tank.
I mixed black and white sand, looks awesome but has scratched up my glass pretty good over the years.
New tank I just went white tropic eden, looks great not magnetic at all

 

[Musovski]

i will say the only thing i like about black sand is how it looks.

 

[Waynerock]

What kind of sand everyone uses and why which is better and easier to maintain? Which looks nicer?

Gotta love the black

Makes tank darker but the colors pop more, there is algae in this picture you just can’t really see it

 

[mikes686]

We have a 70/30 mix of white and black live sand. We like the contrast.

 

[Why-Me]

We have a 70/30 mix of white and black live sand. We like the contrast.

Any pics of this?
I'm intrigued.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a combo of Both.(salt and pepper effect). Drawback on black is some is magnetic and will end up on cleaning magnet scratching glass unnoticed until you pull magnet out to realize it’s caked with black sand.

 

[Tastee]

My SW tank is white and I do like the pristine look (although it is a WIP to get rid of GHA to bring it back to what I want!). When I rebooted my FW tank I went with black soil. Initially I wasn’t sure I would like it but the green of the planted tank really pops against the black, as do the colours of the Tetras.

 

[Proteus Meep]

Aesthetically for me its fine white sand only...really don't like how black sand looks

 

[techhnyne]

After going bare bottom i would never go back to sand. Just a lot cleaner and healthier tank without sand