Black reef sand.
- Thread starter jacobsenranch
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captainsaquarium
Community Member
I love the black it helps make the fish and coral stand out more by subduing the background of the tank it allows you to focus more on the inhabitants. Cheers!
G_Sanab922
Keys Life
It's a pain with magnet cleaners. They are magnetic and if you get too close can get stuck to the magnet cleaner.. you know the rest if you clean with a magnet that has sand on it...
leptang
Well-Known Member
I think you tend to lose buffering capacity with black sand as its not calcium carbonate. I ran my tank for 5 years with the white sand, the sand would dissolve over time and my alkalinity and calcium wouldn't drop rapidly. I ended up moving and i changed from white sand to black for the looks but now i have trouble keeping up with the alkalinity and calcium demand. This is just what ive noticed, i maybe wrong or other factors like growth of my tank.
afamousjohnson
Valuable Member
I always wanted to do a spot mix of the 2. Would have been cool to do a thin layer under and thick around the base of any rock that has a footprint in the tank with the black - than going back and filling in all the surrounding area with the white. Over time it would blend considerably but i think it would hold its pattern pretty good with the technique described.
Both shops have changed their specimen cubes to the black sand (i qm sure you've seen them now that your back) and they look super sweet. I have noticed tho that the black sand looks like it gets dirtier. But that works with cars to right - black tends to look dirtier than the white cars.
Both shops have changed their specimen cubes to the black sand (i qm sure you've seen them now that your back) and they look super sweet. I have noticed tho that the black sand looks like it gets dirtier. But that works with cars to right - black tends to look dirtier than the white cars.
captainsaquarium
Community Member
When I run straight black sand I add a calcium reactor and I add crushed aragonite into the sump or refugium. This helps maintain stability.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
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If the black sand is real ocean sand, I would be less concerned about it from a released impurity standpoint (since most would be washed away already) than if it is some sort of ground rock or man made material like coal slag. I'd avoid the latter materials for those reasons.
captainsaquarium
Community Member
Just use a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. Way better than the magnets. I wrote an article about it in the equipment thread. Cheers!
G_Sanab922
Keys Life
I've heard about this. Will have to read more on it..
Randy Holmes-Farley
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It will leave behind bits of the eraser in the water, however, so I prefer magnets with a material that doesn't crumble and leave bits in the water.
Also, the magnet is often more user friendly since you do not need to put a hand in the water. If you do not have magnetic sand, I'd pick a magnet.
captainsaquarium
Community Member
To each their own. I never have them leave behind bits of eraser in the water and I use them frequently. Cheers!
reggaedrummin
Active Member
I like the look of black when it's clean... I feel like it gets dirty or appears dirty much quicker because of all they empty shells and things that turn up... They stand out and ruin it for me
