Poll: Black Sand? Yes, No, NEVER!

[Slyler]

I have a mix of black sand and white sand. I really like the mix. can hide some of the algae on the sand, but at the same time can provide the light to reflect back to the corals. someone mentioned a salt and pepper look, and that's what I would call it in my tank as well, more salt then pepper, but I really like it.

 

[BigAl07]

I voted other. The jury is still out for me, I'm using black sand (Carib-Sea Indo-Pacific Black) for the first time in a 6 month old 100g setup. Overall I would say things are going 'well', but there have been some unexplained deaths so of course I find myself reviewing all possible sources of concern, including the sand.

Pro -

Looks nice, high contrast with colors, hides detritus.

Con -

Not really 'sand', as we usually think of it. Actually mostly a volcanic basalt. No buffering capacity at all (not that regular aragonite sand has much either, at typical pH.)

Very hard, lightweight, sharp-edged, ferromagnetic grains - perfect for scratching aquarium glass and damaging pump impellers.

In addition to iron, contains and leaches a variety of other metals - nickel and vanadium, in particular, can sometimes accumulate in high concentrations. I am monitoring mildly elevated levels (so far) of these elements in my tank with periodic ICP-OES tests. Nickel seems stable but vanadium has been rising. Others have seen much higher levels of these elements with black sand. Significance is unclear but definitely implicated in tank problems for some people.

Thank you @rkpetersen and everyone for your experience and valued opinions. I've not commented on every post (it's kind of over whelming lol) but I read every single one and take them all into account. I genuinely appreciate any and all responses even though I may not reply to them all.

At this stage of the game I'm still researching and the jury is still out. I see from on this forum and the others I've searched some people have had great success and mention no problems while others do note problems here and there. The elevated elements and the sharp particles do give rise to an elevated level of concern for me.

Off to research some more and see if I can find any BLACK sand that will work and work safely. Why can't "real sand" just be black sometimes LOL (Just kidding I know exactly why).

 

[reefes pieces]

I thought black sand always made corals really pop under actinic lighting. However, I always noticed it made detritus more noticeable. Like a mat of mulm on top of it which was unappealing.

 

[Reef-junky]

First off if the sand is hiding detritus I would be looking at that as a problem source before anything. As far as scratching the glass you can do that with regular sand. The only concern I see would be the trace metals. I don’t see any comparison between black sand and white sand as far as trace metals are concerned. That would be where I would start. Then we would need to find out at what level this stuff becomes dangerous to coral and fish. Also what level it starts to have negative effects. Hawaii has black sand and coral reefs however the ocean is vast. I would say more evidence is need before you can say don’t use black sand.

 

[count krunk]

nononononononononononononononononono. But, I also am nonononononononononnonononononnonononononononononono to bare bottom. Ocean has sand and so should my aquarium

 

[CCK_8814]

I have the CaribSea Hawaiin black in my cube. Agree about no light reflecting but love how it makes all the coral stand out more and really pop. Also ran it in my RedSea reefer and a few BioCubes. No negative effects I’m aware of.

 

[MartinWaite]

It's sharper than normal sand so you must also think about which fish you would like to stock in your tank as Wrasses will not like diving into a bed of sharp volcanic rock chippings neither will gobies like that it their mouths but at the end of the day it's your tank and you do what you do as long as you weigh up all the pros and cons who are to say what you have or don't have.

 

[Coral Passion]

Im not sure why but I feel that black sand doesn't seem natural. Never done ot myself as I tend to use a crushed coral substrate.

 

[Mark Gray]

I had it years ago it was very magnetic never again. I have a shop that put it in he hates it to

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have black mixed with white and love the effect, however the black has pieces that stick to my cleaning magnets

 

[lolmatt]

I have black in my nano, and it's ok. I wouldn't say I love it or hate it, and for a bigger tank I tend to agree that the ocean has white sand and I want my reef tank to match, but overall I like it well enough in the small tank.

Bought a 125g last month (for the coral and equipment) that had black sand in it and again it's fine but I think I prefer the white in a larger tank. Planning a 180 right now and it will have caribsea special grade.

 

[madweazl]

Use it and wouldn't have it any other way. Four ICPs on the 75g with nothing related to the sand found and no issues with my acroporas. I'll be using it on our 150g as well. I originally grabbed it so lighter colored shrimp gobies would be more noticeable but have since grown to appreciate that it just disappears in the tank (black back as well). Diamond goby keeps it spotless (gets a little help from the conch and nassarius snails).

Nature's Ocean Bio-active IIRC

 

[mlivvy]

ah black sand.... the black nail polish on guys of reefkeeping.

 

[jsker]

 

[Rockit]

Nature's Ocean Bio-active IIRC

That's what we have also. Zero issues.
I would use it again.

 

[Reef-junky]

Im not sure why but I feel that black sand doesn't seem natural. Never done ot myself as I tend to use a crushed coral substrate.

But it is natural

 

[Coral Passion]

Reef-junkey please read my quote again. I didn't say it wasn't natural, I said I felt it wasn't natural.

Feelings dont have to be based in facts.

 

[Proteus Meep]

 

[rkpetersen]

It's sharper than normal sand so you must also think about which fish you would like to stock in your tank as Wrasses will not like diving into a bed of sharp volcanic rock chippings neither will gobies like that it their mouths but at the end of the day it's your tank and you do what you do as long as you weigh up all the pros and cons who are to say what you have or don't have.

This is why I'm hesitant to add either type of fish to my new setup. I'd be curious to hear from people who've kept burrowing fish successfully with black sand.

 

[Slyler]

This is why I'm hesitant to add either type of fish to my new setup. I'd be curious to hear from people who've kept burrowing fish successfully with black sand.

I had a twin spot Goby, and it would move all the black sand out of his burrow and from around it leaving just the white sand. it was quite entertaining.