black sand that meets this criteria?

**jonny5** · 10-11-2010, 07:21 AM

im looking for black sand that is inert(or even slight ph raising is ok, its for a brackish tank), large enough sized particles as to not cloud the tank when stirred up a bit by fish, large enough particles to not cause anerobic pockets, smooth enough to alow my fish to sift, dig and hide in it.

cant really find anything.

the plant substrates like eco complete and florite sand will cause algae problems, tahitian moon sand and blasting sand are sharp and will cut the hell out of my dragon goby/horse faced loaches/ spiney eels/krib.

soilmaster select i heard decreases ph (which is not good for brackish) and estes black sand might be too fine and cause cloudyness/anerobic gas pockets.

only thing i can think of 3m black color quartz, but that stuff isnt made anymore.

any idea?

**ISquishWorms** · 10-11-2010, 10:05 AM

Hello Jonny5,

Why have you posted the same question twice, here and in the Tank Setup section? There really is no need to post the question twice if someone has an answer for you I am sure they will reply.

As for Florite or Eco Complete being the cause of algae I have never heard of this before. I am of the understanding that it is excess light together with an insuffcient/unbalance of nutrients that is the main cause of alage. I use black Florite gravel and the Florite natural kind (in my smaller tank) and don't really have any major algae outbreaks. These types of gravel are designed to provide root feeding plants with nutrients and therefore keep the majority of the nutrients they provide locked up in the gravel itself. From what I understand and my limited knowledge alage gets its nutrients from the water column so the gravel should not have any major impact on the amount of alage you get.

I do not have any alternatives for your gravel I am sorry only to say I am sure Florite or Eco Complete would be fine and not be the reason of any alage issues that you may encounter. Like I have already said any alage issues will be because of a light/nutrient inbalance issue.

I am sure if anyone else knows of alternatives they will reply and provide you with them. Good luck in your hunting.

ISquishWorms.

**Fishguy2727** · 10-11-2010, 10:17 AM

I use Estes' Marine Sand Ultra Reef (not a true marine sand). It is silica based with a polymer coating so it won't cause brown algae. I use it in all my tanks and everything likes to sift through it. Loaches, cories, eels, etc. are all happy on it. I have never had any of the usual problems while using this sand.

**jonny5** · 10-11-2010, 11:49 PM

ya sorry i had it in tank set up, then thought maybe alot of people dont cruise that section so i put it in here. But the plant substrates stay locked in and dont go into water column for algae. I was under the assumption that putting a top layer of sand(or fine gravl) was used not only for plant roots but to help keep nutrients in the substrate and not into allow alot of it to diffuse into the water column.

either way it looks like estes or eco/florite might work

**robflanker** · 10-11-2010, 11:55 PM

TMS is not sharp. I don't know where you got that from.

I have it with corys and its fine.

Its rated as not suitable for bottom-dwellers because they can dig into it and kick it up. I have any cloudiness of the corys digging. They tend not to be able to get that deep but certainly rearrange the surface constantly.

I use black flourite sand with TMS on top of it. I like the darkness of the TMS the black flourite allows for a planted tank

*edit - I should also add I have never heard of the eco link to algae. Thats not what causes algae - i would recommend some reading on algae, causes and prevention*

**jonny5** · 10-12-2010, 04:14 AM

well you need, co2, light and nutrients for algae growth (they are based ont he same biological principle as plants)

i just wasnt sure about eco or flourite leaching it nutrients into the water column, but reading up on them, it seems they stay locked in the substrate pretty well.

**ISquishWorms** · 10-12-2010, 11:46 AM

Hello jonny5,

I am not saying that Flourite or Eco Complete does not leach any nutrients into the water column, just that I have never heard of this before. I think if this was to happen it would be on a very small insignificant scale and would not be the cause of any algae outbreaks. I do have a small amount of algae in my tanks but I am 100% sure that my gravel is not the cause and it is more to do with my insufficient lighting and nutrient balance.

I think that the majority of tank owners just learn to accept that algae is something their tank is going to have at some degree. I would think it is an extremely rare situation to be able to say that a tank is 100% algae free. Most of us with tanks may strive for that but in reality we know that it is very unlikely we will reach that scenario. Some though in aiming for an algae free tank do manage to reach a point where the algae is no longer really noticeable or of concern and no longer has any detrimental impact on general viewing.

Oh I have found and read that one of the best things to combat algae is large regular water changes and of course any fish you have will also benefit from this as well. :)

ISquishWorms.

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-12-2010, 12:11 PM

jonny5......ISquishworms is right on target. The substrate doesn't cause the algae but the imbalance of plants, lights and fertilizers do.... as well as high phosphates. Everyone who has a planted tank has algae at one time or another and we just need to fight our way around it. It's all a natural process.