dshel1217 Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I was lookihg through some of the old post and I noticed that some had problems with the black sand. The issue that I noticed was that black sand has metal in it that would get picked up by mag floats. Does anyone know of a brand that is metal free? And is there more issues with black sand other then the metal. Thanks guys for any help/advice in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I had black sand for many years with no problems. The whitish sand I have now gets in the mag float just as much if I get too low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Girl Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 The only problem that I could think of having with black sand is not being able to detect a cyano or diatom bloom which is easy to observe with light colored sand as it tints it. This may give you the ability to do something about it before it progresses. But if you haven't experienced these issues in the past then maybe it wont relate to your worries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 I had black sand for many years with no problems. The whitish sand I have now gets in the mag float just as much if I get too low. why did you switch KimP? the cyano point does make sence but i think it looks awsome. I have always had crushed coral and its easy to clean but I like the way sand looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I switched because I moved the tank to a different room and wanted a brighter look to the tank. I like the look of both colors now that I've lived with both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 black sand looks great and you can see a diatom bloom on the surface if you're looking for it. It's annoying as heck though cause it doesn't just get stuck to my mag float - its literally attracted to it. It doesn't matter how high up I am in the tank, the black sand never falls to get between the magnets and scratch my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 black sand looks great and you can see a diatom bloom on the surface if you're looking for it. It's annoying as heck though cause it doesn't just get stuck to my mag float - its literally attracted to it. It doesn't matter how high up I am in the tank, the black sand never falls to get between the magnets and scratch my tank. do you have same problem with white sand? I have only had crush coral and I like it b/c its easy to clean. But I really like how black or white sand looks. How deep is the sand in your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I have the problem of sand getting in my mag float in every tank not just with black sand. I prefer the look of fine white sand but the one tank I have with black gets plenty of compliments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 I have the problem of sand getting in my mag float in every tank not just with black sand. I prefer the look of fine white sand but the one tank I have with black gets plenty of compliments. so its not just black sand but fine sand in general that can get in our mag float. Thanks everyone for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 black sand looks great and you can see a diatom bloom on the surface if you're looking for it. It's annoying as heck though cause it doesn't just get stuck to my mag float - its literally attracted to it. It doesn't matter how high up I am in the tank, the black sand never falls to get between the magnets and scratch my tank. do you have same problem with white sand? I have only had crush coral and I like it b/c its easy to clean. But I really like how black or white sand looks. How deep is the sand in your tank? Yes, its true that any sand/subtrate can easily get caught in a mag float. The black sand also clings to the backside of the magnet. The sand in my tank is anywhere between 2-6" since I have a few seagrass areas in the tank. I currently have a mix of white and black (salt and pepper) and I think that looks pretty cool. It sounds like you would really like to try the black sand - go for it . Just have an alternative way to clean the glass near the sand so you are at less of a risk of getting the sand caught in the mag float. Post pictures once you've made your choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaarrrggg Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I had quite a dark grey sand in my last tank. Darker sand does have a bit of a problem of showing off the dirt. Dark bits resting on light sand can just look like shadows, but there's no mistaking light colored crud on dark sandbeds. The other problem is it doesn't reflect the light like light sand does, so the underside of corals/rocks look a fair bit darker. Not saying you shouldn't go for it, just wanted to warn you. A nice clean black sandbed does look v beautiful, it's just a tad more difficult to keep it looking clean than light sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dena Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I have a mixture of the CaribSea Tahitian Black Moon sand and the CaribSea Hawaiian Black sand. The HB is larger chunks...I love the looks and have only had problems with it and my magnet when I either drop the magnet in it, or go really deep into the sand bed to try to clean. Having it in an acrylic tank now, I just use a scraper so no magnet issues. I already bought the same combination for my 280g that's going up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dena Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 here's a photo of my recent tank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 It might be a while before I get my new tank set up but I'll post a pic when I do. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshel1217 Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Due to my indecisiveness I have decided to do black and white sand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizzy Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Due to my indecisiveness I have decided to do black and white sand. That's exactly what I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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