28 replies to this topic

[Moontanman]

Does anyone use black diamond blasting sand? It is very fine and jet black but i wonder if fish that like to dig and pump sand through their gills would tolerate it, anyone know? It's cheap but hard to clean, looks like Tahitian Moon sand, black sand brings out the color in many fishes and looks natural but if the fish don't like it...  

[njJohn]

It is made of coal shavings. I work at Tractor Supply and we sell it.

[kirby007]

Walmarts getting ready to roll out the black play sand don't know if you can use it or not though

[Moontanman]

It is made of coal shavings. I work at Tractor Supply and we sell it.

 

 

Coal shavings? I thought it was ground up coal ash glass. But is it too sharp to use with fish that dig? 

 

I already use chucks of water worn coal in my aquariums. The blasting sand is quite a bit heavier than coal.

[Moontanman]

Walmarts getting ready to roll out the black play sand don't know if you can use it or not though

 

 

That is interesting, will it be a local thing or nationwide? 

[Moontanman]

Now i have found garnet blasting sand, reddish orange, should be relatively smooth... 

[njJohn]

TSC site says coal slag, if that helps.

Edited by njJohn, 03 February 2015 - 02:24 PM.

[Moontanman]

TSC site says coal slag, if that helps.

 

 

I've been cruising you tube, it seems a lot of people use it, since some of my favorite natives either dig in sand or sift it through their gills I will have to do some more investigation... 

[kirby007]

That is interesting, will it be a local thing or nationwide?

I honestly don't know, the store manager here is big on keeping lawn and garden ready but the stuff isn't off the pallets here yet, a lot of nice cheap gravel is out and ready though

[ThomasDodson]

I've used it in tanks before. Some of it cleaned up really nice and is a cheap alternative to market black sands. On the other hand, some bags I have had take forever to clean up because they release an oily film that covers the surface of the water. It didn't seem to bother the sticklebacks that had the film on the surface but I would be wary of certain bags anyway. I can't speak for digging fish but I've had pieces of the sand puncture my hand before. Most of it seems fine though.

[strat guy]

I belong to a planted tank forum, and people swear by it over there. The coal helps plant roots and it doesn't harm barbels of digging fish. As with anything, always rinse it. 

[Moontanman]

I belong to a planted tank forum, and people swear by it over there. The coal helps plant roots and it doesn't harm barbels of digging fish. As with anything, always rinse it. 

 

 

Does anyone use the Garnet sand? 

[strat guy]

Garnet is fine, the important thing is the grit size. You don't want anything too fine or any debris will sit on the surface and never break down. If you've got plants and the substrate is too fine, it'll clump and start to form pockets of Hydrogen sulfide which will liquidize the roots. Google search blasting sand grit sizes for aquariums and you should find a plethora of info.

[Moontanman]

Garnet is fine, the important thing is the grit size. You don't want anything too fine or any debris will sit on the surface and never break down. If you've got plants and the substrate is too fine, it'll clump and start to form pockets of Hydrogen sulfide which will liquidize the roots. Google search blasting sand grit sizes for aquariums and you should find a plethora of info.

 

 

Is the garnet sand a particular color? as long as it is not any finer than pool filter sand it shouldn't be a problem.... 

[strat guy]

The stuff I've seen is black or red. I guess its fine either way. Looks to be bigger than pool filter sand. I've never used it.

[dafrimpster]

I use it in two tanks currently. One is a planted tank with mineralized topsoil capped with blasting sand. The other one is a Lake Tanganyika tank with a 70/30 mix of black diamond and pool filter sand. None of the fish in the planted tank dig but the Tanganyikans dig quite a bit. I have had no fish losses. Echoing what someone above said it's a bit of a pain to rinse and prepare for tank use but it looks nice and it's inexpensive. I will definitely use it again. It is coal slag which is the byproduct of coal burning power plants.

[gerald]

Is "coal slag" chemically equivalent to "coal ash" - just bigger pieces?  Coal ash can have significant amounts of metals, including some toxic ones.  Depending on exposure these may not cause obvious distress or death in the short-term, but may weaken animals (and plants) over the long-term.  Also the metals may not leach out right away; the sand may appear "inert" until the substrate gets sufficiently anaerobic to chemically reduce metals to soluble forms. 

 

 

 black diamond ... It is coal slag which is the byproduct of coal burning power plants.

[dmarkley]

Is "coal slag" chemically equivalent to "coal ash" - just bigger pieces?  Coal ash can have significant amounts of metals, including some toxic ones.  Depending on exposure these may not cause obvious distress or death in the short-term, but may weaken animals (and plants) over the long-term.  Also the metals may not leach out right away; the sand may appear "inert" until the substrate gets sufficiently anaerobic to chemically reduce metals to soluble forms. 

 

 

Gerald, the answer is a qualified "yes".  The slag is a glassy product (combustion temperatures in commercial coal plants are high) and the surface area makes all the difference in the world in leachability.  I doubt that an anaerobic condition is of concern but the pH of the water may make a difference.  There is a high concentration of assorted metals which varies according to the coal type.  I think such materials are best avoided mostly because they do concentrate the heavy metals.

[gerald]

So using coal slag in a tank with soft-acid water might cause trouble sooner than it would in hard-alkaline water?

[dmarkley]

So using coal slag in a tank with soft-acid water might cause trouble sooner than it would in hard-alkaline water?

 

I would think either could be a problem but I doubt we are talking a wide swing in pH.  To get any appreciable  effect, you are going to need pH less than 5 or greater than 8.  In the end, the only thing that will determine suitability is actual testing.  Now, I understand that coal slag is not hazardous as defined by EPA.   It is indeed used in a wide range of applications. Here's a link that might help:

 

http://www.coalashfa...Waste_FINAL.pdf