BLACK DIAMOND SAND

[sirknight]

Hi Bunnie1978 and welcome to the board,

I have not used this stuff as a substrate, However I did do a little research on the product. It is coal slag which is the leftover from coal burning power plants. Not something that I feel would be safe for a aquarium at least not mine.

Joe

[angel]

The natural substrate for Africans are sand and crushed coral. To my knowledge there isn't anything black about their natural habitat, and certainly not coal bits. But they're sandsifters. They like to move the sand around and they will move this stuff around. If it has sharp edges they could get cuts. That's the reason i stay away from it. We had aragonite in the upstairs 125 but they were having to work too hard to move it for breeding. Switching to sand made them very happy. Texas Holey Rock is limestone and it helps raise the Ph and hardness. I know you don't like sand. But that's what they like so that's what I like. Besides I put in some shells I collected at the Mediterranean so it will remind me of the beach. Something we don't have here in TN

[angel]

Shells, texas holey rock, salt, aragonite

[jon carman]

Any limestone will work fine, it doesn't have to be holey rock. Some people just like the way it looks and the holes. I would have a minimum PH of 7.6 for Malawi's which in Nashville is basically tap water. If it is lower use the baking soda/epsom/sea salt to buffer water.

Good luck with your experiment and let us know how it goes. The black sand will make the colors pop. A good cheap rock I would look into if you go with black sand would be red lava rock.

A few good mbuna to add to your set up would be yellow labs, cobalt blue, and cherry red zebras. They are cheap, hardy and have you would have a yellow, orange and blue.

[jon carman]

I would do fluval or eheim cannister

[jon carman]

I can't say that I have heard of the odyssea. As long as it don't leak I guess it would work. I can't speak for fluval, but eheims are designed well enough to last many years which could be cheaper in the long haul.

[jon carman]

I hear you, let us know how the sand works. I would say they are different.

[tnnsman7]

I've used coal slag sand before(I can get it free from one of my suppliers). It worked fine and the fish had no ill effects. My only complaint is that it is very dirty and takes a lot of rinsing. I'm pretty sure Tahitian Moon sand is not the same which I've also used. Much cleaner sand, but different grain type.

[jtrotter77]

I had posted about black diamond a few months ago. I have used it for years with no ill effects. I sometimes mix it 2parts black diamond and 1 part regular white sand. it adds contrast. Coal slag is inert so will not change water values. Just make sure to use black diamond and not black beauty. (its iron slag) My only complaint is the rinsing. the easiest way to do it is to pour it in the tank. and add water and let set overnight. Then take a fishnet and skim the top of the water to get the floaters out. after that its usually good to go. Only other problem is since it is very light while cleaning the substrate its very easy to suck out the sand as well.

[angel]

Jan 25, 2010 16:35:56 GMT -6 jtrotter77 said:

Coal slag is inert so will not change water values.

It's not the black diamond sand. Could be the air. The rocks. Anything else that went in there. JTrotter's correct--coal is inert.