Black substrate

[AlanM]

Within the last couple of months, someone posted on here about some kind of black substrate they used and that they bought at Tractor Supply. I did a search and couldn't find the thread. Can anyone tell me what that was or where the thread is? Thanks

[mototech745 Mike]

I think it was bead blasting stuff

[kyangelsncorys]

Its called BLACK DIAMOND

[AlanM]

Thanks, guys

[vivienb]

Heads up... I was cleaning out tanks with Black Diamond in it and it cut my fingers. Did not realize that stuff is sharp. It looks nice and even has a goldenish green granule that sparkles real pretty, but I would not use it with our sand sifters and bottom dwellers.

[AlanM]

Dec 10, 2012 11:45:33 GMT -6 vivienb said:

Heads up... I was cleaning out tanks with Black Diamond in it and it cut my fingers. Did not realize that stuff is sharp. Depends on what kind of fish you are using it with, but would not want our sand sifters on this stuff.

Thanks for the heads up. I plan on putting it with discus and they tend to not go to the substrate.

[vivienb]

You are welcome, it is pretty sand and you can't beat the price. I also liked the weight of it, will not go up the siphon as easy. I'd wear gloves washing that stuff off tho

[AlanM]

Dec 10, 2012 12:07:02 GMT -6 vivienb said:

You are welcome, it is pretty sand and you can't beat the price. I also liked the weight of it, will not go up the siphon as easy. I'd wear gloves washing that stuff off tho

I hear ya! I had three scrapes and a splinter just setting up two aquarium stands Saturday. When I go out to the shed or back garage, my wife just goes ahead and gets the Band-Aids out. Thanks

[jon carman]

Be carefull with that stuff, and sand in general. I get it stuck in my cleaning pad and scratch my glass. Black sand(not black diamond) is magenetic too and it sticks to the magnetic cleaning pads and scratch it bad.

For discus, I would just look up good substrates and pick the best. I just say that because discus care scares me. I don't know enough about them to help you out. Do they eat off the bottom at all, or get mouth fulls of sand? When I kept them they liked to pick at food on the bottom some. I don't know if it would be a concern if that stuff is sharp and they got a mouth full of it that was stuck to food.

[AlanM]

My one discus eats off the top surface usually but I guess I have seen it pick at the bottom a couple of times. I might be better off just buying smooth black aquarium gravel and then I won't have to worry about it. The loss of one discus would more than offset the price differential.

[davidtcb1]

I got away from sand too. My 125 is basically ruined from all the times I got a piece of sand in between my algae pad and the glass. Probably has 150 scratches. Hard to see unless you are low looking up at the glass, but still. I don't have any experience with the black diamond stuff, but will never use sand again, even in a reef/salt tank.

[paddysdaddy]

I used Black Beauty for a substrate for years in my 500 gallon tank with an enormous Red Tail Cat (28#) and a tiger shovelnose over 30", as well as a colony of ridiculously large Clown Loaches. The catfish are known for their aggressive feeding strikes and the loaches sift the substrate, often up to their eyes. All of these creatures expel substrate through their gills. Never a problem from ingestion or cuts. Before the predatory catfish got large enough to eat them, this tank housed an adult colony of Hemisynodontis Membranacea, these sift substrate and expel it though their gills for hours each day.

[glenoweth]

There is 2 types of black beauty one is made from Slag ,and the other from a from something else cant remember... we use it at work for disecting Rocket motors, and the one we use at work i can't use in a fish tank! because it will cutt up the fish's gills! but there is one you can use I just for got witch was witch! lol it was over 2 years ago when i was looking in to it.

[jtrotter77]

I used black Diamond for years and never had a problem. its made out of Coal slag and is inert. However some people get it confused when buying it and buy another one called Black Beauty. There are two kinds one is coal slag and one is iron slag. This is a terrible option. Its sharper,and is magnetic being that its iron. It will also rust with time and is not inert in anyway. Stick with black Diamond and you will have no worries.

[glenoweth]

Agree^