Black substrate...

[BestMomEver]

I’m interested in putting black sand in my new Biocube. I plan on making it an anemone tank. If you guys have a black sand bed, would you post pictures? I wanna see what it looks like! Thanks...

 

[Rudyg308]

 

[ZoWhat]

In my opinion..... dont do it!

Makes everything look DULL bc there is no light reflecting off the white sand to "up light" the tank

Google image "black reef sand" and look at all the images. No reflecting up lighting to BRIGHTEN the tank

 

[GoVols]

I’m interested in putting black sand in my new Biocube. I plan on making it an anemone tank. If you guys have a black sand bed, would you post pictures? I wanna see what it looks like! Thanks...

You need to stay away from "some" black sands.
Some of them have metals in the sand.

 

[Captain Quint]

You need to stay away from "some" black sands.
Some of them have metals in the sand.

+1 And also some of the metal being magnetic.

 

[Rudyg308]

It ain’t that bad, I’ve had mine for about 3 years and I’m still doing great, it makes all of my corals pop.

 

[GoVols]

+1 And also some of the metal being magnetic.

Read the entire thread.

@Brew put it under a scope.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ati-results-back-sources-of-vanadium.385031/

 

[ZoWhat]

it makes all of my corals pop.

Imo, yes my opinion, blk sand does bring a certain "pop" but only to red and orange colors if standing CLOSE to the tank.

From across the room (in my opinion) the tank looks subdued and dull

If anything is to be blk, I vote for a black back wall and black stand.....and even black drywall behind the tank.... but white sand does brighten the tank over BB tanks and dark substrates
.

 

[rkpetersen]

You need to stay away from "some" black sands.
Some of them have metals in the sand.

Yes, primarily excess nickel (which is why they're ferromagnetic) and vanadium, as we've seen in previous recent threads. And I would bet that it's not just some, but all or virtually all.

I still have black sand in my newest tank. The setup is 5 months old. Lots of small BTAs, some corals, only a few fish so far (will be adding a clown harem.) I've had a few unexplained fatalities but no more than usual and overall the tank is thriving. Nickel and vanadium levels are indeed somewhat elevated per ICP testing, but as seems to be typical with findings of excess metal in the water, it's very difficult to know what effect this is having on the livestock, if any. The experiment continues.

 

[GoVols]

The experiment continues.

lol!!

 

[BestMomEver]

Read the entire thread.

@Brew put it under a scope.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ati-results-back-sources-of-vanadium.385031/

OMG! Who would have thunk it! No black sand for me! Btw... what’s the best sand to use, generally speaking?

 

[GoVols]

OMG! Who would have thunk it! No black sand for me! Btw... what’s the best sand to use, generally speaking?

Well, I've been bare bottom for a long time.

If I went back to sand it has to be those Tropic Eden "Reef Flakes" that Premium Aquatics sells.

 

[BestMomEver]

I’ve read abt the flakes. I am definitely interested in using them. Unfortunately, PA is out of all of them. Must be popular!

 

[BC1906]

This was.my old tank with black substrate. I liked it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have black and white mixed ( sort of a salt and pepper effect) and attractive it is but a warning that the black is semi magnetic and will stick to your magnet glass cleaners and scratch your glass if not caught in time.

 

[JRAD]

I do not have any pictures But I had black substrate in a nouveau 16. Even though I had a Kessil a80 tuna blue on it it always looked dark. I also seem to never get past the diatom stage with that tank. Interestingly I had a 10 gallon IM cube 5 feet away from the display tank. It had the exact same light running the exact same program from the Kessil controller that they shared. The 10 gallon had a bare bottom and always looked much brighter than the tank with the black bottom. Some of this may be secondary to the differences in the two tank sizes and styles I think a lot of it had to do with the black substrate. The 16 gallon display cracked and spilled water from the second floor to the first floor. My next tank I’m going to use Caribsea sand. I have had bare bottom tanks in the past. I really like how easy it is to keep the tank clean but I think having some sand/substrate in there helps keep a more natural look. I’m going to do a shallow bed probably about an inch .

 

[CurtnStac]

Love my black sand. I use Caribsea Hawaiian black.

 

[Midrats]

I second the Tropic Eden suggestion. It's the whitest most evenly graded least dusty sand I've ever used. Love it!