# Black Moon Sand



## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

hey guys ive decided to take out my white sand in my 150g along with my decour and moving my 8 inch black diamond rhom into a 75g bc im trying to get the biggest shoal of wild reds or caribe as possible with great over filteration and an awesome powerhead how many do you guys think I will be able to keep? I was thinkin 15......10-12 for life.....also where is the cheapest to buy black sand? any help would be appreciated thanks


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

you ever hear of black beauty? its also called coal slag, its used for sand blasting, 10-20bucks per 50lbs? 1 lb per gallon is rule of thumb in most cases, you wont find black moon sand for anything less than $15 per 20lbs, at my lfs its $22 per 20lbs. if your on a budget i would suggest black beauty, many had good reviews, many didnt, search around, and see for yourself.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

i wouldn't cheap out on this. i think ur better of saving up your money for some legit Tahitian moon sand. NOTHING looks like it imo. i have seen the black beauty stuff in a friends tank and it doesnt sparkle like the real deal.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

10-12 Pygos will do fine in a 150g for a while but not for life...


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

philbert said:


> i wouldn't cheap out on this. i think ur better of saving up your money for some legit Tahitian moon sand. NOTHING looks like it imo. i have seen the black beauty stuff in a friends tank and it doesnt sparkle like the real deal.


having a budget isnt cheaping out, he simply needs his money for other things, having a fish hobby is nice, and a 150gallon shows that he has enough money to take care of the fish well, but buying 150$ + tax worth of sand just for the black look is ridiculous,and the look of the sand depends on how he likes it, if he wants a more matte black, he could use coal slag, paying 30-60 for 150lbs, or if he likes moon sand he could pay 150+ for 150lbs, with that 150, he could invest in a powerhead, making his own sump, and planting his tank. Im not saying go for coal slag, or moon sand, im saying if you want moon sand for a 150gal, you'll be lucky if you find anything less than $15 for 20lbs


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Briaan said:


> i wouldn't cheap out on this. i think ur better of saving up your money for some legit Tahitian moon sand. NOTHING looks like it imo. i have seen the black beauty stuff in a friends tank and it doesnt sparkle like the real deal.


having a budget isnt cheaping out, he simply needs his money for other things, having a fish hobby is nice, and a 150gallon shows that he has enough money to take care of the fish well, but buying 150$ + tax worth of sand just for the black look is ridiculous,and the look of the sand depends on how he likes it, if he wants a more matte black, he could use coal slag, paying 30-60 for 150lbs, or if he likes moon sand he could pay 150+ for 150lbs, with that 150, he could invest in a powerhead, making his own sump, and planting his tank. Im not saying go for coal slag, or moon sand, im saying if you want moon sand for a 150gal, you'll be lucky if you find anything less than $15 for 20lbs
[/quote]

no kidding having a budget is cheaping out. i could spend $5000 on a 150 gallon tank and there is still a budget. also when did i say he cant take care of his fish well? all i said is that that coal slag DOES NOT look as good as the Tahitian Moon sand. its an opinion there pal. like you said a 150 gal shows he has enough money to take care of them. but picking the slag just bc its cheaper than the moon sand is cheaping out. its like i bought a honda accord instead of a BMW 5 series, but i didn't cheap out. ever heard the saying you get what you pay for? and the guy has over $1000 worth of fish. 150 bucks for black sand that will last longer than the fish i don't think is too much.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

People have budgets cause they have other priorities with their money, mortage/ rent, car insurance, bills, living expenses, if he says he has a budget, it means he wants something that isn't expensive, I don't know what your point is, your telling him to buy moon sand when he fully said he is on a budget? And sand is sand, it will last regardless, moon sand does look nice Im not denying that. If you can afford a 5 series then why not? The insurance cost over 5 years can buy you another fully loaded accord. It's not cheaping out if he has better uses for his money, everyones gotta eat. Don't take it literally, it means more than just eating.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Coal slag is of questionable nature and not worth the long term risk IMO. SpectraQuartz sounds like it might be right up your alley if you can find a supplier.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

check out Estes' permacolor quartz, same as 3m's color quartz and is $25 for 50lb.
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/


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## Johnny_Zanni (Nov 8, 2009)

Do not use "Black Beauty" as piranhaguru said its coal/iron slag. Its sharp as razor blades too and will hurt your fish....


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Briaan said:


> People have budgets cause they have other priorities with their money, mortage/ rent, car insurance, bills, living expenses, if he says he has a budget, it means he wants something that isn't expensive, I don't know what your point is, your telling him to buy moon sand when he fully said he is on a budget? And sand is sand, it will last regardless, moon sand does look nice Im not denying that. If you can afford a 5 series then why not? The insurance cost over 5 years can buy you another fully loaded accord. It's not cheaping out if he has better uses for his money, everyones gotta eat. Don't take it literally, it means more than just eating.


all i am saying is that its worth it to buy the good stuff. as multiple ppl stated here the stuff you recommended can do harm to fish. also he didn't state what his budget is for the sand. it could be $200. you don't know. i know people have bills and stuff. you don't know this guys budget or maybe he could save up another week or 2 and have the money for it. so to reiterate to you once again my point is...if you want quality black sand, i wouldn't cheap out and put my fish in danger. that is my opinion like it or not.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

Read again, I didn't recommend anything, I stated it was an option and is dirt cheap compared to moon sand, he wouldn't make a topic and post if he wanted to buy moon sand at retail price, almost every lfs has it. In Canada big ALS often has it but not in 100lbs+ quantities and it's 1$ per pound. Many people have had success with coal slag, finer grains aren't sharp, many people have it in planted tank, I use black fluorite, the finer grains of black beauty is similar. 3GS colored quartz is a great option also, but it's harder to find, I've searched weeks for it before my fluorite sand, the product has been discontinued but suppliers may have it in stock, I'd go with that if you can find it


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Briaan said:


> you ever hear of black beauty? its also called coal slag, its used for sand blasting, 10-20bucks per 50lbs? 1 lb per gallon is rule of thumb in most cases, you wont find black moon sand for anything less than $15 per 20lbs, at my lfs its $22 per 20lbs. if your on a budget *i would suggest black beauty*, many had good reviews, many didnt, search around, and see for yourself.


oh you didn't recommend it you suggested it. biggg difference.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

Suggesting is defined as mentioning, reccomennding is defined as to advise or to present as worthy, there's a huge difference


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Briaan said:


> Suggesting is defined as mentioning, reccomennding is defined as to advise or to present as worthy, there's a huge difference


well you did still suggest something that could be potentially dangerous to his fish. so you budget minded suggestion could turn rather expensive.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Maybe buy the quality sand but only get what you can afford right now. You don't need 150lbs of sand right away. Buy what you can now & add more as money permits. Imo sand suks regardless of what kind it is.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

You realize your constantly changing your point, read what I've said, smaller grains of Bb aren't sharp, and over time the bigger grains of Bb dull, Bb is only dangerous to bottom dwelling fish ( like cat fish) that constantly rub against the floor, ps hover right above the bottom, and unless the PA are obese, the bigger grains of black beauty won't do squat, there are diffeent grades of black beauty, the smallest grain size resembles dusty silica sand, the 2nd smallest grade is perfect and it resembles black flourite sand,


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

I agree with Philbert, save up and buy the good stuff even if you have to wait a bit longer to set up the tank it will be worth it in the end.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Briaan said:


> You realize your constantly changing your point, read what I've said, smaller grains of Bb aren't sharp, and over time the bigger grains of Bb dull, Bb is only dangerous to bottom dwelling fish ( like cat fish) that constantly rub against the floor, ps hover right above the bottom, and unless the PA are obese, the bigger grains of black beauty won't do squat, there are diffeent grades of black beauty, the smallest grain size resembles dusty silica sand, the 2nd smallest grade is perfect and it resembles black flourite sand,


I dont see how philbert is changing his point? He has said dont cheap out, and to wait to purchase the good stuff.
Seems like you are the one trying to justify your original suggestion by arguing with philbert.

Not worth cheaping out in the long run, best to spend the money and do things right the first time, yes its an expensive hobby but cheaping out may cause problems in the long run. Keep em right or dont keep em at all.

If that black beauty is so good then why didnt you cheap out and use it in your mac tank Briaan?


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## Sylar_92 (Dec 15, 2010)

Black pool filter sand = Black silica, good for maintaining a stable PH and not a danger to fish though its hard to get its extremely soft i would use it to fill my pillows if it dint leak out.. Something else that is also good if you are planting too is black florite sand, it contains all the essential minerals plants need I use it in all my tanks except in my "purple diamond compressus" tank. I just throwing a few ideas here and there, but ultimitly its up to you. I have never been able to get my hands on a single bag of Tahitian black moon sand so I wouldnt know how good it is, when ever I ask my LPS and local aquarium stores around my area they are usually sold out so I guess it must be as good as people say it is. Hope some of my ideas helped, get some pics up soon I would like to see a nice pygo shoal, I have my own but they are still babies around 1-2.5 inches.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

FEEFA said:


> You realize your constantly changing your point, read what I've said, smaller grains of Bb aren't sharp, and over time the bigger grains of Bb dull, Bb is only dangerous to bottom dwelling fish ( like cat fish) that constantly rub against the floor, ps hover right above the bottom, and unless the PA are obese, the bigger grains of black beauty won't do squat, there are diffeent grades of black beauty, the smallest grain size resembles dusty silica sand, the 2nd smallest grade is perfect and it resembles black flourite sand,


I dont see how philbert is changing his point? He has said dont cheap out, and to wait to purchase the good stuff.
Seems like you are the one trying to justify your original suggestion by arguing with philbert.

Not worth cheaping out in the long run, best to spend the money and do things right the first time, yes its an expensive hobby but cheaping out may cause problems in the long run. Keep em right or dont keep em at all.

If that black beauty is so good then why didnt you cheap out and use it in your mac tank Briaan?
[/quote]
That's his man point yes feefa, but read his last few posts, he changed it to I was recommending, then hes saying how it is dangerous to the fish, it wasn't about cheapingnout anymore if you realize it feefa, and what is the good stuff? There's a warning on the bag about bottom dwelling fish aswell, meaning it's still sharp, if not as Bb, I have black flourite sand for my grasses, didn't bother with black moon sand. It does have a nice shine to it, meaning it's made or a mineral, glass or metals, either way, it's just sand.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

And what is the long run with a black sub? Sand is sand, waste stays on top of sand, you gotta aggetate the sand surface every water change to prevent dead spots, the long run is that the sand will dull, that's all, it's sand dude, an expensive decor like a custom wall, wood, rocks etc are more worth it then dropping over 150 on black sand, but this thread is about a cheap black sub, I provided that, I don't know why you guys call moon sand the good stuff, it just has a higher price tag, black flourite is also an option if you have plants, it benefits plants and looks great, but it's a bit pricy, 15lbs for $30 at my lfs


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

I'm not a fan of sand either, like you I much prefer the "good stuff" which IMO is either Flourite or eco complete, like you I also went with the flourite for my tank.

By the long run I mean what if the op decides to one day have a comm tank rather than p's with some bottom dwellers/sand sifters?
He may then have to change substrate to accomadate new fish and will probably cost him just as much as if he went with the "good stuff" to begin with.

I have also cut corners in the past but learned that its not worth it, better to do things right the first time and actually save time and money, but to each their own.

Not hear to argue, just giving my opinion as others have done







.


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## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

do you have to wash Tahitian black moon sand for hrs like you do with play sand?


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

I would def recomend giving it a good rinse. Its time consuming but well worth it IMO


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## Sylar_92 (Dec 15, 2010)

SandNukka15 said:


> do you have to wash Tahitian black moon sand for hrs like you do with play sand?


Sometimes for hours but not if you have a smaller tank, but yes one of the cons with black sand is it takes a while to wash it and since you have to wash enough for a 150 gallon it might take you the whole day. Even after you do wash it theres a 2-12 hour wait for the cloudiness to go away. Also its bad for your filter if your pygos are still skiddish because when the pygos freak out the sand is going to fly up your intake tube and over time it will destroy your motor which is a bad thing if you have an FX5.


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## Briaan (Feb 9, 2011)

Moon sand does have a warning as it it sharp also, not good for bottom dwellers and sifters, but if your fine with it why not? It'll dull with time like every sand and gravel does, ^so it's fine, it's your choice sandnukka, your heard our opinions, and btw I've read 3m is a pain in the ass to clean compared to other sand, and yes you Can rinse the sand until the water is clear, keep Turning it and rinsing,
You can use a pillow cover like Sylar suggested, I only used a bucket for my sand, it turned out fine, but for the amount of sand you gotta wash, a hose and a play pool seems like it should work, and should cut the cleaning time, but your gotta move it all to your tank, which may take hours


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

I got lazy and didn't wash pool filter sand it was very cloudy at first but after a day or 2 everything clears up. I don't think you'll need to wash or rinse it as much as like you do with play sand but if you have the time do it, if not, let your filter do the job for you.


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## banshee42096 (Apr 29, 2010)

moon sand i got i think for 14.50 on sale i bought 5 bags for my 125 only used 4 it fills the bottom all the way up to the trim on the bottom dead even.i have had 2 plecos in my tank for over a year and no problems what so ever.washing it dont take much either its all in your own preferance i absollutly love the way my sand looks but when it gets dirty it looks like sh*t.i have had the same ac110s on my tank from day one and have had no damage from the sand and yes it gets kicked up alot.good luck with whatever decesion you make.


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## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

thanks guys still debating bc i was trying to do an all black in my 150 black background and back sand with no decour waiting for caribe to come in.


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## banshee42096 (Apr 29, 2010)

no problem now is the best time to do it when you dont have them and your not rushed.


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## SandNukka15 (Nov 16, 2010)

yea hopefully they come in this month of april


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