Substrate Ideas

[750t]

Ok Im going to be getting a 135 gal tank.I cant decide on what substrate to get. I want something dark or black. Im leaning towards tahitian moon sand. But at around $20.00 for a 20lb bag. That price includes shipping, my lfs has nothing but cheap crappy looking gravel. help me decide. All ideas welcome.

[beviking]

Check out the local tool rental company and see if they sell sand for sandblasting. I've heard they use a black sand that ppl have used for substrate. I'm going to check out my local place (nations rent) and see if they have some. Try a search for sand here at AC, I know I found it once, I think the price was $4 for 50lbs?

Uh oh, better check it out first. Just came across this...
http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5510
...they discuss Black Beauty sand as being very sharp! May not be o.k. for a substrate.

[beviking]

D@#^! I can't find anything but Black Beauty Sandblasting sand. My Google search for sandblasting sand revealed that indeed Black Beauty is coal slag and sharp. A local gravel pit has stone dust that is dark color but he says not black. Sounds like it may be too large anyway. If I get over that way I'll check it out.

Helloooooo....anyone there? Guess I'm just musing my self. Oh well, someone has to!:)

[blitzen25bm]

im going with darker riverrocks from homedepot for my new tank setup.

[750t]

I checked around yesterday no black sand everyone looked at me like I was from mars.
Darker riverrock from home depot whats this?

[blitzen25bm]

i like the wonderrock brand gravel they sell at petco and petsmarts only like 12-15 bucks or so for 25 pounds. im going with riverrocks for my 80 gallon because im poor and this stuff is like 5 bucks a bag at homedepot. imma get the smaller pebble ones in black. theres a picture of the bigger flat ones.

[RTR]

That does not inclide a scale, so it is hard to be sure, but that gravel looks like pebbles and too large to be practical.

[beviking]

Yeah 750t, I got the feeling the ppl I talked to had that same expression on their face too!

blitzen, you're poor? Well then the pic you use to have as your avitar wasn't you, right? Oh what's that tune out now..."with a face like that you don't need money now do you" da da da, duh-da da da da da da.

Sorry, I don't sing to well in print!:D

[blitzen25bm]

the girl? thats keira knightley from pirates of the carribean and other movies. not broke poor but im saving for an afraican ring necked parakeet and a new turtle pond, so i gotta budget where i can. after spending like a 100 dollars to get gravel for my 180 im never going to buy rocks from a petstore again they are ripping people off. plus my dads buying me a truck and gas in so cali is EXPENSIVE! i think i need to go back to a keira avatar :D

[RTR]

Pure personal choice item, but I don't mind at all spending money on good gravel. Gravel is an indefinite life material - I'm still using plenty that is over 20 years old - so to me it is like canister filters, a one-time investment where the cost over the life of the material is trivial. So to me it is not a rip-off, but a wise investment.

Especially planted tank substrates, which tend to be the most expensive, but for material like Flourite, well worth the cost.

[blitzen25bm]

yea flourite is great, i only have 1 tank with live plants and lights most of my other fish do not like lights, my arowana went crazy last time i put a light over his tank. i have gravel it makes me clean it. mine is just to cover the bottom of the tank, so i dont mind as long as its not crazy colors or glows in the dark, i try to match fish/decor though. i will put up pictures of the river rocks when im done, i think its gonna look nice because im going to put belesox, mosquito fish small crayfish and other stuff thats use to being in creeks.

[beviking]

Originally posted by blitzen25bm
the girl? thats keira knightley from pirates of the carribean and other movies.

...plus my dads buying me a truck and gas in so cali is EXPENSIVE! i think i need to go back to a keira avatar :D

Oooh yeah! I thought she looked familiar. Hey, don't worry about gas, sell the truck and get your dream aquarium! :)

[blitzen25bm]

i need a truck i already have tons of tanks and my dad is retiring and we are moving to scottsdale, az in about a year and a half or so. my incentive for going? i get one downstairs room for my fish. solar panel on the roof. cement floors with drains, sink with r/o units. sunlights and dehumidifiers and a very special arowana. i even got the blueprints. im going to breed black veil angels, chocolate gouramis and austrialian crayfishes to help keep it going. im also breeding birds to pay for more fish!

[beviking]

:eek:

Now I want to sell MY truck!:sad