black sand fluorite?

savi

savi

AC Members
Feb 18, 2007
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Anyone ever used it, I just noticed this on the foster and smith website. I would love to convert my 75 gallon to planted but keep my black sand substrate because I like the way it looks. Would this probably be good to mix with my current sand (black tahitian moon sand) to do a low tech planted tank? Right now I have a thin layer of the tahitian moon sand in my tank and would love to be able to do this without completely tearing the tank down. I have enough lighting to be able to achieve about 2 watts per gallon so what do you think? Also what are some of the easiest care plants? I know java moss is really easy and good for the livebearers too. The current tank inhabitants are some platies and 6 or 7 small brig snails. Eventually I want to add a pearl gourami and maybe a school of cories and tetras, still planning the stocking because it used to be my fancy goldfish tank before I converted it to tropicals.
 
Flourite sand is very, very fine. It will work it's way below the tahitian sand & may get vacuumed up if you're not careful. I use it in my shrimp tank but took it out of another tank. I like Eco Complete better, it doesn't need such care when refilling the tank either. Both look nice.

2 watts will give you low-medium lighting so crypts, java fern, mosses, anubias, will grow plus rotala indica (rotundifolia) maybe swords with root tabs. You won't be able to grow most "carpet" plants, HC, glosso etc or most red leaved plants.
 
Thanks for the info, I'm used to vacuuming the tahitian sand with my python and I really don't dig into it as all the stuff stays on top making it easy to keep clean. I just go around the surface with the hose and all the stuff gets vacuumed up. If its finer then the sand I have it might not do well. Another option would be to go with the black eco complete or regular black fluorite and mix it with my sand or try to work it in up under my sand. I've been looking at both and trying to imagine the pros and cons before I make up my mind.

Thanks for the plant suggestions too, I used to know a little bit but forgot after I stopped keeping live plants. I miss them though so I want to revamp my tank with some easy ones. I have a 130 watt power compact light that will fit this tank from when I used to keep plants. Right now I just have the standard strip on it but I'm not using the 130watt one at all right now so I can switch when I get it ready.
 
Update: I ordered a 3 gallon bucket of the black freshwater planted aquarium substrate from aquariumplants.com. I currently have no more then an inch or so layer of the black sand in my 75 gallon, so I will mix the new substrate with the sand I have to get a deeper layer. I rechecked my light its actually 108watts not 130, but this should still be fine as it will give me about 1.5watts per gallon and I plan on doing plants with lower light requirements anyway. I will post a picture of how the tank looks now soon so I can compare my progress before and after once I get the substrate and start planting.
 
Here's what it looks like now:

100_4025.jpg
 
How do you like the substrate? Is it pretty fine? I was thinking about getting the fluorite black sand but the one in your aquarium looks pretty nice.
 
Well, I had no idea it was available cheaper for the same thing. Oh well, guess I'll know if I ever need some more. Since I last posted I've got the substrate and its in the tank now. Plants right now are java moss and a sprig of anachris but I've got an assorted order of plants to try on the way. I upgraded my light to a coralife 130watt power compact which I am happy with.
 
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