Two Color Sand Bed

[charnelhouse]

Has anybody ever tried a two color sand bed? My daughter wants to do black and gold sand in our new Fusion 40. I'm thinking use the black around the outside on the three display panes and fill the middle with gold. My guess is that eventually it all ends up mixed together, but I think I'm going to try it anyway.

 

Just curious if anyone has any experience.

[cjm3fl]

I've mixed black and natural colored sands before. About 50/50.

Only pic I can find at the moment is an old 10g Dwarf Seahorse tank that I had about 8 years ago just after CUC added.

Excuse the minor outbreak

 

[Weasel Baron]

in my experience the sand they use for the color stuff is silicate based. Whether or not it releases anything into the water column is an arguement for someone else, but Ive found it just doesnt make for a good sandbed

 

other than that, I dont see why you cant try it if thats what floats your boat

[ReefSafeSolutions]

I think your idea of mixing the two with black around the outside and gold in the middle will look awesome! Are you just going to use some kind of divide to put the black sand in first, and then fill in the other side of the divide with the gold? Seems like something you'd need to do before any water is in the tank...?

[jaynkeel]

I have posted this many times in many places and will again. I Hate black sand. Not sure if all is but the really nice stuff I bought carrib sea I believe. Is magnetic, and anytime the magfloat goes near the bottom at least one grain gets picked up and instant scratchola of the glass. Will never use it again and it also makes the tank look so dark and seems to not do anything good for the tank. No matter what I do to mine it is always looking yucky and dirty. For about the 1st 6 months it looked good then it was downhill from there. If you do go the black route because it does look sharp in a tank minus the above then do yourself a favor and bring a magnet with you when purchasing to see if it clings in the bag. My "helpfull" younger kids destroyed a few sections of glass on my 60 cube before I realized what was going on. We are talkin gouges.....

[GHill762]

I used silica sand in my first reef with no issues, I had a 50/50 mix of white and black. I'm gonna be honest, I absolutely hated it. the silica sand was fine (other than scratching glass easily), but couldn't stand the mixed color.. pick white or black..

[SchnauzerFace]

I love black sand. I've had it on my pico for a few years and it definitely suits my taste. I make sure not to overstock, overfeed or underclean and the sand still looks great today.

 

I think I'd go nutso if I had two colors of sand in my tank, though, but that's probably just due to my need for order. I say go for it if that's the look you want.

[jaynkeel]

I used silica sand in my first reef with no issues, I had a 50/50 mix of white and black. I'm gonna be honest, I absolutely hated it. the silica sand was fine (other than scratching glass easily), but couldn't stand the mixed color.. pick white or black..

Yes I think your totally right on the silica front. I myself believe it is just a myth or a combo of other factors and the blame is placed on the sand. I too have run it in systems in the past, one tank for 3+ yrs and not one problem, one of the cleanest tanks I have ever had. When I used it though it was not in a heavy amount like an inch or less..

[charnelhouse]

I think your idea of mixing the two with black around the outside and gold in the middle will look awesome! Are you just going to use some kind of divide to put the black sand in first, and then fill in the other side of the divide with the gold? Seems like something you'd need to do before any water is in the tank...?

 

The plan I have at the moment is to first cut the gold bag/s open then set them cut side down against the back wall of the tank. Then place the black, building it up around the 3 display edges and making a depression in the center. Last lift the bags so the gold infills the depression.

So it won't be a salt and pepper type mix, it will be more of a fade to black.. haha.

 

And yes, definitely need to do this before water. Thinking I will then need to put something in the bottom for the initial fill, like a bowl or something, to keep the water from jacking it all up. Fill the bowl and let it flow over easy as opposed to dumping right onto the sand.

 

Powerhead sand migration is also something I'm a little concerned with.

 

This is the stuff my LFS carries, it's all aragonite, not silica:

 

http://www.naturesocean.com/aquarium-supplies/gold-live-sand.html

 

http://www.naturesocean.com/aquarium-supplies/bio-activ-live-aragonite.html

 

II'll post some pics if I do it.

[GHill762]

Yes I think your totally right on the silica front. I myself believe it is just a myth or a combo of other factors and the blame is placed on the sand. I too have run it in systems in the past, one tank for 3+ yrs and not one problem, one of the cleanest tanks I have ever had. When I used it though it was not in a heavy amount like an inch or less..

A common myth is that the silica sand will make diatoms worse but I actually have worse diatom outbreaks with my aragonite sand. then there is all the stuff about buffering ability, but if your ph is low enough for your sand bed to be used as a buffer then you've got bigger issues.

 

like I said I used it in a little 15g for 2 years with no problems at all.

[jaynkeel]

It sound like it will look awesome, but that bag looks really familiar. Like I said just check w a magnet before you buy if you can. The stuff I have is coarse not fine like sugar sand.

[Sancho]

I have posted this many times in many places and will again. I Hate black sand. Not sure if all is but the really nice stuff I bought carrib sea I believe. Is magnetic, and anytime the magfloat goes near the bottom at least one grain gets picked up and instant scratchola of the glass. Will never use it again and it also makes the tank look so dark and seems to not do anything good for the tank. No matter what I do to mine it is always looking yucky and dirty. For about the 1st 6 months it looked good then it was downhill from there. If you do go the black route because it does look sharp in a tank minus the above then do yourself a favor and bring a magnet with you when purchasing to see if it clings in the bag. My "helpfull" younger kids destroyed a few sections of glass on my 60 cube before I realized what was going on. We are talkin gouges.....

My daughter has put scratches in all my tanks with my Mag Float. black sand, sugar sand, white, pink, course, fine. She is small and can only reach the bottom half of the tank. So the Mag Float gets shoved into the sand bed and some sand gets caught up in it and scratches the glass. The scratches may be bigger with the black sand as it is not as fine. But I have a huge very fine scratch in one of my tanks that has very fine white sand in it. I have black sand in my 34 and have never noticed any magnetic properties in it. I also have 4 bags of black sand in the garage so I tested your theory. Took a large magnet to the bags it didnt stick to the bag or pick up anything as I ran the magnet around the bag. the Mag Float has strong magnets in them any course particle that gets in between them could cause a scratch. especially if you have a low iron glass tank .

[jaynkeel]

When I get a chance I will upload a video and show you. I couldn't believe it either, and others have reported the same as me.

[cjm3fl]

Are you planning on having a CUC in this tank?

Placing sand as a 'border' probably wouldn't maintain it's look really long after snails, crabs, and any other "sand stirring" animals spend some time in the tank.

Just a thought.

[RJWalters]

Use a plate when you fill the tank the water will have a shorter distance to fall as with a bowl. Just a thought

[charnelhouse]

Are you planning on having a CUC in this tank?

Placing sand as a 'border' probably wouldn't maintain it's look really long after snails, crabs, and any other "sand stirring" animals spend some time in the tank.

Just a thought.

I am, and you're probably right. I doubt the border will stay defined. I'll probably end up with gold mixed into the black at the edges of the tank. I think I'm still going to try it anyway.

[cjm3fl]

It could look really interesting over a little time.

Travel trails = CUC highways!

[CJJon]

The sand will never stay separated if you plan to have any CUC or fish or flow. I doubt you could scape the thing and fill it up with water without goobering it up.

 

One way would be to make a faux bottom with epoxy and sand like the BB folks do. The silicate issue would be eliminated, so you could use any colorful sand you find.

[charnelhouse]

The scape and fill went pretty good, but it's pretty obvious that flow and critters are going to mix this sand up pretty good. Oh well, it was worth a shot. The kid was happy. Pictures are worth...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgot the migrating sand picture. flow is moving it around.