# Budget Black Substrate



## mikka23 (14 Apr 2014)

Looking for a recommendation for a cheap black sand substrate.  

My preference:
Sand or smooth gravel suitable for loaches
Black to show greater contrast
Easy to keep clean
Suitable for planting

Im thinking some cheaper material below a layer of more expensive sand may be the best option...  200L low-tech tank if it makes any difference.


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## justissaayman (14 Apr 2014)

Unipak Black Microgravel


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## Claire (14 Apr 2014)

Unipac is pretty good. Limpopo is nice too if you're not set on jet black as it's more of a brown/black. Can be slightly expensive though, but depends how deep you want it.


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## petn (14 Apr 2014)

I mixed normal sand with black sand from flourish on the top. For 200l too.

Sent from my HTC One mini using Tapatalk


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## James O (14 Apr 2014)

+1 for unipac Limpopo black.  It's dark matt black/grey, is great for my pygmy corys and my crypts are rooting well.  The contrast is pretty epic too


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## Tim Harrison (14 Apr 2014)

A lot of folk in the US use Black Diamond blasting sand, because it's dirt cheap...but I'm not sure it's available in the UK. Maybe Google could help with sourcing an equivalent. I have unipac Limpopo in Cryptic Haven (http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cryptic-haven-low-energy-update-pics.28695/).


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## James O (14 Apr 2014)

Troi said:


> A lot of folk in the US use Black Diamond blasting sand, because it's dirt cheap...but I'm not sure it's available in the UK....



Like this? Ebay item 251480188788


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## mikka23 (14 Apr 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions.  Is it recommended to just use the gravel/sand on its own or to have a sublayer of something else (soil, cat litter etc)?


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## James O (14 Apr 2014)

You can, but it's not required.  Fert laden water permeates the substrate &roots


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## mikka23 (14 Apr 2014)

I was more thinking to make it even cheaper but any benefits would also be a bonus.


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## James O (14 Apr 2014)

I don't see the need.  Maybe if you grow something tricky in the future but with good flow, fert regime, light and maybe co2 you're set.  And it's cheaper too


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## mikka23 (14 Apr 2014)

Thanks, I will probably have a few other questions along the way.  Best to set up a journal rather than post in ever subforum?


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## Tim Harrison (14 Apr 2014)

James O said:


> Like this? Ebay item 251480188788


Nice find...half the price of unipac inc P&P and it appears to be non-hazardous and safe to use, and at least as hard as silica (quartz) sand http://www.sealey.co.uk/pdfs/safetydata/B_25KG.V2.pdf. And the larger grain size seems to be fairly similar.


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## mikka23 (14 Apr 2014)

You reckon that blast grit is a good option and suitable for loaches (initial research suggests so)?  

Seems the most tempting to me (not sure about the colour of Limpopo and obviously price).


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## Andy Thurston (15 Apr 2014)

James O said:


> Like this? Ebay item 251480188788


Been in and bought things in there
That place is about 200m from my mate dan's work and about the same from where i used to work. I work on otherside of town now


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## EnderUK (15 Apr 2014)

Big clown said:


> Been in and bought things in there
> I work on otherside of town now


 
So you're now about 400m from it now?


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## Andy Thurston (15 Apr 2014)

EnderUK said:


> So you're now about 400m from it now?


No about a mile


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## James O (15 Apr 2014)

Is this a Monty Python sketch in the making?  It's getting a little surreal........


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