Recent content by Mxx

Where can you buy silver sand? I'm not aware of that product. In reading about it I've heard a LOT about the dangers of anoxic substrate releasing hydrogen sulfide gas and wiping out everything in the tank. But then I've also realized, and as someone else had pointed out, that nobody had ever...

Well if not other options then should I go play sand? And where might be a good source for a nice cream coloured one? The one my kids have is kind of puke colored...

Almost, unfortunately I hear a lot of comments about playsand that the grain size is too small. As a result it gets blown around, caught in filters, makes a mess, and can easily go anoxic. That's why everyone says pool filter sand is better, which is larger at about 1 mm grain size and therefore...

I'm trying to find a decent medium size/pool filter size quartz/silica sand which is a cream colour/nice light tan colour. I've seen pure white sand, but that seems a little much, and the other sand I've seen a bit too dark or are not inert and would raise the PH. Does anyone know where to...

I happened to find this volcanic black sand, which is presumably composed of black quartz/silica glass. http://www.specialistaggregates.com/san ... p-214.html http://www.specialistaggregates.com/san ... p-215.html They however don't seem to have a medium grade of that, which is what I'd ideally...

However, if for instance you're running a low-light tank as I am, then you're likely not having intense plant growth which requires pruning all the time. Accordingly, if you're not removing lots of plant mass frequently, then that nitrogen in the plants is still going to remain in the tank's...

Gotcha, so consensus is that their microgravel is appropriately inert, while their other stuff is apparently not. I would have preferred something a little smaller in the 1-2 mm size perhaps, but I guess that might be okay in case I can't obtain anything finer. Maybe I should pick some up and...

Are you serious? Can you explain please? Did you initially have it lose a little dye or is that a continuing thing to the extent that the sand eventually changes colour? And are you talking about an extensive amount of dye rinsing off or just a little? Just a little initially I might be able...

Thanks, I spoke to the Unipac sales rep who said that their black sand is silica sand which has a natural vegetable dye colouring. And their gravel has an epoxy coating as well. He assured that both are fully reacted and inert in any case. Their sand is 0.5-1 mm in size. And they have a micro...

Which colour did that turn out to be? Was it the Granite Black by chance? Is it a very black sand? And do you happen to know what it actually consists of?

That was my second potential question, which alfagrog grain size would be best. For anaerobic bacteria I don't believe the flow rate and the oxygenation are that critical. Flow will happen at the lump surface, but the anaerobic bacteria would be residing deep within the lump where the flow...

Does Alfagrog have an appropriate porosity for growing decent amounts of anaerobic bacteria, in order to remove nitrates? (Just as live rock does in reef aquariums, or media such as Seachem Matrix do). I'm guessing it perhaps does, but it would be good to have some confirmation of this before...

I'll try to if I do, but I'm not going to need any for at least a good while still from the look of things.

Thanks! They seem to have some gravel type Estes substrates listed online, so likely they could get the sands through their same distributor as well!

Many thanks. Not being familiar with many of these it took me a little searching to find some of their full names and more about them. But as a result I'll now be adding the following to my list of plants to keep an eye out for! Ludwigia palustris sp "red" Rotala wallichii Erio cinereum...