Black substrate at Menards...

Hey, I would love to see some feedback on this as well...

Anyone using this stuff?

Buy a bag, throw it in a 10 gallon tank and see what it looks like. Run your hands through it. Maybe throw a fish in there. Put a small HOB power filter to see the impact of water flow on it...

Almost forgot...


SAVE BIG MONEY AT MENARDS!!!


Funny, we don't have Menards in St. Louis but any time I drive north I hear that commercial...

TheFanatic;1830826; said:

Almost forgot...


SAVE BIG MONEY AT MENARDS!!!


Funny, we don't have Menards in St. Louis but any time I drive north I hear that commercial...

Click to expand...

It's like a Midwest Home Depot or Lowe's wannabe...

Anyway, the only part that concerns me is the 'coal slag' on the bag. I'm not really sure on this one. I certainly wouldn't go dumping it in a well established tank. I'm all for testing it on a small tank with some small inexpensive fish.

I had something similar in a test tank for awhile, but decided not to use it. I thought the grain size was too small, and it was more of a dull black than a rich black. Poop was obvious and looked terrible. Granted, that was with a goldfish in a 10 gallon (oops!), so maybe with different fish in a larger tank it would look better. Try it, and let us know. I've got a 135 on the way for my rotkeils, and I would prefer the black substrate for them. I might try it again. We'll see.

i have been useing this sand in 2 of my tanks for about a year. i have it in a 55 gal with some africans and in a 125 gal with south/central americans. the only real problem i have had was with a cheap aqua tech filter. i havent had any problems with the fish diging in it. you just need to wash it really good.

Doesn't coal slag contain a lot of heavy metals? It may not be toxic to people based on the MSDM sheet but if it leeches metals into the water it may be pretty bad for fish.

Testing showed lung fibrosis and reduced toxicity (as compared to the positive control material) and silicosis/asbestosis. All testing was done with an eye towards airborne particulates. No testing was done on any aquatic species'.

1) Put some in a glass coffee pot with distilled water (no contaminates) and boil for 30 minutes (boiling just speeds up the release of any contaminates).

2) Smell vapors.

3) Let cool,, look for a film or residue on the water's surface.

4) Taste water for contaminates (or you could have the water tested by a Laboratory, probably the smarter of the two).

If your not willing to #4 DON'T put your fish in with it!

Dr Joe

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