Where do you guys get that awesome Garnet sand?

koltsixx

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I've envied those of you who use it as a substrate time to try and get some of my own. I was looking at homedepot.com which has Black Bull 80 Grit Garnet Sand which I think should work because at 80 grit the sand should be about .201 mm(201 µm) which is between the average size I see of many aquarium sands which range between sizes of .1 mm and .4 mm. Is my assumption correct or are those of you who are using Garnet sand using a different brand and size and if so can you please let me know what you're using? Also can you let me know how abrasive it is in comparison to regular aquarium sand?
 

rodger

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I got at Tractor Supply. Kind of expensive, but only place in town that carried it. About $30 for $50 lb.

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Aw3s0m3

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I've envied those of you who use it as a substrate time to try and get some of my own. I was looking at homedepot.com which has Black Bull 80 Grit Garnet Sand which I think should work because at 80 grit the sand should be about .201 mm(201 µm) which is between the average size I see of many aquarium sands which range between sizes of .1 mm and .4 mm. Is my assumption correct or are those of you who are using Garnet sand using a different brand and size and if so can you please let me know what you're using? Also can you let me know how abrasive it is in comparison to regular aquarium sand?
Don't use the 80grit! It's waaaay too small, easily gets kicked in suspension and since it's soo small, it takes forever to settle. It also constantly got sucked into powerheads and filters getting stuck in the propellers and stop them from being able to spin. I hated it!


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koltsixx

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I got at Tractor Supply. Kind of expensive, but only place in town that carried it. About $30 for $50 lb.

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Thank man, can I ask was it 80 Grit? And how is it's consistency is smooth like Aquarium Sand or slightly more abrasive like PFC Sand?

Don't use the 80grit! It's waaaay too small, easily gets kicked in suspension and since it's soo small, it takes forever to settle. It also constantly got sucked into powerheads and filters getting stuck in the propellers and stop them from being able to spin. I hated it!


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Thanks for the info. would 60 Grit be better or should I keep moving up to 50? I was worried that as the sizes got bigger the sand would be more abrasive. What was your experience with the consitency? Same question as above was it like Aquarium Sand or PFC Sand.

If you can't did it locally, check eBay. It's pricey to ship but if you want it, it's there.


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Thanks I'll start lookin' around Ebay for it.
 

Aw3s0m3

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It was extremely fine. It was so small that I couldn't really tell how abrasive it was and it's not as bright red as the lower grits. Here's a pic when I had my big tank set up so you can see how it looked ImageUploadedByMonsterAquariaNetwork1402007675.345915.jpg
There's a tiny bit of black and white sand that was left from before but as you can see, it's really small and not so red. I just ordered 25lbs of #30/40 grit so it should look better


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koltsixx

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It was extremely fine. It was so small that I couldn't really tell how abrasive it was and it's not as bright red as the lower grits. Here's a pic when I had my big tank set up so you can see how it looked
There's a tiny bit of black and white sand that was left from before but as you can see, it's really small and not so red. I just ordered 25lbs of #30/40 grit so it should look better


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Again thanks so much for the info. how bright the red is doesn't really matter to me, I like the more natural look but I will take your advice on the Grit size. Can I ask where did you source your 25lbs of #30/40?
 

Aw3s0m3

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Anytime. I found the #30/40 grit on eBay. I just typed in garnet sand then scrolled till I found some. If you like the natural look then 80 grit definitely would work if it weren't so small. When my bichirs would kick it up, sometimes it would take the sand around 5 minutes to settle down again. I was always washing out sand from the filter pads every time


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koltsixx

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Thanks Aw3som3 I truly appreciate it. I took a look around ebay but all the #30/40 Grit(Mesh) is only being sold by international vendors right now, so I may have to be patient or keep changing the wordiing of my search. I'll keep looking though because I do have a lot of substrate movers in my tank like Geos, Endli, Trachycorystes and my Centrodoras, and I cant' stand a cloudy tank. When I do get some I'll be sure to update here so you can see how it turned out. Again thanks everyone for the help
 

mike_sema

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Thanks Aw3som3 I truly appreciate it. I took a look around ebay but all the #30/40 Grit(Mesh) is only being sold by international vendors right now, so I may have to be patient or keep changing the wordiing of my search. I'll keep looking though because I do have a lot of substrate movers in my tank like Geos, Endli, Trachycorystes and my Centrodoras, and I cant' stand a cloudy tank. When I do get some I'll be sure to update here so you can see how it turned out. Again thanks everyone for the help
Call up your local sandblasting supply company or store they will have what you are looking for


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