The stuff sells for $5 per 100lbs. If it had any real value, other than for sandblasting, I'm sure the price would be higher. Here's some info on this junk:
Black beauty sand is actually Metallic Slag from the manufacturing of copper. It is described as 32-45% SiO2; 25-33% Cao + Mg0; 24-35% Fe0.
I put about a teaspoon in a very small jar with some water, shook it up, then tested the Iron content using a seachem test kit. The results of the first test was 1.0 ppm.
I repeated the test and got 2.0 ppm. This is about 10 to 20 times too much!
Here's an article on this junk:
Black Beauty Sand
by Richard Contolini <Contolini-at-svg.com>
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997
Gee, I can't believe they sell this stuff in a *pet shop*. I have a bag at
home that I use for sandblasting (which is what it's normally used for). Since
there have been a few posts about it lately, I decided to take a close look at
the stuff. First, the particles are *really* small (finer than regular masonry
or play sand). Second, I don't think I'd like the looks of it in an aquarium.
Third, since it's used for sandblasting, the particles are *sharp*. Fourth,
since I knew it was slag, I figured it was high in iron, and, sure enough, it
is. So I don't consider it inert.
I remember seeing some gruesome data on Black Beauty recently, so I
searched the APD. In case anybody missed it, here's the post from Jon
Wilson made on Mon, 17 Mar 1997:
>I used a black sand called something like Marvel black beauty.
>It was very high in Fe and was highly magnetic. It was also very
>sharp. A little piece stuck to a magnetic scraper would scratch
>the glass. It also found its way into small crevices in plants
>and damaged them.
>
>I finally quit using it after an autopsy showed it had shredded
>the inside of a fish. Other than the sharpness and magnetism,
>it was great.
It just doesn't sound too appealing. I think I'll stick to quartz.
Rick
