Substrate suitability for loaches and cories

[ozzyboo]

I have just been looking through the caribsea website and only 2 of there substrates are suitable,according to them,for soft bellied fish or fish with barble's or whiskers.Stupid thing is that all the fine sands are not OK,but they are OK for fish that sift the sand to feed just does not make much sense.
The problem is I am looking for a darkish substrate and want to use sand.Pool filter sand seems a bit light in colour well certainly in the UK,play sand is also to light in colour and in weight.
I was hoping to use TMS mixed with a golden coloured sand and get a fairly natural look but it seems that may be an issue with my stock
So are the caribsea sands OK with loaches and cories,are carib sea just being careful ?

 

[reptileguy2727]

I only use and recommend Estes' Ultra Reef (not a true marine sand so it won't mess with any chemistry). It comes in black (I usually mix it with white as well). I have had it with all sorts of fish and never had any issues.

 

[lipadj46]

you can get black silicon carbide sand from a sandblasting shop for cheap ($10 per 50 lb). You can also choose your grit size too.

 

[ozzyboo]

I only use and recommend Estes' Ultra Reef (not a true marine sand so it won't mess with any chemistry). It comes in black (I usually mix it with white as well). I have had it with all sorts of fish and never had any issues.

I have heard a lot of people using there sand but unfortunatly it is not available in the UK which is a shame,3M colourquartz is another one that seems to get some good feedback but again not available over here,hence me looking at carib sea as most of there sands are easy to get hold of.

you can get black silicon carbide sand from a sandblasting shop for cheap ($10 per 50 lb). You can also choose your grit size too.

I have thought about using blasting sand,not quite as cheap as you get it here in the uk,but was worried it would be to harsh for the corries and loaches.I am also thinking of adding some eartheaters and worried it would not be to good for them.

Does anyone use balsting sand for there tank,if so how do you find it.

 

[shellies215]

Dis you look at the cichlid sand that is black with lighter color mixed in?

 

[ozzyboo]

Dis you look at the cichlid sand that is black with lighter color mixed in?

Yeah I did look at the cichlid sand but they seem to contain aragonite to help buffer the water and maintain a high PH which is not really what I am after,It is a shame as the African Cichlid Mix Sahara sand looks ideal in colour.

 

[lipadj46]

get some black silicone carbide from a sand blasting shop. Its a dark alternative to pfs for around the same price.

 

[ozzyboo]

get some black silicone carbide from a sand blasting shop. Its a dark alternative to pfs for around the same price.

Almost impossible to find in decent quantities in the UK at a decent price £150 for 25kg certainly not available a PFS prices ,I can find plenty of blasting grit but all seems to be copper or iron slag based or recycled glass beads.
Also silicone carbide from memory is a very hard substance and would have no problem scratching glass so may have to think again.

 

[isenblatter]

I've had lots of luck in the past using play old sandbox sand. Just make sure you check the ingrediants.