Using Black Diamond Blasting Sand for the First Time

[Alesha]

Any estimates on how long it will take to clear? Overnight?  Or just an hour or so? 

Trying to decide whether to put my tools away,  or just wait a while. 

Thank you! 

[Daniel]

14 minutes ago, Alesha said:

Any estimates on how long it will take to clear? Overnight?  Or just an hour or so? 

Trying to decide whether to put my tools away,  or just wait a while. 

Thank you! 

 

I didn't wash mine when I used it to cap the dirt in the dirted tank, but I was very careful about not stirring it up as I filled the aquarium. It was clear from the beginning. The photo below (the middle tank on the lower row) is from 30 minutes after the water went in.

[Brandy]

I washed mine. Why not just do a couple of water changes?

[Alesha]

19 minutes ago, Daniel said:

I didn't wash mine when I used it to cap the dirt in the dirted tank, but I was very careful about not stirring it up as I filled the aquarium. It was clear from the beginning. The photo below (the middle tank on the lower row) is from 30 minutes after the water went in.

Yeah...I wasn't very careful. 😆

19 minutes ago, Brandy said:

I washed mine. Why not just do a couple of water changes?

This was too fine to wash. I tried, but...couldn't be done. And I'm trying not to stop the cycle that has started in the tank. Just wanted to add the substrate. So...I don't think a water change is a good idea. 

I'll just wait it out. Thanks! 

[aquachris]

16 minutes ago, Alesha said:

Yeah...I wasn't very careful. 😆

This was too fine to wash. I tried, but...couldn't be done. And I'm trying not to stop the cycle that has started in the tank. Just wanted to add the substrate. So...I don't think a water change is a good idea. 

I'll just wait it out. Thanks! 

What kind did you get? You want the black bag medium grit 20/40 usually is the best I found.  The fine stuff does what your seeing.

[Alesha]

30 minutes ago, aquachris said:

What kind did you get? You want the black bag medium grit 20/40 usually is the best I found.  The fine stuff does what your seeing.

It's very fine. I think I should've gone with the other size. If it ever clears,  I'll stick with it. If it doesn't,  I'll have to go back to the drawing board. 

[Aubrey]

If you have a power head, small plastic bottle, and some filter floss you could filter out the finer particles pretty quick.

Even a hang on back with some floss will do well to capture the fine particles.

[Ken Burke]

1 hour ago, Aubrey said:

If you have a power head, small plastic bottle, and some filter floss you could filter out the finer particles pretty quick.

Even a hang on back with some floss will do well to capture the fine particles.

That’s a nifty hack!

[Frogmouth Catfish]

When I've used it, it usually takes a couple big rinses and water changes at setup to get it less murky. 

[Alesha]

The rising sun did not bring me clarity this morning...in more ways than one! 🙄

My husband is picking up a bag of the larger-sized blasting sand. My dilemma is as follows:

Remove all the finer sand and replace with the 20/40 grit?

Or just remove a portion of the finer grit and cap it with the larger?

Either way is going to make a cloudy mess, and I'm also losing valuable biofilm with each grain that comes out of the tank. 

I don't have a power head. I do have the small pump that originally came with this tank, but I've not been able to find it to see if I can duplicate @Aubrey's clever hack.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted, especially if you've dealt with this before, or if you have a really strong opinion. I am a waffling, irritated, exasperated tank owner this morning.

P.S. This is the fourth purchase of substrate for this tank. The first one, after I purchased it, had "not for aquariums" in the finer print. 😫 The second was cancelled by Walmart because their stock ran out. The third was the finer grit slag, and now this fourth purchase of the medium grit slag. I really am running out of options here for the look and substrate that I want. 😕🥴😣🙄😬

[Daniel]

Everything clears up eventually. It can take more time than your patience will allow, but everything clears.

• Is it the size of the substrate you don't like?
• Is it the cloudiness?
• What is the goal?

If you don't like the grain size, it has got to come out I would think, but I am not sure. If it is the cloudiness, you can wait or do water changes. There are some kinds of cloudiness that water changes cannot fix like green water or bacterial blooms, but these are the ones time will fix.

It seems like your goal is to have a cool looking black substrate and grow plants in it. Unless you think what you have is too fine for that you have accomplished that goal.

Don't worry about biofilm. That is a totally renewable resource that grows exponentially.

And like most things with fishkeeping usually the best course of action is to do nothing, or at least wait a few days and see what the problem is telling you.

[Tanked]

26 minutes ago, Alesha said:

I don't have a power head. I do have the small pump that originally came with this tank, but I've not been able to find it to see if I can duplicate @Aubrey's clever hack.

I have no idea how well, or if it will work, but if you have the floss and the time, put it in your gravel vac tube or use @Aubreys filter on the end of the syphon hose.   Be mindful that you will have to be very careful when putting the water back.

[Alesha]

15 minutes ago, Daniel said:

It seems like your goal is to have a cool looking black substrate and grow plants in it. Unless you think what you have is too fine for that you have accomplished that goal.

Don't worry about biofilm. That is a totally renewable resource that grows exponentially.

And like most things with fishkeeping usually the best course of action is to do nothing, or at least wait a few days and see what the problem is telling you.

Well...I really didn't want black substrate. But since I couldn't find what I *did* want locally, and to ship it from Amazon was entirely too expensive, AND I read that black substrate really makes the Sparkling Gourami look gorgeous, it's what I eventually decided on. Granted...the girly tank I was planning in my head would probably have meant insane upkeep to keep the pink gravel clean, sooo...it's probably all for the best. 😉

And yes, I want the plants to grow in beautifully for my little gourami to enjoy!

As for your last advice...I've gotten myself into a little pickle. The fish arrive tomorrow. 

So there it is...a rookie mistake...we bought more fish than would fit in our quarantine tank. So I planned to put the Sparklers into their own tank that I'd been planning for a while. I just hadn't gotten that substrate issue resolved. And it's taken too long to get something in there and I'm stuck.

I'll be doing fish-in cycling of this tank. It was beautifully clouded on Sunday, but with all the substrate disturbance, I don't know. I'll be testing it today, to see where we are. I've already got plants in there, so maybe things are going well? I don't know yet. And I need to decide on the substrate today, or the fish are going to end up in a tote in conditioned-but-not-cycled water until I do.

Not my most shining moment as a fish keeper. 🙄😕

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Alesha said:

And I need to decide on the substrate today, or the fish are going to end up in a tote in conditioned-but-not-cycled water until I do.

Not my most shining moment as a fish keeper. 🙄😕

Sounds like everyday in the fishroom at my house. 🙂

[Alesha]

Thanks, @Daniel.   

(...and I was trying to be so c-h-i-l-l with this tank, too! 😎)

[Alesha]

I wanted to do a follow up. I scooped out the finer-grit blasting sand & replaced it with the 20/40 grit.

It was a very fast process & started settling so much faster than the smaller size did.

Here it was this morning, before the new fish arrived.

 

I am quite pleased with the number of water wisteria stalks I got from that tiny little potted sprig that I first put in the Q-tank!

 

I plan to put up more pics later after this weird film clears off the glass. I think it's a combo of sand dust & growing bio film. So I hate to disrupt it just yet.

The parameters of the water weren't the greatest this morning:
Ammonia: 1.0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 15
pH: 7.4
KH: 100
GH: 200
Temp: 72*

I did a 25% water change with water from my cycled 55-gallon & treated it with Fritz conditioner.

I plan to check them again this evening- after adding the new fish AND their water, as per Aqua Huna's instructions.

Thanks for all your help, advice & encouragement on this one!
Alesha

[aquachris]

Definitely can tell it clearing up!  Keep at it and hopefully that cycle kicks in.  

I would take some media, plants, rock, or something out of your other tank rather than water.  Water will have very little beneficial bacteria in it... 

Look forward to hearing more on your new tank!

[Alesha]

2 minutes ago, aquachris said:

Definitely can tell it clearing up!  Keep at it and hopefully that cycle kicks in.  

I would take some media, plants, rock, or something out of your other tank rather than water.  Water will have very little beneficial bacteria in it... 

Look forward to hearing more on your new tank!

Oh yes, the sponge and all plants came from other tanks. Even the hornwort was floating in another tank. 😉 Great way to get that bacteria going! 

[shkote]

Wow your Wisteria has really taken off! Seems like yesterday you were showing the little plants in your QT tank. It looks great! Can't wait to see the progression on your tank and your new fish! 

[Alesha]

@Lynze - I looked up the date on the first pic. It was in mid-September. So all 4 tall stems and the original stem in 2.5 months. That's pretty impressive for that little plantlet. 😉  Thanks for the encouragement. 

[starsman20]

Just now, Aubrey

If you have a power head, small plastic bottle, and some filter floss you could filter out the finer particles pretty quick.

Even a hang on back with some floss will do well to capture the fine particles.

I use this set up a lot to clear water. Instead of filter floss its a small intake sponge filter from the coop with some 50 micron filter sheet shoved on top of it.

[Seized]

Is that the samd that cory sells?

[Alesha]

8 minutes ago, Seized said:

Is that the samd that cory sells?

I don't know, @Seized. I don't think I've seen it on the web site. But I have no idea what he carries in the store. 

[Daniel]

Aquarium Co-Op doesn’t carry Black Diamond Blasting sand. I bought mine at the local Tractor Supply store.

[Tanked]

I'm really glad to see the Black Diamond is working for you, and that other people are using it.  I bought 2 damaged bags for $1.00 years ago but never used because I was told it would cut the fish.  Now I might rethink that project.