Black sand source?

[imay1280]

Hey folks... I am in the planning stages for the 180 that I picked up a couple of weeks ago now, and I'm trying to decide on the layout, closed loop vs. a gyre and powerheads, etc. One of the things that I am seriously considering is switching to black sand.

With that, does anyone know a good source to get around 300lbs or so of sand without paying the commercial bag pricing? ~$500 for Arag-Alive Hawaiian Black isn't going to cut it, so I'm looking for ideas, better bulk sources, etc. Your thoughts?

 

[torqued]

The problem with closed loop is you need to drill additional holes. Then use a massive pump to get any decent flow. While I hate the look of power heads...I am exploring adding a couple gyres instead. Should look much cleaner.

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[enderg60]

I was just up at atlanta aquarium and they had at least 200 lbs of black sand.

 

[imay1280]

This tank already has holes drilled for the loop, I would actually need to seal them if I was going to just use power heads. I was looking at some 3k gph DC pumps, but haven't made up my mind quite yet. The wife says I can't even set this tank up until we move into a new house (!!!), so I am going to take my time and weigh the pros and cons of every decision before I actually commit. Input is always welcomed, of course

Torqued;1082959 wrote: The problem with closed loop is you need to drill additional holes. Then use a massive pump to get any decent flow. While I hate the look of power heads...I am exploring adding a couple gyres instead. Should look much cleaner.

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[j_b_]

Checkout the Black Diamond blasting sand, it's $9.00 per 50# bag at Tractor Supply. There's not a ton of info about it in reef aquariums, but enough people have used it with no bad effects, that I could find. I just setup a 35g frag tank and mixed that with some regular sand because I didn't want it jet black. You do need to rinse the snot out of it first, but so far, I like the look of it. Do some Google searches and you'll find it. I used it successfully in several freshwater, planted tanks for years with no issues at all.

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