# Black diamond aquarium substrate



## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

So I found a guy selling "three large ziploc bags" of the 20-40 grit size black diamond copper slag", he wants $30 for the three bags. Is this a good price? Does anyone know how much it is in stores, or where I could find it? Also, if it's shrimp safe... Thanks in advance for any replies!


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

Copper will kill shrimp. If this is truly slag, it is a by product of smelting and I would not think it would be good for anything in water.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

An 88 lb bag of #20 nickel slag is about $10. In my opinion, a 20-40 would be too fine. #20 is as fine as I would want and my next tank will have #12.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

darkangel66n said:


> Copper will kill shrimp. If this is truly slag, it is a by product of smelting and I would not think it would be good for anything in water.


Supposedly (the seller says) it actually doesn't have copper in it. It's just the name of the brand or something along those lines. I'll provide the link, http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...ate-alternative-30-markham-W0QQAdIdZ569354442


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## muskieboy (Feb 5, 2012)

Sounds like a rip off. You can get a 50lb bag of sand blasting sand for $10 at tractor supply company. I use it with my fish and shrimp.

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk


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## LTPGuy (Aug 8, 2012)

1. The price is a rip-off. You can get a 50lb bag for $10 and your local sandblasting store. Someone mentioned that already.

2. If you want to keep shrimps, stay away from these kind of stuffs. Someone else did mentioned about coal slag which is exactly what they are.

I bough a bag of this stuffs, and rinsed it until Kingdom almost came, and there is still some sort of solvent smell to them.

In the first few rinsing, you will get an oily film that needs to be wiped off whatever container you're using.

I've setup a test tank using this stuff with a few neo culls, and they were alive for a few weeks. But I put some daphnia in the same tank, and they were ALL DEAD within an hour or two.

Don't risk your shrimps or fishes with these stuffs. 

For the same price you can buy tahitian moon sand, or black laterite.

I hope this help.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I know I'd be leery of using slag for shrimp. Even though in theory all the copper is removed by the smelting process, you don't know for sure that it has been. And it's so dirty, as LTP guy said. For the price being asked I'd go with Moonsand or sand size black Flourite.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I have used sandblasting sand with good results for fish. My only shrimp are a few ghost shrimp, they don't really count.

I get my sand at TSC


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

3M color quartz is the only black sand I'd use. Other good (but not black ) sands are pool filter sand and play sand.


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

Where is 3M colour quartz available?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

hasn't been available for a few years now unfortunately


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

Oh. That's what I thought. I just had my hopes up. Oh well


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## Newobsession (Nov 17, 2010)

Here's the link for Durock Allfacing in Vaughan with the address and contact info. 
http://www.durock.ca/
They have the colour quartz, not 3M brand but this is the link to the company they get it from. They stock the "S" grade.
http://www.permacolorquartz.com/Colorquartz.html

Looking at the MSDS and technical data sheet from the website I don't see why it wouldn't be just as suitable as the 3M stuff.

I double checked and they do sell to the general public. Sold in 50 lb bags. price is roughly $35-$40/bag depending on colour


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

How big is S? Is T size bigger?


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## Newobsession (Nov 17, 2010)

T Grade is larger than S grade.
Here is a link to a 3M page with pictures of the grades. I don't know the scale of the pictures but it give s you an idea of size in relation to each other

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?WWWWWWECOgjWpzXWizXWWwymDGRBIk_K-


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

BillD said:


> An 88 lb bag of #20 nickel slag is about $10. In my opinion, a 20-40 would be too fine. #20 is as fine as I would want and my next tank will have #12.


So I shall avoid his offer then... BillD, and Muskieboy (I think that was you), you've had 0 issues with the nickle slag? For both shrimp, fish and plants?


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