# Black sandblasting sand, made from coal slag?



## hs5964 (Aug 21, 2010)

I'm getting ready to start a 125g Lake Malawi setup. I really dig the look of black sand, but I'm having a hard time locating any here in town. I've been researching, and it seems a lot of people are having good results with black sandblasting sand made from nickel slag. Well I can't find that stuff. I did find some black sandblasting sand, it's called black diamond, only this stuff is made from coal slag... not nickel slag. Any thoughts, ideas, opinions on this stuff? '''The fact that it's made from coal kind of scares me away.....

Here's a link to the manufacturers website.


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## hs5964 (Aug 21, 2010)

Here's the link to the manufacturers website http://www.ati-blackdiamond.com/new/home.htm


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

I know some have posted that they used coal slag or similar with "no problems", but IMO, I wouldn't use anything that came from coal. I believe there is alot of iron in it and I'd be worried about other petroleum/hydrocarbon byproducts leaching into the water. I know they are more $, but look for Tahitian Moon sand or Estes Black sand. If you can't find it locally, search the web. Good luck!


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

The best carbon for water filtration comes from coal. lots of people have used Black Beauty and such, coal slags, with no problems.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't like the idea of it either, but very possibly there is no good reason. I'd just buy a black sand and avoid the concern altogether.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I have been using a black blasting sand for over a year now with no issues. Mine is a nickel slag, but I would have no concerns of using coal slag. At the Black Beauty site, they mentioned that one of it's uses was for aquarium substrate. The price is hard to beat.


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## hs5964 (Aug 21, 2010)

Well I ended up finding the black beauty stuff, there is this big place here in SA that sells all sorts of sand, gravel, stones, and rocks (honeycomb rocks too!!) for landscaping. It's more of a contractor place, but they sell to the public too. $100lb bag- $12 :thumb:


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