# spectraquartz fine grade



## seachicken (Nov 5, 2009)

Has anyone used spectraquartz fine grade. I found a dealer in denver and picked up some today. I was really excited because of all the good reviews of 3m colorquartz. I have used black beauty blasting sand before but I thought I would try this instead.

I wanted the course grade but all they carry is fine and the nearest dealer that sales course is 10+ hours away.

So here is my problem. I put the stuff in a Rubbermaid bin to wash out. Well it kind of floats and every time I stir the stuff it wants to suspend into the water. Not really good for fish. 
So has anyone else had any luck with spectraquartz fine? Will if finally settle down or am I missing something.

thanks


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## Gervahlt (Jun 25, 2009)

If it's the same as Colorquartz's S-grade, which it looks like, it'll be great for your tank. A few grains will bond together and float kinda raft-like on the surface. Once they are fully submerged though, they'll sink just fine. Just wash it like you would normal sand. A bit will wash out, but probably a lot less than you lost washing play sand or PFS. Make sure to wash it well though, as it has a bit of a residue on it that will stick to glass, your hands, or your 5-gallon bucket. It will rub right off, but it's kinda oily. The "film" will gradually disappear and does not seem to cause any harm to equipment or fish. You may have to wipe down your glass a couple of times though if you allow the water level to become visible, or if it is low when you first put the sand in your tank.

The grains are tiny, but they're heavier than regular sand, so even if they get stirred up by a good sized fish or something, they fall immediately back down to the bottom. Fish love moving it around and gill-filtering it. I can't say enough how much I like mine.

Note though that all of the above is IF it's like the Colorquartz. I haven't used the Spectraquartz yet, although it looks like the exact same thing...just under a new name. Some of the same pictures are used on the distributor sites, and the distribution network even uses the same companies and warehouses that the original did.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

As Gervahlt said, the Spectraquartz and 3M Colorquartz are very similar in size in the S-grade version. I only use both these products in my tanks & am very pleased with the look.

It does take quite a bit of time to initially rinse the sand fresh out of the bag and when you are rinsing the black, it definitely takes a while to get the excess black colorant out. It can be oily & smelly but will eventually rinse relatively clear, though not crystal clear.

I found the best way to clean it is to use a 5 gallon bucket with no more than 1/3 sand, vinyl gloves (if doing the black), and tepid water to keep your hands warm. Fill with water half way, swish the sand & water thoroughly, then drain excess water by tipping the bucket. Repeat multiple times until the water runs fairly clear.

Also, when adding the sand to your tank, please shut off any filtration to prevent the fine granules from getting sucked into your filters and possibly damaging the impeller. Once the sand has settled, turn the filters back on. Within a day or two, the water will clear and any fine stray sand particles should stop floating.

Dee


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## seachicken (Nov 5, 2009)

From talking to the rep from Spectraquartz it is an identical product. They sell a fine which is like the (s) and a course which is like the (t) grade. He said it is almost the same procedure for making the stuff. I was worried about it sticking to everything. Hands, buckets, spoon for stirring etc. I figured if it got in my filtration system i would never get it out. But I will give it a few days of rinsing to see if it gets better.

Makes sense that it would have a substance on it to help bind to the surfaces. Thanks for the encouragement and I will keep you posted.

By the way, this product did not turn the water black at all when washing.

Thanks again.


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## Gervahlt (Jun 25, 2009)

Yeah, it'll be a slight grey water color when rinsing, but will eventually come completely clear. When I did it, my water only clouded up for an hour or two.


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## whosonfirst (Sep 15, 2010)

the link for Estes' colored Quartz is www.ceramaquartz.com
link forEstes' aquarium gravel is www.estesco.com


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