Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I put a sample of Black Hawaiian under the electron microscope, also, and it looked pretty good. What I can't speak to is how consistent it is as a product. I think doing an ICP test is a good idea, especially if you feel your tank isn't as healthy as it should be.Currently have the Black Hawaiian on my 93 cube. Its been in the tank from the start, going on 9 months now. I have enjoyed it, and like you said it helps make the corals pop and keeps the sandbed looking clean regardless if it actually is. The new concerns over heavy metals in the tank is interesting and will considering doing an ICP test now.
This. I had the caribsea Hawaiian sand. It was definitely magnetic and I’m fairly sure it was part of the reason I had so much trouble with weird algae growth and coral deaths in the tank. Ripped it out and rebooted with Fiji sand.The only reason I would never used black sand is that every brand I've seen has a ferromagnetic component that is attracted to you magnetic glass cleaner. You pick up these bits and now scratch your glass (and if you have plexiglass, forget about it!)
I put a sample of Black Hawaiian under the electron microscope, also, and it looked pretty good. What I can't speak to is how consistent it is as a product. I think doing an ICP test is a good idea, especially if you feel your tank isn't as healthy as it should be.
I remember that tank of death to coral. Glad you voiced the findings was going to pull you in.It's not just high levels of iron you need to worry about. Black sands are typically processed lava rock. You are at the mercy of whatever happened to be in the lava flow at the location your future sand was collected from. For one member here, the problem was a combination of high nickle and vanadium. We were able to confirm the sand as the source via an electron microscope. He went from not keeping anything alive to having a thriving tank once he changed his sand out. While I'm sure most black sand is safe and that these metal veins being incorporated into the sand is rare, it is something to consider. If you do go the black sand route I would highly recommend sending out a Triton test after the cycle but prior to stocking.