Granite Bits as Substrate

[Cosmic]

Just bought some black grantite bits (small pieces like sand) for my nano shrimp tank. Don't intend to plant any plans except for some Java Moss and a rock.

LFS claims that I just need to soak sand for a day and it can be used for my shrimp tank after that. Would like to know if anyone has used granite bits before and does it alter the water chemistry in any way? Thanks !

[silane]

I have yet to see LFS sells grantite bits. Grantite bits are used for road and house construction, which is quite easy to obtain at very cheap price.

If it is really grantite, it will not alter water chemsity.

[Cosmic]

I have yet to see LFS sells grantite bits. Grantite bits are used for road and house construction, which is quite easy to obtain at very cheap price.

If it is really grantite, it will not alter water chemsity.

Got this from a Local Fish Shop at Loyang Point (inside Shop n Save supermart). Price is very cheap at SGD 4.00 for 3 small packets. Can't quite make out what it is but if its really granite and it won't change water chemistry, I will try out with a few Cherries I have and see how it goes before putting in more.

Like the black "sand" look as I think it will go very well with the Cherries. Thanks !

[Nickel]

Hi Cosmic, I am also thinking of using granite sand for my shrimp tank.

Pls PM me result of your findings if you can. Afriad I might not able to find this post.

Many thanks.

[Ibn]

Have you tried testing it out with muriatic acid to see if it leeches anything?

[Cosmic]

Hi Cosmic, I am also thinking of using granite sand for my shrimp tank.

Pls PM me result of your findings if you can. Afriad I might not able to find this post.

Many thanks.

Mine is a small tank (2.5 gal) and have used a mixture of old water (from current tank) and new tap water. Have a small sponge filter to aerate & filter the water .

Added on 2 cherries immediately and both seemed ok after 6 hrs although there were swimming quite actively and ignore the algae wafer bit.

After 6 hours or so, added on 8 more and as of now (24 hrs later), all 10 seemed ok and are now "calm" and eating algae from the sole rock in tank but surprisingly, ignoring the algae wafer.

Will continue to post updates if anyone is interested.

[Nickel]

Thanks for updates. Glad all is well.

[Cosmic]

Thanks for updates. Glad all is well.

Hi Nickel,

Couldn't PM you as it was disabled....

Anyway, its been 48 hrs and I added in additional shrimps (21 now).Happy to note that all are doing ok and have started to eat the algae wafer.

Forgot to mention, I also added in Seachem Stability in lieu of a 1 to 2 weeks cycling and "touch wood", all are still alive and well.

[Cosmic]

Have you tried testing it out with muriatic acid to see if it leeches anything?

No, I did not as I don't have any thing to test. But luckily, all is well.....thus far :)

[Nickel]

Hi Nickel,

Couldn't PM you as it was disabled....

Anyway, its been 48 hrs and I added in additional shrimps (21 now).Happy to note that all are doing ok and have started to eat the algae wafer.

Forgot to mention, I also added in Seachem Stability in lieu of a 1 to 2 weeks cycling and "touch wood", all are still alive and well.


Thanks for trying to PM me. Not sure why it was disabled or is it I am new and not enough post to activate the inbox ? How to go about enable it ?

Anyway, I had been searching for black/dark colored granite sand for my shrimp tank too. Can you share where I can get them too ? How many packets to lay a thin layer in my 3x1.5ft base of tank ?

Many thanks for your response.

[Cosmic]

Anyway, I had been searching for black/dark colored granite sand for my shrimp tank too. Can you share where I can get them too ? How many packets to lay a thin layer in my 3x1.5ft base of tank ?

Many thanks for your response.

I got them from a LFS inside the Loyang Point Shop and Save Supermarket.

[Nickel]

Hi I got my black colored sand and looks good in my tank.

Somehow I noticed the cherries are much redder than they used to be when I using lapis sand. Did you notice similar change and is this normal ? Coming to a week now since I changed to black sand.

[Cosmic]

Hi I got my black colored sand and looks good in my tank.

Somehow I noticed the cherries are much redder than they used to be when I using lapis sand. Did you notice similar change and is this normal ? Coming to a week now since I changed to black sand.

Yup. I do find the cherries redder. Not sure if this is an optical illusion due to black sand :D

Another reason I thought of was since this is a shrimp only tank, they are less stressed than the previous community tank in which they were kept with platies, cardinals etc.

Where did you buy the sand from?

[Nickel]

I think the cherries try to blend into the darker background and hence became darker. I used to use lapis sand and notice they not as dark as now. My cherries are always in a shrimp-only tank . So may be good comparison as only the sand was changed.

I bought the sand in Pasir Ris one of the farms.