Product ReviewsSeachem Fluorite Black Sand Substrate 7.7lb

Cloudy water but its an easy fix for anything under 5 gallons

I just put this in today so I can't accurately write a review on it's effect on plant life BUT
I do have to write a bit of a warning .... It notes that it makes the water cloudy and it will settle on it's own in a few hours

Well it makes the water cloudy to a point that it's possibly filter medium clogging and fish sufficating . I recommend this for use in Nano tanks ONLY because a larger tank with this stuff would be a serious pain in the butt
Now this is the second most recommended stand alone planting substrate I could dig up online and alot of people love it so I'm definitely not going to slam it however
My fix for the cloudyness issue was to cover this substrate in normal fine black aquarium sand then do manual NOT GRAVEL VAC water changes until the water was as close to clear as I could get it ... Seriously these tanks are never going to be able to be gravel vacced again .... so my method was to fill a cup and slowly dip it into the water to remove the cloudy water , then put new water in with nearly no pour off ...and that's now my water change method ....if this works to keep plants alive in my tanks then this stuff is totally worth it but I recommend setting it up , planting your plants when the water is just not cloudy enough to see it , then water change till the water is clear again because this stuff is super light and super fine and anytime you might need to move anything it will recloud the water and you'll be starting all over with haveing to do full water changes every 15 min until the water is clear again , if you have fish that like to root around in the substrate ..... Don't get the sand , get the gravel.

This stuff may work for planting but it will also knock your cleaning work up to a whole new level as everytime you gravel vac you will be back to cloudy ... Get some cleaning life for your tank or just don't bother with the vacc. Maybe a ground cover plant would help hold this stuff down to.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: retek71

This bag had to be rinsed for about a half hour with a garden hose in a 5 gal. bucket, it was absolutely filthy.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: gotpetsupplies

Good stuff!!!

Great for plants, they grow very fast in!!! And the color looks amazing too!!!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: eslsupply

Great for your plants

So good news and bad news. Good news is that your root system for your aquarium plants is going to love this stuff. Used this on a 55 gallon aquascape and it looked stunning.

Bad news, it’s filthy. You’re going to want to give this stuff a solid rinse before putting it in your tank. Not too much though because some of the silt can be useful, but otherwise yes it requires some rinsing.

Overall, if you’re buying this for a planted tank, worth the money and time.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No