Lapis Lustre/Red Flint Darker PFS options and Nerdy sans questions. Help needed from the experts

[aman74]

So I’ve been researching sand. If I have the time I will post some other info I’ve collected on the way about various black sands, etc. For right now though I’d like to focus on the Lapis Lustre/Red Flint sands and any other PFS type sand that may be darker than most of the cheaper options. Also, a few general sand questions. The answers might help others as well. Maybe someday I’ll make one giant post as I know myself and a lot of others are on a constant hunt for options and want to know what they’re getting exactly.

I know some here are familiar with the Lapis Lustre as Cory has used it in a tank and people wanted to know what it was. Any good footage of that tank? I’d like to see it being used in an aquarium.

The SDS seems to indicate is has all kinds of things we don’t want, so surprised to see it used, but figured since Cory definitely knows what he’s doing most of the time, that I’m wrong. SDS/MSDS sheets can be hard for us laymen to read.

I’ll provide pics of the two SDS/MSDS I have.
Seems it also has limestone in it in potentially large quantities? Being from Monterey Bay perhaps shell as well.

It seems this stuff comes branded as:
Cemex, Kleen Blast, Cemex Kleen Blast, Cemex Neogem, RMC Pacific Materials, and Basalite

In the first pic and link it says:
Kleen Blast CEMEX Lapis Lustre Sand #60 100 lb./Bag

So what is the #60 for? It’s not for mesh or pounds. Mesh is listed as 30 in the description, but the bag says mesh of #2-/16?
In the mesh chart it says #2-/16 is 16x30 and that 30 mesh is 30x70, so I don’t think they are the same….and how does one read the chart overall? I think I have a general idea from googling it, but am not positive.

To make it even more confusing, Cory says he used .8. I assume mm, but I don’t see any that are listed that way and from the charts it looks like there is always a range of granule size per mesh category.

https://www.whitecap.com/p/Kleen-Bl...MI6IGeyaHN-AIVhofICh3oDwXwEAAYASAAEgIJrvD_BwE

Home Depot (different package and weight)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cemex-50-lb-30-Mesh-Sand-200000278/100321932#overlay

The Red Flint sand by Red Flint seems to also be a good PFS type of sand that isn’t stark white.
https://www.redflint.com/sand-filtration-media/

They have what appears to be the exact same thing in their aquarium section as well.

Estes has what looks like almost the same thing?:

Scroll down and it’s called Red Flint Sand
https://estesco.com/natural-aquarium-gravel/

They also have Ceramaquartz T&S grades in black, which is supposed to be the replacement for the 3M Colorquartz.

They also have a line called Permaquartz. I believe Cermaquartz is the ceramic coated variety and the Permaquartz is impregnated with the color somehow.

My guess is the Ceramaquartz is what Estes sells as Stoney River in pet shops. If so, I’m really surprised that isn’t more popular as the 3M stuff was very popular.

There’s also Covia

Personally I’m not sure I trust the coloring. I’ve seen enough reports of it coming off.

 

[rajkm]

The # is size used in the industry. Mesh sizes are not absolute, so they list 30-70 meaning it will have grains up to 70mesh in size but they also have a general break up on how much % of different mesh size there will be.