# Attn: Columbus SWOAPERS; Looking for "Flourite Black Sand"



## JRJ (Feb 9, 2005)

Once again, I'm feeling the bite of living in Ohio. I'm looking for a new substrate that Seachem released a couple of months ago, "Flourite Black Sand." Apparently people in other parts of the country are able to get it, but I'm at a loss. Called everywhere, special ordered it up the wazoo, even called a local pet supplies distributor - all to no avail.

Has anybody in the Columbus area seen it? I called Aquarium Adventure up there. Nothing.

Thanks for any help.

-Russ


----------



## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

I live in north columbus and i've recently been looking locally at available substrates and I can't say I've seen any seachem plant subrates other than the standard Flourite, I'd recommend looking online, you'd be lucky to find it locally for anything less than $30 a bag anyway, this usually is more than it woudl be to ship if you purchased it online. funny how that works out. sometimes it suprises me how LFSs stay in business with they're rediculously high prices. I saw eco complete for $40 a bag!! a redsea CO2 system, no tank, for over $200(my entire CO2 setup with a brand new 20lb alum. cylinder and a fill for less than that) I also saw a bubble counter for $40 thats just craziness to me. sorry to go on a rant there but it just really suprises me how lfss really like to take advantage of people who dont do their research or who are really stuck on brand names and buying locally.


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

www.foxmillpets.com has it for about $16.00 a bag online. I'm not sure what shipping comes to though.


----------



## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

Wait a minute, is the product your looking for called 'onyx sand'? I may have actually seen this at the petsmart located on Sawmill Rd. in columbus, I'd call ahead though before driving there because I can't remember if thats actually what I saw. they normally have substrate for like $20 a bag there.


----------



## Six (May 29, 2006)

AA used to have onyx sand. 

I dunno where you guys can buy this stuff online and get it cheaper if you factor in shipping. 20# shipped is awful expensive.


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Six said:


> AA used to have onyx sand.
> 
> I dunno where you guys can buy this stuff online and get it cheaper if you factor in shipping. 20# shipped is awful expensive.


Well, my LFS charges $23.00 a bag. Most places ship it at least for that price all said and done so why not ship it?


----------



## JRJ (Feb 9, 2005)

First of all, it's "Flourite Black Sand," not Onyx sand, which I have 150 lbs of in my tanks and really don't like it. It's headed for my garden.

I have been looking on-line and the only sources I could find were in California. Shipping is just not an option from those places. They were charging an average of $23 a bag and shipping was coming in at about $12 a bag. I'm not interested in it at $35/bag.

I didn't see the Fox Mill Pets option before (located in VA) and I just ordered 7 bags of it at $15.47ea. I was apprehensive about the shipping cost, so I called them and they said to go through the order process so the shipping would come up and I could abort at that point if I didn't like it. The shipping came up as $7.04. Not per bag, but for the entire 105 lb order. I expect to get a panicked phone call or email tomorrow saying that their web site malfunctioned and that the shipping will be much more. It'll be OK with me if it's $7.04/bag which is still a great price per bag (assuming UPS will get it to me without rupturing bags and leaving a trail from here to VA).

Thanks to everyone who replied and special thanks to Aaron T for the tip on Fox Mill Pets.


----------



## Six (May 29, 2006)

So online that exact brand can be shipped to your door for less than $40/bag? Hrm. Well, I thought I was well versed with shipping charges per weight, but maybe I'm missing something. I was going to buy 50# of dow flake for my reef tank from Buckeye Field Supply and they wanted a lot more to ship the product than it was worth. I could drive there and buy it cheaper.

Anywho, I understand why you can get it online cheaper, those places don't have the same business operation as a LFS. You can get everything cheaper online, fish related or not. I brought up shipping because some people don't take that into account. Maybe that's the reef side of the aquarium hobby.


----------



## Rob Tetrazona (Jun 21, 2005)

Actually, a lot of online businesses are offering reduced if not free shipping for this holiday shopping season, which started in September. It was in the news recently. I hope you get your order, Russ, before they catch on if it's wrong.


----------



## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Hey Russ,

If you actually get this stuff, you are going to have to host a meeting so everyone can check it out! I wonder if this is Seachem's answer to Soilmaster Select?


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

You're welcome for the tip about Fox Mill Pets. I should have mentioned that I ordered the new Flourite Dark from them and was very pleased. I did have the same issue with the shipping costs not showing up in my cart, only they never did even after I placed the order. I put in a phone call to see what the costs would be and they apologized for the inconvenience and shipped it free! Now that's service.


----------



## JRJ (Feb 9, 2005)

Just like I thought, the people at Fox Mill Pets emailed me and said the web site didn't figure the shipping correctly. It came out to be $7.35 per bag, which is reasonable for a 15 lb bag and makes for a total cost of $22.82 per bag. Good deal.



MatPat said:


> If you actually get this stuff, you are going to have to host a meeting so everyone can check it out! I wonder if this is Seachem's answer to Soilmaster Select?


I should host a meeting just on general principle in the not too distant future.

Soilmaster has always been too light to hold plants down for me and bba likes to grow on it. Over the years, my one tank with Flourite out performs the Onyx tanks - it take less CO2 to drop the Ph, I get better and more healthy growth, almost no algae growth, and the tank seems to stay sweet whereas the Onyx tanks get a lot of mulmy build up in them. I haven't liked the color of Flourite and the grain size was way too big. Now that Seachem has come up with the über solution, "Flourite Black Sand," rayer: I'm going to give it a whirl.

-Russ


----------

