livepsycle Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 (edited) Hey guys. So I'm thinking I'd like to do something very cool and possibly even illegal. But I don't know if it will work. Leading into the Mary River is a tributary with the most incredible sand filled with gold like specs. Fools gold probably. I think it would look thoroughly awesome at the bottom of a tank. But I don't know if the gold flecks will remain or be visible. And I don't know anything about sand as a medium. This sand looks very much like Mary River Sand. It's just that the gold flecks are off the chain. Like... lots. It makes your girlfriend very happy when you get her naked in the stream and cover her in the sand while still in the water and then say "Oh wow baby, you look like a sparkly goddess." Guaranteed to keep the other campers up all night. I want to put plants and small native (bought) fish in this tank with this sand. Has anyone dealt with Mary River Sand before? Plants? Any ideas/info? Cheers. Edited December 29, 2012 by livepsycle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noddy Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 It is illegal but only if you get caught... Nudge nudge wink wink... Maybe grab some and put it in the water and see what impact it has on your water parameters. If you do decide to do it, make sure you strain out the foreign objests and then boil it for a while o get out all the bacteria/disease. Some plants may struggle in the sand but depending on what you choose they may be fine. PM me if you want more details/info Cheers Trav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubby Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 When do you go camping ?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
african-cichlids Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 I'm not too sure about native fish but I no there's something in the fools gold that isn't good for african cichlids water. Just make sure it's ok for natives before you do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadFishFloating Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Pyrite has been used since classical times to manufacture copperas, that is, iron(II) sulfate. Iron pyrite was heaped up and allowed to weather as described above (an early form of heap leaching). The acidic runoff from the heap was then boiled with iron to produce iron sulfate. In the 15th century, such leaching began to replace the burning of sulfur as a source of sulfuric acid. By the 19th century, it had become the dominant method. Pyrite remains in commercial use for the production of sulfur dioxide, for use in such applications as the paper industry, and in the manufacture of sulfuric acid. Iron pyrite is unstable in the natural environment: in nature it is always in the process of being created or being destroyed. Iron pyrite exposed to air and water decomposes into iron oxides and sulfate. This process is hastened by the action of Acidithiobacillus bacteria which oxidize the pyrite to produce ferrous iron and sulfate. These reactions occur more rapidly when the pyrite is in fine crystals and dust, which is the form it takes in most mining operations. [h=3]Acid drainage[/h] Sulfate released from decomposing pyrite combines with water, producing sulfuric acid, leading to acid rock drainage and potentially acid rain. Pyrite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Doesnt sound suitable for Africans agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
african-cichlids Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Thanks for clarifying that for me deadfishfloating just couldn't remember exactly why but new it wasn't cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livepsycle Posted December 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Thanks for taking the time to do that. So it's quite possible I would create an environment where I'm constantly battling Sulphuric acid accumulation? I've seen what a fast release of that can do on the Gold Coast. Massive fish kills in the Nerang River from a new development in a low lying area, gets rained on and a huge dump of Sulphuric acid ensues. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadFishFloating Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 If you could use is really accurately......... it could be a handy tool for blackwater biotypes. buuuuuuuut yea it appears risky. Something new for me though, never would have considered it if ya hadnt mentioned it african-cichlids. Anyone here noticed the 'gold' flecks in miracle mud before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livepsycle Posted January 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 That's a new term for me. I'm assuming Blackwater = stained water. Coz in plumbing black-water is sewerage. And I'm thinking sewerage is not the best environment to keep in a tank in your lounge room. Maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadFishFloating Posted January 1, 2013 Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 Black water in aquaria usually refers to freshwater biotypes where the water is stained by tannins from vegetation. Teatree lakes and parts of the amazon are good examples. Water generally has a low pH and a low KH and GH. As well as yea........ looking like coca cola. An uncycled aquarium with ammonia and nitrite present, would technically be "black water" as far as water treatment jargon goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livepsycle Posted January 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2013 Nitrites, Ammonia... and Nitrates? Or is it the Nitrates that convert fastest and that's why Nitrites and Ammonia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
