Loaches Online Forum

Thanks for the info on Colorquartz, I am contacting 3M to find a vendor in my area.

DI, you might also try looking for Estes Aqua Sand - it comes in black. I think that's what I have, and it's quite smooth and uniform.

Again, thanks for all the feedback. I did locate the 3m Colorquartz, so I hope my clowns will be happy. I have rearranged my aquarium lately & notice the the clowns are so brilliant in their coloring the last few days. What causes this color change, the orange seems to glow?

Happy fish will be brightly colored. Clean water, proper caves to feel secure, tasty food, and a rotation of food so they get all the vitamins and minerals they need, big enough tank to spread out and not feel crowded together...

Many fish change color to communicate with their tank mates. Schooling fish like Tetras will show their best colors in a dark tank because they are trying to stay coordinated with the school. Clown Loaches do not school in the same way, but they do use color to communicate with each other.

If 3M cannot help you find a local supplier, you can call all the swimming pool contractors and supply places. Contractors who install pools would know where to find it, and they might get it through a swimming pool supply store that sells pumps, filters, chlorine and all sorts of other pool equipment.

Diana, very interesting info. My clowns continue to fascinate me! I shall try to keep them happy, thanks.

Diana wrote:If 3M cannot help you find a local supplier, you can call all the swimming pool contractors and supply places. Contractors who install pools would know where to find it, and they might get it through a swimming pool supply store that sells pumps, filters, chlorine and all sorts of other pool equipment.

Di, I contacted 3M and they referred me to a local distributor/store - but they quoted $40/bag + shipping (since they have to order from 3M).

I live around SF Bay Area, can you let me know where and how much you got your 3M CQ black?

Thx

Actually another member of a plant forum had some excess, so I got it.

There are SO many places that supply swimming pool contractors throughout the SFBA.

Start locally, with your own phone book, call all the installers and suppliers.

You might also contact rock yards and masonry stores, especially Peninsula Building Supply which is in the South Bay (Santa Clara, I think, but one of the towns at the south end of the Bay)

I know that A Very Nice Pool Company installs pools with this product.
Look also under Pool Plasterers and see if there are any listed separately. These companies specialize in finishing pools with plaster, and many other materials, including 3-M Colorquartz.


If you are interested in planted tanks come on over to

www.SFBAAPS.org

There is a distributor finder on the 3M website
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... ducts/Buy/

I'm going to check out SFBAAPS.

Like I mentioned before, I used 3M website and the closest distributor to me wouldn't sell the CQ direct. They referred me to a local pool store, that asked $40/bag. I even made a complain to 3M on the big price difference between stores. At that price, I might as well get some eco-complete + flourite black sand - and then file ch 11

Another distributor is 80miles away.

I'm 40miles north of GG bridge. I checked several pool store/supplies already, none carry 3M CQ.

After many hours of rinsing, the Colorquartz is in the aquarium & the clowns seem to love it. They are already digging caves. I found a local pool company that actually contacted their distributor to order it for me, it was $32.50 for 50 lbs. I live in Western North Carolina, but I think it came from the Charlotte area. It was worth all the hard work, thanks again for everyone's feedback.

Did you get the "S" or "T" grade, DI? I'm leaning toward the finer S, if I can find it. I may wait until it really warms up here so I can rinse it outdoors.

Nancy, I got the "S" grade in black. It looks very black while rinsing, but in the aquarium looks more dark gray. Could be that my stand, etc is black, so colorquartz looks more grayish. I really like the look & the clowns show up even more!