Replacement for 3M color quartz

londonloco · Post by **londonloco** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:15 pm

I've heard this: Spectra Quartz Colored Minerals is very similar. Anyone have any information on it?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:33 pm

I noticed that 3M's website no longer says that Colorquartz is being discontinued. I wonder if they changed their minds?

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:04 pm

If they don't discontinue, they should try marketing it to pet/fish stores. It would probably sell pretty well.

Jeff120 · Post by **Jeff120** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:11 pm

PaulS wrote:If they don't discontinue, they should try marketing it to pet/fish stores. It would probably sell pretty well.

And at a nice mark up as well. Add the word aquarium or esp. reef and they price is multiplied by 1000!

londonloco · Post by **londonloco** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:55 pm

When I tried to get some color quartz from Hatchik Supply CompanyÂ in Springfield VA told me there were other company's coming out with a replacement. He also took notes on why I wanted it, he said he has had many calls from aquarists.

ANYWAY, back to my original topic, guess no one has heard about this Spectra color quartz?

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:26 am

Do you have a link to the product?

londonloco · Post by **londonloco** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:30 am

Below. I was going to call them today to see where distributors were. The website has "coming soon" under "where to buy".

http://www.spectraquartz.com/

londonloco · Post by **londonloco** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:37 am

I called this morning. Got to a Sales Rep...It comes in several grades, F, C, Q6 and Q10. F is sand like, Q10 is 1-3MM size. They will only ship a pallet at a time, 64 bags, 14$ a 50lb bag plus shipping. He knew nothing of it's make up, but says it's "same as 3M, different manufacturer", whatever that means. He called me back with a distributors name: Ram Res Flooring & Quartz in Baltimore. I called Kathy (I've dealt with them before) at Ram. They still have black 3M in stock, retail is $36.42 a 50lb bag. They will not be ordering this spectraquartz in black until she runs out of black 3M stock. Then the price will be similar to 3M pricing. I'm not sure what you'all were paying for the 3M color quartz.

Since I'm a newbee again, not sure how big of a group buy we could get going of the spectraquartz, maybe between PVAS and GWAPA? That is if someone could figure out if this Spectraquartz is the same as the 3M product. Just a thought.....

chris_todd · Post by **chris_todd** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:10 pm

Geez, $14/50 lb. bag is close to pool filter sand prices, much cheaper than ColorQuartz ever was.

That's the same price Ram was charging back when 3M announced they were discontinuing ColorQuartz. I think Mike Barber was able to get it for $40 or $50 per bag at a few bags a time, and sold several to folks in GWAPA and PVAS.

Some folks on CCA and I tried to organize a bulk order of ColorQuartz back then, but it fell through when the logistics got complicated. It's awfully hard to find someone who can pickup an entire pallet of 50 lb. bags, and have someplace to hold them while they get distributed all over the NOVA/DC/Balto region. I won't try that again. If someone else wants to try, however, I'd probably buy a bag or two.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 4:40 pm

I think the thing to do is to ask Ram how many bags they have left of the 3M and then ask if they'll give a discount if we purchase them all, depending on how many there are.

Replacement for 3M color quartz

Replacement for 3M color quartz

Sponsors