FishProfiles.com Message Forums

ok every says read first then act! so im doing the research before trying it my self. i read about 2-3 months ago about someone using cat litter as a subsrate. i was wondering if that could be a possibility? i want that sandy look but i know i cant go to fine of grain do to floating, so i was wondering if the above stated would work. and if so what so i look out for, ie specific ingriedents that could be harmful

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

It can be done.

It's not the best really from what I've read. The cat litter that you want would be unscented unprocessed clay cat litter. The clay itself does not hold any nutrients so with a planted tank you'll need to supplement the substrate with root ferts.

^_^

Hi,
OK, here is the theory...
Plants need iron among other minerals for growth.
Fluorite is an ancient clay thousands to millions of years
old. It was formed in jungles where it rained constantly
and the vegetation piled up upon itself and eventually
became clay deposits rich in iron.
These deposits are mined, the clay crushed and then wetted
to form a substance that looks like potters clay ready to
"throw" on a potters wheel. This mixture is then either
left out to bake into bricks or is oven baked
(fractionated) till it is hard as rocks. These "rocks" are
then ground up into aquarium gravel size grains and bagged.
Sachem's Fluorite is a prime example.
It is a terrific substrate for plants nor it does not
"wear out" over time as some report Eco Complete does.

Fluorite has two problems...
One, it is clay. As the particles rub against each other
the clay dust forms and can be a problem. When you wash
regular aquarium gravel the run off will be "dirty" but
eventually it will clear up, and then you put it in the
tank. With fluorite, it seems like the more you wash it
the more it remains cloudy. The "trick" with fluorite
is to wash it once to get rid of the bulk of the dust
and any sticks/twigs that might be in the bag, and then
dump it in the tank. Wet the gravel (add water to about
an inch deep over the gravel, plant the plants, and then
set a plate on the gravel in a bare spot, and fill the
tank using the plate to dissipate the water flow and not
rile the tank up. The use of a diatom filter is nearly
mandatory with a fluorite tank for times of overhaul
or on the initial filling. The diatom filter will make the
water crystal clear within hours, instead of the days,
weeks, even months, that it would take a regular filter
to try and accomplish the same thing.

The other thing about Fluorite is that it is expensive!

The expense is the reason why folks sometimes "cheat"
and instead of using 100% fluorite, they will mix it
50/50 with aquarium gravel.
OR, they use another clay that is readily available...
Unscented Kitty Litter. This is crushed clay of recent
deposits, that contains some iron and other minerals.
It too is mined and processed as Fluorite, but is sold
for kitty litter, or as "speedy dry" for mechanics to
soak up oil and gasoline spills. You can get a 50 pound
sack of the stuff for peanuts, compared to the more
commercial "plant friendly" substrates.

This kitty litter can be a HUGE, HUGE, problem.
It is NEVER used 100%. It is ALWAYS put down as a layer
about an inch and a half thick on the bottom of the tank,
and then a (cap layer) of an inch and a half of regular
aquarium gravel, or sometimes sand, is poured on top of
it to keep the clay contained.
Again, you GENTLY run the water into the layered tank,
to about an inch or so deep, and plant the plants into
the cap layer only! You do not want to disturb the clay
layer. Once the plants are in, then you again place a plate
on top of the cap layer and GENTLY fill the tank up.
The clay layer can be made of UNSCENTED Kitty Litter or
a clay called Laterite. The Laterite is an ancient
clay that is exactly the same as Fluorite, but not
fractionated. It comes as "clay." You don't wash it,
you just layer it and then cap it.
Now, the problem with the layered substrate is that the
plants are planted in the cap layer, but their roots
grow down into the clay layer. Every time you up root a
plant, for what ever reason, you bring microscopic clay
particles attached to the root "hairs" up through the
cap layer and into the tank water. The use of a diatom
filter is mandatory to trap the clay particles and clear
the water.

Hope this helps...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--