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	Cat Litter Plant Substrate?
drrich2 Enthusiast Posts: 150 Kudos: 34 Votes: 0 Registered: 28-May-2001	Hi: In this thread http://fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Water%20Gardens%20and%20Ponds/54749.html in the Water Gardening section someone suggested using plain, generic clay cat litter (free of additives) as a planting substrate for a water lilly in an outdoor pond. So, is this done in planted aquaria? 'Poor man's Fluorite' or something like that? Richard.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45
DaMossMan Fish Guru Piranha Bait Posts: 2511 Kudos: 2117 Votes: 359 Registered: 16-Nov-2003	Unscented kitty litter and no additives is poor man's LATERITE... Would be a partial substrate, as is Laterite. Flourite is a complete substrate. Use where Laterite would be used. Part of a 2 or 3 layer substrate. The Amazon Nut...
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	That would be the last thing I would ever use except for a cats litter tray. I think it could be someone trying to save a few $ and looking for a cheap way out. [link=My Betta Desktop tank & Placidity 5ft Community Tank photos]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] Keith Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do. I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT? VOTE NOW VOTE NOW
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45
LITTLE_FISH *** Little Fish *** Master of Something Posts: 7303 Kudos: 1997 Votes: 670 Registered: 20-May-2005	I also don’t think that cat litter is a qualified plant fertilizer. I agree with the poster in the linked thread that it would probably expand and initially lock the roots in place by doing so. But I doubt that litter servers any other purpose in a tank/pond and for sure does not make an efficient substrate fertilizer. One could test this out and use Laterite as a kitty litter and observe what the cat has to say about it . Ingo Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45
jake Fish Addict Posts: 594 Kudos: 875 Votes: 2 Registered: 21-Mar-2004	It's not a qualified fertilizer, but the kitty litter in question is basically just ground clay. It's too light to be a worthwhile stand-alone planted substrate, but used like laterite would be fine. It's uses aren't for providing nutrients, it's for holding and releasing nutrients you've added, and as such I'd think it would be successful.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45
DaMossMan Fish Guru Piranha Bait Posts: 2511 Kudos: 2117 Votes: 359 Registered: 16-Nov-2003	I researched the exact same thing before when checking out DIY plant substrates (google THAT !) It is a valid substrate ADDITIVE and used where laterite would be used, just as Jake said.. (and I earlier) as PART of a multi-layer substrate. Then I bought flourite The Amazon Nut...
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:45


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