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is it true that by adding clay like a clay pot to a plant tank will help the plats like get stronger.

Hi,
There is clay, and then there is also, clay.

The clay pots are made of clay that has been "fired"
into a solid container.

The clay that you are refering to is, in the aquatic
plant world, a tropical red clay found in rain forests,
called Laterite. It is rich in iron, and excellent for
plants.

The laterite is dug up, and packaged as Laterite, or
is baked (fractionated) into a solid red block that
is then ground into aquarium size gravel and marketed
among other names, Flourite. Laterite is expensive.
Most folks who use pure laterite, use it in one of two ways...

They put a one inch layer on the bottom of the tank and
then cap that layer with an inch and a half, of regular
aquarium gravel. They then plant the plants in the
"cap layer" and let the roots grow into the clay.
Or, less expensive - They mix a 50/50 mix of clay and
gravel and then place that mix on the bottom of the tank
and place an inch and a half cap layer of pure gravel
on top of that.
The most expensive use is to purchase pure Flourite,
or Onyx, or any other "Plant substrate" and use it
100% instead of gravel. These products are still made
from the tropical, rain forest, clay, but have been
baked solid and when placed in the tank, will cause
"Some" (depending on who you talk to) cloudiness that
will eventually settle out (with the help of a diatom
style filter).

To save money, and/or because of an inability to have
access to Laterite, Flourite, or the other products,
folks use common, ordinary, UNSENTED, kitty litter.
Again, they place a one inch layer on the bottom of
the tank, and then cap it with an inch and a half of
regular aquarium gravel. Plant the plants in the
cap layer, and let the roots grow into the clay.

Any time you vigoriously vacuum the gravel, or pull
(uproot established plants) you will pull some of the
clay through the cap layer, making your tank a cloudy
mess, that can only be cleaned with a diatom style filter.

The use of clay provides an excellent plant substrate.
It will provide a very nearly endless supply of nutrients
such as iron, and plants will flourish with its use.
However, it can be expensive, and if it gets loose in
the tank as clay, it will make the tank look like the
run off from a potters wheel and require a diatom style
filter to "clean up."

Hope this helps...

BTW, I use 100% Flourite.
Frank


[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-23 12:26][/span]

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Whoops, I thought you were asking about growing the plant inside the pot ! Doh !!

The Amazon Nut...