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laterite useage

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Rex Grigg 
#1 ·
I think I notice a trend in that you folk like to put a layer of laterite in the tank and then add a layer of sand or gravel. The laterite box that we have available here says to put 20 ounces of laterite in a 20 gal tank, cover with gravel and then fluff it all together. they also say it can be added to already established gravel just by sprinkiling it onto the gravel and then fluffing it together. Any comments about this please. It seems so different from what you guys are doing.
Mouse
pS do you all prefer long tanks to deep ones of the same gallonage?
 
#4 ·
But Profile is pretty much an inert substrate. Laterlite, Flourite, Eco-Complete all contain some nutrients. Also laterlite is a substrate additive and the rest are substrates. Some brands of laterlite are baked just like Flourite and don't cloud the water. Other brands are more like dried mud.
 
#5 ·
I must be deeply confused about what laterite is. I thought it looked just like fluorite that you just layer under your sand...but 20 oz.?? Can't be something like fluorite if thats all you add to a 20 gallon tank. Can someone post a picture of what it looks like?
 
#6 ·
Regardless of what nutrients and minerals might actually be absorbed in Laterite, Profile, Eco, Flourite, etc., with a good CEC, the substrate will store up nutrients from dosing trace element mix into the water column. In a matter of months, the initial charge the substrate might have had will be insignificant by comparison.
 
#7 ·
I had a look at the reference for 1st layer pure laterite.
I have not seen any flurite around here even in big Al's and Walmart. All we get is the laterite. I also noticed the Drs foster website sells meds but only ship to the USA. unfortunate as i am in Ontario, canada
mouse
 
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