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Does Fuorite and similar ever get "used up?"

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  mfskarphedin 
#1 ·
I have Profile in my tanks. It's mostly getting onto 10 years old now. Does it ever need to be replaced?

[edit] Ugh, "Fluorite." Lesson: proofread your titles.
 
#2 ·
Flourite is inert and contains nothing that's really usable for plants. So there's nothing to really "use up."

You have to provide your own fertilization - either via root fertilizers in the form of tabs or from dosing fertilizers in the water column.

It can break down over time and continued use, if that's what you're asking.
 
#3 ·
Yea, it won't ever break down since it's inert. I do find that I need to add some flourite back every once in a while though. Everytime I take out moss tiles to trim I always lose a few pieces that the moss clings too.
 
#5 ·
Hmm, what about all this ion exchange stuff, though? I never took chemistry, so I'm clueless. I know I used this chart long ago to decide which substrate to go with, and it talked about calcium and iron, blah, blah. This stuff can't be just like plain gravel with all the cost of it, can it?

[edit] Not ions but "Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC.)"
 
#7 ·
Ah, ok, so it refreshes? Like the way you can recharge ammo-chips with aquarium salt? :thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
Awesome. Thx!
 
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