Oil Dry - Safe-T-Sorb

james0816 · 09-29-2011, 01:56 AM

I just snagged a couple bags for the nice price of $5 for all of them. Nice.

Somewhere I ran across something mentioning about "charging" them with fertilizer prior to use. I'm very curious about this.

Can anyone elaborate on it?

OverStocked · 09-29-2011, 02:01 AM

The problem with oil dry is breakdown. And it is SUPER dirty. I ran my 75 g with it for a while and uncapped, couldn't handle it at all. Then capped, it ends up getting messy.

You could soak it in a bucket with a dilute fert mixture, and even more importantly some calcium carbonate so it doesn't strip KH completely.

In my tank(tap ph almost 9, TDS 450) it would strip the kh down into the 5-10 from near 30 or higher.

I wouldn't use it or recommend it anymore. Cheap option close to it is the Turface line of products. Better color, too.

I tried it in a few "test" tanks and by the end of a year it was mush. Completely worthless and makes the oil dry not useful for us, in my eyes.

james0816 · 09-29-2011, 12:13 PM

Intesting assessment there. I'm guessing then that the majority of the people who are using haven't had it for a year then. Yikes!

aquatic serenity · 09-30-2011, 11:41 AM

I'm using it..It is very dirty...requires alot of rinsing..not easy to plant in either...very light..
I just threw together a cheap experiment -1/2 inch of peat on the bottom,some osmocote spread lightly over the peat and then covered with 2 inches of oil dri...
Got it all at walmart for under 20 bucks ..
tank is dong good at 3 mos in...just a little algae bloom (hair algae), but the swords I have in it have tripled in size !! I think they like the peat...
we'll see how it goes long term...

james0816 · 02-25-2012, 11:28 PM

I've decided to finally give this a go. I was anticipating a very cloudy dirty mess but was pleasantly surprised. I rinsed about four cups at a time.

This stuff rinsed out almost as good as PFS. Very minimal dust even when I poured it into the tank. I gave the tank a good dose of ferts to soak in.

It's a nice dark color as well unlike the much lighter beige looking type that I've seen in the past.

I'll snap up a pic shortly as soon as the camera battery charges up.

james0816 · 03-02-2012, 01:46 PM

The more I research items like this, the SafeTAbsorbent product from Moltan Corp. is different from Oil-Dri. Maybe now I understand where the frustrations from others came from.

This is the product I'm currently testing out. It's the bag in the middle.

SafeTAbsorbent

Was surprisingly clean when rinsed out. Didn't take much effort to rinse and after adding to the tank, it wasn't cloudy. Planting was no issue either as the grain size is heavy enough to hold. No cloudiness occured when the substrate was disturbed.

This is even what it looks like.

depech · 03-02-2012, 02:14 PM

Wow! Loos pretty good. I might try that for my next tank. Which store did you get them at?

james0816 · 03-02-2012, 03:31 PM

I picked it up at Tractor Supply Company.

Diana · 03-02-2012, 05:14 PM

That looks REALLY nice!

ree123 · 03-02-2012, 06:09 PM

I bought several different colors of SMS (Soil Master Select) about a year ago and have found it very light weight also, but it has not broken down into mud on me. I will say that for the first few months I could not get any Aq. plants to grow in the tanks, other than algaes, but now I am having much better luck. I did not treat the SMS with any ferts. when I first placed it into my tanks. Maybe that is where I went wrong.
I apprecaite this thread. I think I might like to try some of this product either alone or mixed with my SMS substrate in use.
My SMS came from The Tractor Supply Co. as well.

ree123 · 03-02-2012, 06:11 PM

These pebbles look larger in the photo above compared to the SMS I am using currently.

james0816 · 03-02-2012, 06:34 PM

I love SMS as well. It has done wonderfully for me. Still have nearly two bags left.

jersysman · 03-02-2012, 08:51 PM

Tractor Supply sure does supply a great many things we use as substrates. They also provide the Black Diamond coal slag.

james0816 · 03-02-2012, 10:33 PM

I was curious to know the CEC value of the SafeTAbsorbent. I couldn't find it anywhere so I contacted the company directly. This particular product has a CEC value of 33.6 which is equal to Turface MVP. Excellent choice!

Now time will tell how well it does. Routine EI dosing and CO2 should do wonders.

Robert H · 03-06-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

The problem with oil dry is breakdown. And it is SUPER dirty.

The reason is these oil absorbants are not kiln fired for as long or at as high a temperature as lawn additives such as Turface are. This makes them softer so they create more dust and eventually break down. Basically the same as raw kitty litter without the perfumes added.

09-29-2011, 01:56 AM	#1
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	Oil Dry - Safe-T-Sorb I just snagged a couple bags for the nice price of $5 for all of them. Nice. Somewhere I ran across something mentioning about "charging" them with fertilizer prior to use. I'm very curious about this. Can anyone elaborate on it?

03-02-2012, 01:46 PM	#6
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	The more I research items like this, the SafeTAbsorbent product from Moltan Corp. is different from Oil-Dri. Maybe now I understand where the frustrations from others came from. This is the product I'm currently testing out. It's the bag in the middle. SafeTAbsorbent Was surprisingly clean when rinsed out. Didn't take much effort to rinse and after adding to the tank, it wasn't cloudy. Planting was no issue either as the grain size is heavy enough to hold. No cloudiness occured when the substrate was disturbed. This is even what it looks like. Attached Thumbnails

03-02-2012, 02:14 PM	#7
depech Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Santa Clara, California Posts: 240	Wow! Loos pretty good. I might try that for my next tank. Which store did you get them at? __________________ RAOK #5

03-02-2012, 08:51 PM	#13
jersysman Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Thorndale, PA Posts: 181	Tractor Supply sure does supply a great many things we use as substrates. They also provide the Black Diamond coal slag. __________________ Rena Pimp # 171 2 Rena Filstar XP3s

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09-29-2011, 02:01 AM	#2
OverStocked Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (76/94%) Join Date: May 2007 Location: SoDak Posts: 10,732	The problem with oil dry is breakdown. And it is SUPER dirty. I ran my 75 g with it for a while and uncapped, couldn't handle it at all. Then capped, it ends up getting messy. You could soak it in a bucket with a dilute fert mixture, and even more importantly some calcium carbonate so it doesn't strip KH completely. In my tank(tap ph almost 9, TDS 450) it would strip the kh down into the 5-10 from near 30 or higher. I wouldn't use it or recommend it anymore. Cheap option close to it is the Turface line of products. Better color, too. I tried it in a few "test" tanks and by the end of a year it was mush. Completely worthless and makes the oil dry not useful for us, in my eyes.

09-29-2011, 12:13 PM	#3
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	Intesting assessment there. I'm guessing then that the majority of the people who are using haven't had it for a year then. Yikes!

09-30-2011, 11:41 AM	#4
aquatic serenity Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: May 2011 Location: delaware Posts: 117	I'm using it..It is very dirty...requires alot of rinsing..not easy to plant in either...very light.. I just threw together a cheap experiment -1/2 inch of peat on the bottom,some osmocote spread lightly over the peat and then covered with 2 inches of oil dri... Got it all at walmart for under 20 bucks .. tank is dong good at 3 mos in...just a little algae bloom (hair algae), but the swords I have in it have tripled in size !! I think they like the peat... we'll see how it goes long term...

02-25-2012, 11:28 PM	#5
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	I've decided to finally give this a go. I was anticipating a very cloudy dirty mess but was pleasantly surprised. I rinsed about four cups at a time. This stuff rinsed out almost as good as PFS. Very minimal dust even when I poured it into the tank. I gave the tank a good dose of ferts to soak in. It's a nice dark color as well unlike the much lighter beige looking type that I've seen in the past. I'll snap up a pic shortly as soon as the camera battery charges up.

03-02-2012, 03:31 PM	#8
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	I picked it up at Tractor Supply Company.

03-02-2012, 05:14 PM	#9
Diana Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Contra Costa CA Posts: 5,015	That looks REALLY nice!

03-02-2012, 06:09 PM	#10
ree123 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Franklin, TN, USA Posts: 69	I bought several different colors of SMS (Soil Master Select) about a year ago and have found it very light weight also, but it has not broken down into mud on me. I will say that for the first few months I could not get any Aq. plants to grow in the tanks, other than algaes, but now I am having much better luck. I did not treat the SMS with any ferts. when I first placed it into my tanks. Maybe that is where I went wrong. I apprecaite this thread. I think I might like to try some of this product either alone or mixed with my SMS substrate in use. My SMS came from The Tractor Supply Co. as well.

03-02-2012, 06:11 PM	#11
ree123 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Franklin, TN, USA Posts: 69	These pebbles look larger in the photo above compared to the SMS I am using currently.

03-02-2012, 06:34 PM	#12
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	I love SMS as well. It has done wonderfully for me. Still have nearly two bags left.

03-02-2012, 10:33 PM	#14
james0816 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (60/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: VA Posts: 2,018	I was curious to know the CEC value of the SafeTAbsorbent. I couldn't find it anywhere so I contacted the company directly. This particular product has a CEC value of 33.6 which is equal to Turface MVP. Excellent choice! Now time will tell how well it does. Routine EI dosing and CO2 should do wonders.