Kitty Litter Brands?

[Raul-7]

Can someone list Kitty litter brands that are aquarium-safe, porous, and contain a good amount of nutrients?

[Wasserpest]

There is no such thing like a aquarium safe kitty litter. They are not made specifically for this purpose. You will need to test the batch YOU buy because nobody can tell, and there might be stuff in it that is perfectly fine to absorb kitty piss, but will kill any fish immediately.

Having said all that, I had great success with "Special Kitty" from Walmart, non-clumping, non-deodorized stuff that -for me- grows plants better than flourite. $1.97 for 25 lbs, vs about $25 for 20 lbs of your favorite high-tech substrate.

[quilaho]

do you mix this with or use under standard gravel or use it exclusively as your substrate?

if i were to test this product, what am i testing for??

[Wasserpest]

I don't use it exclusively. Similar to "Schultz Aquatic Soil", it is rather light, and this can be problematic when planting larger plants. I use it under a layer of gravel, either on its own, or mixed with Profile/Schultz.

You should test at least for any effects on hardness, pH, and PO4. Also the texture after being for a while in water. Some types just turn to mush, the stuff I have is very stable, like Profile or Flourite.

Actually I am pondering to set up a 125-150 gal tank, and would definitely use that KL as bottom layer.

YMMV :mrgreen: