substrate kitty kitter

[guitarfish]

Im a total nimrod when it comes to planted tanks. Someone PLEASE cut thru to gobble-de-gook and tell me a simple recipe for substarte using kitty litter( the WalMart kind). I appreciate the psuedoscientists and all their talk about binding coefficients, Fe relationship to ion regulation and what else have you.
But as I have been able to glean, a proportion of KL to coarse sand plus a little peat and fertilizer, all capped by some fine gravel should get one started.
Can someone PLEASE give me a general use recipe and a few brand names?

[ginnie5]

I just put dwn a couple of inches of kitty litter then cover it with sand or gravel.

[ridns]

Be careful when you buy the kitty litter that it has no de-oderants etc which is certain poison. You want only the very basic stuff. Walmart has some "Special Kitty" for about $2.00 a bag. Put about 2" in the bottom and then cover it with sand or gravel, whatever you choose. Keep the kitty litter covered and be sure its the first layer so it doesn't keep messing up the water as you plant and replant your tank (as everybody does). I speak from experience having KL in my tank. KL is very mucky when made wet, it should be rinsed as good as possible BEFORE you put it in or it will clog your filter for about a week after. On the plus side it has more of the elements your plants like than "flourite" , perhaps even "laterite" and your plants will love you for using it, as will your wallet.
:hehe:

[GulfCoastAquarian]

I put a 2" layer of Kitty Litter down, fill tank partway with water, mix in 1" of sand (to keep Kitty Litter from compacting) and then top with 1"-2" your choice of aesthetic substrate (regular gravel, sand, Flourite, etc.)

The roots in the tank with this recipe are easily ten times as impressive as the roots in my tank with pure Fluorite substrate.