[Mxx]

Has anyone looked into whether Zeopro, the soil amendment designed by NASA s scientists, would work in planted tanks? in say an MTS base?

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/11/prweb478269.htm
http://www.zeoponix.com/new_page_2.htm
http://www.tindaraorchids.com/zeopro.htm

 

[mistergreen]

I would give it a try.

 

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ZeoPro™ ~ 10 lb. Bag $10.95 ea.
http://www.tindaraorchids.com/zeopro.htm

Please let us know how it works out for you. Any you.

 

[Mxx]

It's a soil amendment, so you likely wouldn't want to be using more than $10 worth to mix into your MTS anyway?

 

[OverStocked]

Isn't this stuff very light? LIke risk of floating? Or am I off here.

I have heard of zeosand, which is a pool filter media and has a high cec, as well. I've never tried it but have been tempted.

 

[mistergreen]

It's probably synthetic zeolite. It's effective but you might not like the look of it. By itself it doesn't add much in nutrients. It capture and release when plants need nutrients.

 

[aman74]

It's probably synthetic zeolite.

From the link provided.

"It does not break down, rot or decompose because it comes from ancient volcanic ash, called zeolite."

 

[Jeffww]

I thought zeolite was bad because it can outcompete your biofiltration rather quickly...it binds to ammonia very readily.
Zeolites are marketed by pet stores for use as a filter additive in aquariums.[6] In aquariums, zeolites can be used to adsorb ammonia and other nitrogenous compounds. However, due to the high affinity of some zeolites for calcium, they may be less effective in hard water and may deplete calcium. Zeolite filtration is used in some marine aquaria to keep nutrient concentrations low for the benefit of corals adapted to nutrient-depleted waters.

On top of that it's not very shrimp safe I don't think - it looks very likely to crash your GH.

 

[Mxx]

Except that it's not zeolite that you'd be regularly changing in your filter. Doesn't the 'Zeopro' come loaded with certain nutrients already, which the plants can slowly extract from it in time?

So if you instead used fresh zeolite in a MTS base, then it could soak up any of the initial ammonia which might still be released if the soil isn't fully mineralized, and therefore would prevent the green water blooms which sometime happen. However, you could also soak the zeolite in in an NPK/ammonia/GH solution, and then bury it in the substrate under a capping layer, so the plants would then have a very slow release rich concentrated substance to root into?

 

[Jeffww]

Except that it's not zeolite that you'd be regularly changing in your filter. Doesn't the 'Zeopro' come loaded with certain nutrients already, which the plants can slowly extract from it in time?

So if you instead used fresh zeolite in a MTS base, then it could soak up any of the initial ammonia which might still be released if the soil isn't fully mineralized, and therefore would prevent the green water blooms which sometime happen. However, you could also soak the zeolite in in an NPK/ammonia/GH solution, and then bury it in the substrate under a capping layer, so the plants would then have a very slow release rich concentrated substance to root into?

But it looks like the %'s of nutrients in the soil is pretty low..it still has quite a bit of capacity left. Then again without numbers backing myself up I can't say until someone, or I try it.

That said it looks like an awesome substrate for emersed culture.

 

[jasonpatterson]

Isn't this stuff very light? LIke risk of floating? Or am I off here.

With NASA behind it, I'd be pretty darned surprised if density wasn't a major consideration in its development.

 

[Mxx]

If there is capacity left in it then it sounds as if it would make good sense to charge it by soaking it in an enriched solution prior to use, and then it would hopefully act as a long term slow release fertilizer solution. A substrate additive that will absorb potassium I suspect would be particularly helpful as that is one thing that sounds as if it gets depleted from MTS quite quickly, and which other substances do typically not absorb well so far as I'm aware, unless I happen to be mistaken about clay and which I think I likely am.

If there are no significant potential problems with its use, (so long as it floats, and as appearance wouldn't be a problem as it'd be under a cap), then I'd like to try it. It'll be a while though before I'd have a chance to do so next though. And I'd have to order it from overseas so that would likely triple the cost for me. Is there anyone that feels like being a guinea pig for the benefit of the group?