Floater Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Has anyone ever used "First Layer Pure Laterite"? Results? http://www.brooklands.co.nz/article/109.htm **EDIT** It seems to mention gravel alot, do you guys think it would be ok to mix with sand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 What are you trying to do exactly? Just dose iron and other minerals into the water? Id image it to be cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floater Posted May 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 That doesn't work so well for plants that feed through their roots primarily ie. hairgrass, from what I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Yes, underground food is a big bonus to rooted plants. Laterite is a good product. Mixing with sand would be ok provided it will stay under the sand, and no fish dig in it. I'd recommend making a gravel/laterite bed then sand on top. An alternative to Laterite is Daltons Aquatic mix. A 10kg bag can be had for around $10 at most of the large home improvement stores (e.g. Bunnings, Mega Mitre 10). They all sell it (can order it) but not all will have it in stock. With this you make a thin layer of the clay (about 1cm) then cover with lots of gravel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floater Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Yes, underground food is a big bonus to rooted plants. Laterite is a good product. Mixing with sand would be ok provided it will stay under the sand, and no fish dig in it. I'd recommend making a gravel/laterite bed then sand on top. An alternative to Laterite is Daltons Aquatic mix. A 10kg bag can be had for around $10 at most of the large home improvement stores (e.g. Bunnings, Mega Mitre 10). They all sell it (can order it) but not all will have it in stock. With this you make a thin layer of the clay (about 1cm) then cover with lots of gravel. Thanks for the information, greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemines Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 u could try if ur budget allows the RedSea FloraBase, it buffers pH, releases liquid ferts, and is highly porous. but any of wat's been said above also works. i just like the look of the RedSea stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamestothemax Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 only problem with the red sea stuff is the huge price per bag ($99ish, although saw with 50% off at the botany animates the other day) I think I remember the bag saying that the red sea stuff is made to be the only base in the tank but i would imagine most people would mix it with gravel. bring back Dupla-rit I say........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 An alternative to Laterite is Daltons Aquatic mix. A 10kg bag can be had for around $10 at most of the large home improvement stores (e.g. Bunnings, Mega Mitre 10). They all sell it (can order it) but not all will have it in stock. With this you make a thin layer of the clay (about 1cm) then cover with lots of gravel. I used Dalton's last time I set up my 4 foot tank. I took the tank apart the other day to move it and was absolutely AMAZED at the root systems of the plants. The roots were really well established and strong, and spread right through the Dalton's. Unfortunately I wasn't in a position to use Dalton's again when I set up the tank in the new house, and now it's set up it's too late to retro-fit it. I would recommend Dalton's - at $10 a bag it's a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 ...bring back Dupla-rit I say........... Yeah my ideal setup would be a layer of Dalton's all over the bottom of the tank, with Dupla-rit balls planted in it at intervals. IMO that would make the perfect planted tank. :roll: *dreaming* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatmoojin Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 i use this in my 54L tank and all was going well, lots of stong plants and good growth. After about 2 months it turned the water really hazy which was fine for a while as the LFS said this would happen and it wouldn't prob for the fish. In the last week i've lost 3 guppies, 2 neon tetra, the Ph won't stabalise and I feel like im fighting a loosing battle :evil: It could be co-incidence, the fish were kinda old, but i look at the hazy water every night desperately testing conditions and seeing v little improvement. I'm relly think about stripping the tank down on the weekend and pulling it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemines Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 wat filter r u running? which LFS told that? how many fish did u have? wat are ur water parameters atm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatmoojin Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Running Shark ADV400 originally, have now got an additional Eheim Pick Up 2010, believe filtration is not a problem here! :lol: Good old HFF told me about the water would haze but that it would clear within 2 weeks and that is isn't harmful at all. Bit overstocked to start with i think - 6 Neons, 4 guppies, 1 honey gouramui, 1 blue ram, 1 gibbiceps (very small juvenile moving to 210L tank when it's cycled), 1 BN (again - just a wee baby) Paramaters - Kh is down to trace amount / Ph around 5 / Amonia on the rise (from 0.2 - 4 in a four days) / Nitrite on the rise (can't remember the figures) Did a 25% waterchange this morning, will retest when i get home, at work atm :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemines Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 u cycled ur tank before adding all ur fish, right? my tanks the same size, fewer fish admittedly, but with a 2213 eheim. i'd probs recommend that u get some good bio media and use some cycle or stresszyme, as well as doing partial water changes over the next few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamestothemax Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 I've never found a problem with the aquatic mix and I have used it in a series of tanks, unless I dont have a thick enough layer on top of it and it seeps through and makes the water "dusty" but I use it as a cheap solution with a layer of daltons propogating sand on top and my plants love it, admittedly I have a collection of all sorts of ferts and root supplements I mix in too, even a few Dupla-rit balls left....but im saving them for a special occassion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamestothemax Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 argh i suck at quotes hahahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 i use this in my 54L tank and all was going well, lots of stong plants and good growth. After about 2 months it turned the water really hazy which was fine for a while as the LFS said this would happen and it wouldn't prob for the fish. How long have you had the Gibby in there? It could be digging around and causing your haze problem, especially if you don't have a thick enough layer of gravel on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatmoojin Posted May 15, 2008 Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 hi nemines, yep tank was all cycled, we took the water out (saved half in buckets), put in the new substrate, put about a 5cm cover of gravel back on top, filled her up and away she went! Like i say, no trouble for ages, then it all went wrong Hey Zev, i wondered that to! But Mr Giblets (the Gibby) always looks so innocent i dont want to blame him! Anyway, we got home last night to another dead Tetra and some tense looking fish and that was the last straw, we stripped the tank down, pulled the dirt out swapped a few fish around into a differnt tank to lower the bioload, and hey presto, happy fish, Kh back up (need to keep adding buffering agent for a few weeks to keep it stable) and clear water! My experience with this stuff was pretty rough, but who knows, in someone elses tank it might be fine...buy at your own risk eh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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