# Whats the word on Laterite?



## Guest (Apr 18, 2007)

I cant believe it, but Im actually getting back into this hobby. Just bought a JBJ 29 Biocube with stand for $100Cdn. Its got PC lighting and a good sump type filter.

The plan was either to go with a thin bottom layer of laterite, then to cover it with white sand, or to just go straight red flourite. My problem with Flourite is that it clouds up the water so much, so you have to give it a rinse...in doing so, some say you lose all the nutrients.

So will laterite work in a set up like so? Goin to plant it pretty heavily, no Co2 injection planned...yet.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

welcome back to the hobby

"it's an addiction..."

You can add laterite(an iron containing clay) or peat moss on the bottom of your flourite. Laterite has very high concentrations of oxidized iron. If it gets into the water column you would most likely have a large algae bloom,imo.

The Laterite will supply iron to the plants and the peat moss will help create conditions where that iron will become available to the plants. It would normally take a substrate around 6 months to become biologically active enough to make this iron available.

some people say they loose nutrients rinsing flourite some say they dont. Imo i dont think it does. You can wash your flourite by getting a plasic strainer over a bucket,dump some flourite in theh strainer and rinse well. You don't want to or need to break it up just get it clean. Now pull the strainer off the bucket, dump the water and repeat till the water is fairly clear, it will take about 2 or 3 times to get it cleaned. GOODLUCK


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

There are no Nutrients in flourite. so when you rinse it you lose nothing except dust. 
laterite would also be a good option, or soilmaster select.

But all of it will need to be rinsed. The only one you don't need to rinse is Eco complete.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

BlackSunshine said:


> There are no Nutrients in flourite. so when you rinse it you lose nothing except dust.
> laterite would also be a good option, or soilmaster select.
> 
> But all of it will need to be rinsed. The only one you don't need to rinse is Eco complete.


who told you theres no nutrients?

Concentration of nutrients in Flourite

Aluminum- 10210 
Barium- 124 
Calcium- 195 
Cobalt- 6 
Chromium- 13 
copper- 17 
Iron- 18500 
Potassium- 2195 
Magnesium- 2281 
Manganese- 64 
Sodium- 223 
Nickel- 12 
Vanadium- 15 
Zinc- 29

flourite has some nutrients


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

What do those numbers represent next to each ELEMENT? PPM, Grams??

The only two things on there that I see that would help plants would be Potassium and Iron, and that is if they are in a form that the plants can absorb... I dont know of a single plant that can use Nickel to help it grow... not to mention I wouldnt brag about my product having Copper of all things in it since it is known to kill inverts and can cause problems with some sensitive freshwater fish.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

the numbers are in ppm...yea i wouldnt brag about it either lol

sorry back on topic
laterite/peat would work


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

SNAKEBITE said:


> There are no Nutrients in flourite. so when you rinse it you lose nothing except dust.
> laterite would also be a good option, or soilmaster select.
> 
> But all of it will need to be rinsed. The only one you don't need to rinse is Eco complete.


who told you theres no nutrients?

Concentration of nutrients in Flourite

Aluminum- 10210 
Barium- 124 
Calcium- 195 
Cobalt- 6 
Chromium- 13 
copper- 17 
Iron- 18500 
Potassium- 2195 
Magnesium- 2281 
Manganese- 64 
Sodium- 223 
Nickel- 12 
Vanadium- 15 
Zinc- 29

flourite has some nutrients
[/quote]

What I mean is there are no additives. Flourite is "made up" of those things. So yeah rinseing the dust off you will lose some of that stuff but so what. its dust. the rocks are still filled with all that stuff so its not really like you lose anything useable by rinsing flourite off. Leaving the dust makes a tank a horrible mess. But flourite is over priced anyhow. Shultz or SMS would still be a cheaper better alt.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

i agree...with the overpriced flourite

you could buy shultz or sms or even turface i believe theres acouple distributor in ca, there around $12-$20usd for 50#


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2007)

So...whats the word on Laterite again? Haha.


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## flashover00 (Oct 19, 2006)

Go for it....i always stayed away from it because it was like 8 bucks for a milk carton size of the substrate.

Shultz works good, if you dig the brown color.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

DannyBoy17 said:


> So...whats the word on Laterite again? Haha.


Hi Danny

Good to see you back in this corner of P-fury









IMO, If I had it around, I would dust the bottom of the tank before I put my substrate in. Nice Fe boost, I don't see why not to give it a shot. I dose lots of iron as it is


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2007)

Me too Dippy, Ive always gone iron crazy on the tank at work...I should get some shots of that tank now, its beautiful...halides, co2. I do it mostly because I like to work with South American plants from the amazon and the amazon substrate is loaded with iron (its actually red!)

Thanks guys.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

as a bottom layer the laterite would be great. Def would not go out and buy enough to use as a primary substrate. as dippy said just a botom layer to help root growth.


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2007)

Yes, I will have a very small layer, with white sand on top.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Hi Danny
The Amazon river has so many tributaries and covers so much ground, the substrates vary a whole lot in different areas
But I'm sure you know that


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2007)

Actually I didnt! I thought the whole rainforest was *basically* a prodcut of this high iron substrate. Something to read up on tho!


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

DannyBoy17 said:


> Yes, I will have a very small layer, with white sand on top.


sand eh? are you going for a sandy beach kinda look?


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2007)

Changed my mind. Got a big box of Laterite, then bought dark natural gravel for the base/top


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

I sees. do you have it in the tank yet? lets see some progress pics.


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2007)

No, I get my room May 2nd, I will take a bunch of pics as I set it up for the new members.


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