Art clay?

[karen99]

Can I use red art clay in a tank instead of laterite for plants? I was thinking of rolling the clay out into a sheet, letting it dry and then putting it in the tank under the gravel. Or would there be a problem with this?
Thanks.

[OrionGirl]

i don't think the red clay will accomplish the same goal as the laterite, and I would worry about the effects of the dye on the tank...Might end up leaching and tinting everything red...Creepy!

[Roan Art]

What kind of "red art clay" are you referring to? A brand name would be great.

I can see the possiblity of using a "pure" clay, but many of the clays that you buy nowadays have additives in them that may not be safe unless they are fired.

Roan

[karen99]

Well, it is naturally red, not dyed, so it should have some iron in it. But I don't know about additives. I bought it as a block of clay in a plastic bag at a pottery shop about a year ago, with the intention of using it for pottery - no idea of brand or additives in it. Oh well. I will have to try to find some laterite.

[Roan Art]

Okay, actually it's not a bad idea if you can find some that doesn't have anything added to it. Raw clay, if you will.

Hrm, could possibly make some awesome looking fake rocks out of it and have the local ceramics place fire it for you. Loach caves and such. It's porous until it's glazed, so plants like java moss and fern could root into it.

Hrm, you've given me some cool ideas. Thanks, Karen!

Roan

[karen99]

I'm 95% sure the red clay (actually terra cotta clay) is safe, but not 100% sure so I think I'll probably just try to find some laterite.
But what you were saying about using fired pieces - the laterite I've seen is a powder. Do you know if it is fired or unfired? I was assuming it was unfired but that seems messy to work with. A fired clay would be so much easier - but the nutrients might be less available to plants?

[Roan Art]

Interesting question. I'd like to say unfired, since I would surmise that it's the raw clay that supplies the nutrients to the plants, but raw clay would dissolve. Unless it's mixed with something else or it's a "different" type of clay -- ie: not clay as we know it.

I use Flourite, myself, and it is also clay based. From the SeaChem site:

"Flourite™ is a specially fracted stable porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. . . . Flourite™ is not chemically coated or treated and will not alter the pH of the water."

Fracted, stable -- Hrm, not chemically coated or treated. Sounds like fired clay to me. FWIK the only way to stabilize clay is to fire it.

Heh, here I have this vision of mad scientists throwing terra cotta pots on the ground and screaming, "Eureka!"

I think, unless someone else has already dug into it and has the answer, the only way to really know is to email the makers.

But if I were to hazard a guess on Flourite and laterite, I'd say it's smashed up or powdered fired clay mixed with potting soil, or the clay is fired with potting soil and/or nutrients mixed in and then smashed up or powdered.

Roan