Buying Flourite

[NGerdes]

I just posted a thread about getting Sand and Flourite. The LFS had NO flourite. So I'm going to have to buy online unless I want to drive 50+ miles to get it. What are some good stores.

Also, I'm going to get Play sand from Menards. Can I mix the sand and flourite for the substrate. Can I put a small layer of smaller more decorative rock on top? I don't know if I will do this or not, still debating.

[NGerdes]

oh yeah........ one more thing. How much Flourite or Larite will I need for a 29 gal tank.

[anonapersona]

You'll need two or three bags of flourite. Don't bother with laterite if you do flourite.

I saved the rinse water, let it settle and dry and then added it back to the bottom of the tank. I don't really know if that was wise, it is not pretty when I move plants. That few cups of fines can create a mess.

If you mix gravel n top, be SURE that the gravel is nonreactive, vinegar is not a good enough test, you need Muratic Acid to be sure. I have two different types of gravel purchased from LFS that reacted with lowered pH from CO2. A vinegar test gave the very slightest fizzing, if you put your ear right down on it you could almost hear a fiz.

[125gJoe]

Get it from Big Al's Online....
That's where I got my Onyx Sand. LFS's here didn't have Onyx. Even with shipping cost, I saved money by getting it from Big Al's. LFS's that would order it wanted too much for it.

[Heady]

It depends on where you live. BigAl's was willing to discount the onyx for me, but together with the shipping the total would have been $200 to fill a 100 gallon tank. Too expensive!

I am looking for a cheap sand/small gravel substrate for my 100 gallon. I prefer dark gray or black. I just want something that is cheap, good for growing plants, and will not harm my cories or loaches. Anyone?

[TwoTankAmin]

It is not a good idea to mix sand and gravel (or fluorite) in a tank because the sand will slip into the spaces between the gravel and can compact which makes is hard for plant roots to grow and can lead to anerobic pockets.

You can mix fluorite and gravel or layer it. However, if you want to use sand I would opt for the laterite which is much smaller grain than fluorite. Mix the laterite into the bottom 1-1.5 inches of the sand then cover with pure sand. Use 1 oz laterite per gal. You can use play sand or pool filter sand which is cheap. In small sized gravel you can get pea gravel from a gravel yard- normally about 50 bucks/ton ;-).

[superstein61]

Originally posted by NGerdes
I So I'm going to have to buy online unless I want to drive 50+ miles to get it. What are some good stores.



Well shipping costs for any online store for substrate wil be a bit high. Just depends on how much yo uwil lneed.

I prefer www.drsfostersmith.com