best (cheap) substrate for plants
- Thread starter elementkid65
- Start date
can i mix laterite into other gravel so i dnt have to buy so much but still have the trace minerals????
I believe laterite is supposed to go underneath gravel, not mixed with. Its pretty messy from what I've read and has to be capped with something.
kj5kb
KEEPER OF CATS, FISH AND CATFISHES
I buy the 'all-purpose' gravel they sell in the concrete section of the home improvement or building supply. Usually well rounded stones and pretty colorful once rinsed, cheap too. Must be an equivalent in AU.
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Soilmaster is made from the same high fired clay that Flourite/Eco-Complete is made from, so it a lot of the benefits of the Flourite/Eco, but it's less dense so it isn't as good for holding things down. It is far less expensive than Flourite however, and because it is less dense, it takes more volume to get the same weight. Therefore expect that twenty pounds of Soilmaster will cover more of your tank and at a greater depth than twenty pounds of Flourite.
The scene in Oz is a little different than the USA, regarding availability of products and pricing.
You might visit your local landscape supply and check out their decorative gravels. I bought a 5 kg bag of course sand/ fine gravel the other day in Bunnings for $4.00, called Landscape pebbles Tarago Sand. Very pretty after all the clay was washed off. 2-3mm size rounded grains.
I also found a product called Florapol at Aquarium Products Wholesale website. 700g container for $18.95 into your substrate will fertilize your plants for 3 years. I reckon that's pretty good value.
That's what I'm doing with my new tank. My big splurge will be Eheim filter.
Hope this helps
Carla
thank you, im getting that florapol stuff tomorow it saves me like $50-100
becasue i can get 20kg of gravel for $5 plus florapol which is same as eco complete in a fertiliser that lasts 3 yers = like $30-40. thanks
becasue i can get 20kg of gravel for $5 plus florapol which is same as eco complete in a fertiliser that lasts 3 yers = like $30-40. thanks
i use chicken grit.
say what? it is fed to chicken to help them digest.
it come in different sizes, from a real course sand and up.
mine was a pinkish quartsite, can be granite.
it can be crushed oyster shells, which you may not want.
it's cheap, i payed maybe $8 for 50 lb bag.
buy at feed stores and farmer co-op.
i've had it in my planted tank for almost a year and i'm happy with it.
say what? it is fed to chicken to help them digest.
it come in different sizes, from a real course sand and up.
mine was a pinkish quartsite, can be granite.
it can be crushed oyster shells, which you may not want.
it's cheap, i payed maybe $8 for 50 lb bag.
buy at feed stores and farmer co-op.
i've had it in my planted tank for almost a year and i'm happy with it.
