Flourite?

M

Mouflon44

AC Members
Sep 8, 2003
31
0
0
67
Alabama
Visit site
I have been reading a lot about how good Flourite is for substrate. I don't have my aquarium yet but I am going down the list trying to decide how I will set it up with substrate, light, filters, etc.
Where is the best place to get flourite? I keep reading it is expensive, would I be just as well off using a laterite, peat, coarse sand layered substrate?
 
Last edited:
Flourite is the best choice of substrate - in my opinion. You won't need worry about potential messes with Laterite added to regular gravel. Onyx is equally good too. Both Flourite and Onyx are SeaChem products.

I found the best price was at Big Al's Online. You may be able to find a better price elsewhere, check around. Get tracking numbers when ordering online...
 
I use laterite in a number of my planted tanks and it has never mixed above the bottom 1.5 inches of gravel it is mixed with. It is cheaper than fluorite, allows the use of different substrates and works fine imo in most situations.

I have a fluorite base in my 75, but it came with the tank and my decorative gravel is a much larger pebble with which it would be difficult to use laterite.

Big Al will want about $8/bag of fluorite in shipping.
 
TwoTankAmin, I can see where Laterite works. But, what about re-planting? Let's say you don't like the way the plants have been set-up and want to change the whole 'scene'. If the plants have roots that are well 'established' in the substrate, when you pull them up, where is the Laterite residue ending up? In the water column?

I'm just guessing about the fine particles of Laterite mixing throughout the aquarium. Flourite is more expensive, but it's a one time expense and much less chance of a mess. I almost went with Laterite until I learned otherwise...from here (Aquaria Central).. But, personal preference rules too! :)
 
Joe- I've got both types of bottom. What you rearrange stuff the water gets a little cloudy but it goes away in a coupla hours for me and I didn't even bother to rinse the stuff. Due to multiple moves, my subtrates are all well mixed now with no visible affect on plant growth.

Mo- I've got a avg depth of 2 inches in my tanks at the moment but my tanks are all on the small side (29 is the biggest, it's got 3") and more than that is just unmanageable in 6's and 12's etc. When I had the 50 set up I think it had about 4"
 
I have tanks with gravel + laterite, gravel + laterite + peat, Flourite only, Flourite + peat, Flourite +peat under a gravel layer. They all have fines and eventually mulm - it is no bigger problem with one than the other for me, actually is trivial.

I don't see a big diffrence between any of the options except one, but it is a biggie. Flourite is forever. Gravel + laterite needs some rebuilding when doing extensive replantings, which is not earth-shattering or a major chore, but it is another chore. Flourite gets a bit of vacuuming (gravel gets that or a bit more careful vacuuming), and then gets replanted. That is a significant difference in the work required.

Most of my tanks are moderate light, low tech. In such tanks with Flourite I don't worry about iron, with laterite I do need some supplement. Minor, but it is a difference.

Historically my tanks are set for ~10-year life, then get complete breakdown and redo from bare tank. I'm not there with Flourite yet, but I may not do the decade renovation on those tanks. Flourite may really be indefinite use material.

I like my old natural gravel in appearance, but I like Flourite also. As much as I hate to retire my old gravel, I suspect that when renewal time comes up on most tanks, the reset will be Flourite.

All JMHO, and IME, YMMV.
 
RTR and any others experience with Flourite, how much coverage do you think a bag of Flourite gives? I think each bag is about 15 pounds and I have a 20 gallon tank that has a footprint of 24" x 12".

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have a couple of questions of my own. This will be first planted tank so I want to make sure I do it right and have a lot of questions.

Should I add a layer of peat moss then a bit of gravel and try and get away with only 1 bag of Flourite? Or should I go all out and get 2 bags of Flourite no peat moss? Where and when should I add the fish mulm to the substrate?
 
Flourite is still the same bag size, which provides a two inch layer in a 10 gallon tank, so 10x20x2" is 400 cubic inches. From that you can work out the depth and volumes you want for any footprint. Many folks slope the gravel, thin in front and deeper in the back, so would use the average depth - say that same 10, but 1" at the front and 3" at the back, average 2", would still be the same single bag, same volume. I do not slope my gravel, but sometimes terrace.

I use a bit of peat in new setups (learned from Tom Barr), as it helps the startup, as does mulm from an existing tank (also T.B.). Tom specifies a handful or so for a 10, but I measure 1/2 to 2/3 cup (level) per square foot of tank, mixed into the bottom 1" of the Flourite, then capped with unmixed Flourite. This is far less than a layer of peat. The difference in the measures I use is whether or not the tank is deep (18"or more) or shallow(12" -18"). I use 2 1/2 to 3" in shallower tanks, 4" or more in deeper ones. I like deep substrates - personal preference thing - but it also helps keep supplement such as the peat/mulm here or laterite/mulm in regular gravel substrates down in the substrate when planting/moving plants.
 
For a nice deep substrate go with a fine layer of peat moss, two bags of Flourite sloped from about 1 - 1.5" in front and up to the rear of the tank.
After adjusting to your preferred aqua-scaping, fill the tank and then siphon tube the mulm(as much as you can) right over top of the substrate and let it settle. This will 'seed' the tank for you.

If you are using new flourite, wash it well under the garden hose through a 5 gal. paint strainer($2 or less at Home Depot) till the water coming out of the bottom runs clear. Then when you get to the filling stage, stick a shallow bowl in, setting it on the substrate and let the water run into and overflow the bowl onto the substrate. This will cut WAY down on the water clouding if you fill slowly.

Len
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom