Laterite or Flourite

C

clayt101

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May 4, 2001
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana
www.waterhyacinths.com
I am setting up a 110 Gallon planted aquarium. For gravel, I bought pea sized gravel at Home Depot. Now, I want to mix in something to help with growing plants. After doing a little research, I understand that laterite can be mixed with other gravel, where as flourite should be alone. How much laterite should I get? BTW, I have plenty of lighting (Compact Flouresent) and will have a DIY CO2 injector. In addition, I can add flourish extract. Thanks :)
 
You can mix Flourite with other gravels. You just get better results (apparently) with 100% Flourite than 50/50 mix. I would personally go with the Flourite, even mixed, over Laterite due to the chance of uprooting plants and pulling Laterite into the water column.
Sorry, I can't recall the amount of Laterite to use. It is listed on the box though.
 
I can't remember the exact ratio either. I mixed laterite with gavel on a tank several years ago. I think I layed down 1" inch of laterite along the entire bottom. Then put down 2" of fine gravel for a total of 3" bed. I uprooted plants and moved them all the time without any problems. The only problem is the laterite will cloud the water for about an hour, but that is only when you do some major plant remodeling. Good luck.

Drew..
 
Go with flourite. Laterite can make a mess.

Also, just to clarify, you cannot mix laterite with gravel - it must be a bottom layer UNDER the gravel on top.
 
IMHO,there are few things in world dustier and messier than Flourite. That said, to me it it still one of the best if not the best planted substrate. yes, when you have to move a big swordplant with laterite in the substrate you will pull up lots of silt. Guess what? When you do the same from a Flourite based tank, you get lots of fines. Again IMHO, six of one and a half-dozen of the other. Personal choice item. I see little difference in the handling of the two long term and I do use both. The only reason I do not use all Flourite is cost and the hassle of change-over - I have too many tanks already operating well with gravel/laterite to just start all over.

Prime First Layer laterite (the brand I use currently) specifies on the box the usage - I think that the large box is for a 55 (~4 square feet), and the half-size box is for a 15/20H (~2 square feet).
 
Well, I went and bought 2 bags of Flourite. I will put it at the bottom, covered by pea size gravel. Thanks for the advice.
 
Sounds good. If you can get some mulm (debris, basically broken down poop and stuff) from an existing tank and add that in it will help give your substrate a good start.

Also with a 110 gallon tank I can't believe that DIY CO2 will work. It's hard to maintain good CO2 levels in a 55 gallon with DIY! You will need a few huge cartons and will be changing them all the time. It will be a major pain. Save yourself time and money and get pressurized.
 
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