Substrate - Expanded Clay

[Tsvboy]

Hi All,

A newbie to this forum.

Anyway I have decided to start a 4ft planted tank. Have had some experience in keeping plants for a long time, but mostly simply stemmed plants.

I cant find laterite for sale around here (in North Queensland (which you imagine it should be considering that this is the Tropics!!)). SO I have looked around Hydroponics suppliers for something to take its place.

What the major three items appear to be is vermiculate, permiculite and "expanded clay".

My question is whether anybody has used/ or has knowledge of expanded clay in the aquarium situation??

 

[echoofformless]

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg012145495715.html?12


I have never used it, but after researching it a bit I'm thinking it might be very similar to "aquatic soil." (If it's not the exact same thing under a different guise that is.)

It's inert, probably does the job it claims to do, and looks nice enough. Though I have found it a bit pricey on the few sites where it was for sale.

It's too bad you're in Australia, because I would suggest Soilmaster Pro Select. (It's meant for use on baseball fields - I'm fairly sure you don't have many of those over there.) I have a slight leaning towards the radical theory that it's the same exact stuff as the aquatic soil or the expanded clay. They all seem to be frightfully similar. There main purpose is to absorb water and of course all of that which is dissolved in the water; bringing nutrients to plant roots. Or keeping the infield playable. hehe

Except in price of course. Then again the LFS will sell you rocks at like a dollar a pound. The very same rocks the landscape supply places sell at five dollars for fifty pounds. Man if that doesn't tell you something...

 

[Tsvboy]

Expanded clay sells for around $50 for 50litre's. Whereas Flourish or similar is about $50 for a 7Kg bag... So my thinking is actually to get 1 bag of flourish or similar well known substrate, 1 bag of expanded clay and the rest cheap 1-2 mm gravel..

I dont think I can bring myself to purchasing sand, as every tank I have ever seen with sand seems to have problems with anerobic activity. I know there is people in forums who claim to have it working well with sand, but I havent ever seen it with my own two eyes yet.

I get mixed messages with undergravel heating as well. Since I live in the tropics (18 S) the temps average about 25 (C) (3 months) in winter to about 34 (C) in summer (9 months), so I cant see how heating anything is going to be of any use to me. Anyone else with tropical conditions who can comment I would appreciate it. Autumn and spring dont seem to exist here.

 

[echoofformless]

The reason why certain sands promote anaerobic activity is because they're too fine. If you can find a medium grade, which is more like very fine gravel, you're in business.