Australians Using Native Red Clay For Substrate

[FishBeast]

Have any of you guys who live in Australia ever considered making your own red clay substrate? Or have any of you non australians every heard of anyone who has?
I can't help but wonder because personally I live on red clay and it spans for hundreds of kilometres in every direction so if I can somehow learn a procedure for making my own substrate I would definately consider it.

 

[aaronnorth]

i would do a test with it first, put some in a bucket, and see if it leaches tannins or toxins and measure the amount. See if it lowers or raises the kH & GH as it most probably will as it echanges ions in the substrate.
It should settle down after a few weeks though.

 

[bagu]

it has alot of iron am i correct =/?

try it i wanna know results

 

[Colin_T]

I used to use it when I had plants. I went up into the local foothills of Perth and dug some out of the ground. Then I take it home and dry it out before crushing it into a powder. The powder can be mixed with normal aquarium gravel and put under a layer of normal gravel. Or just put a 1/2inch layer on the base of the tank and cover with gravel. The other way is to put some in a plastic pot (1litre icecream container), and cover with normal gravel. Then put your plant in the gravel.
You can also use the clay to cover dry granular fertiliser or animal manures. The clay will trap the nutrients and then have a couple fo inches of normal gravel over that. The plant roots will grow down into the nutrients and they go nuts.

 

[FishBeast]

I used to use it when I had plants. I went up into the local foothills of Perth and dug some out of the ground. Then I take it home and dry it out before crushing it into a powder. The powder can be mixed with normal aquarium gravel and put under a layer of normal gravel. Or just put a 1/2inch layer on the base of the tank and cover with gravel. The other way is to put some in a plastic pot (1litre icecream container), and cover with normal gravel. Then put your plant in the gravel.
You can also use the clay to cover dry granular fertiliser or animal manures. The clay will trap the nutrients and then have a couple fo inches of normal gravel over that. The plant roots will grow down into the nutrients and they go nuts.

Sweet, thanks. I will bare that in mind once I get my tank that stage. Its in the beginning phases yet.