Diatomite Based Cat Litter As Substrate?

[Rafael Dilone]

I was wondering if its possible to use diatomite based cat litter in a low tech planted tank. I was planning on getting another tank and have read that some people have used this as substrate and have had success. It will be for a nano tank of about 5.5 gallons or so which will mostly house shrimps and 2 Endlers. If not i will just use ADA substrates mixed in with a bit of Flora base. I just cant get enough of nano tanks and i already have 4 of them.

 

[mtv8dmarine]

Sure. There's a lot of people that prefer it over substrates made more specifically for aquariums because it simply costs a whole lot less...roughly $2 for 25 lbs. You will obviously want to get something unscented and non-clumping. People buy the red bag "Special Kitty" from Walmart. There are some things to keep in mind though. Since there's no assurance in where the litter is being manufactured, the granule size and contents can be a little hit or miss. Some bags can be good whole granules relatively dust free while others can contain a lot of fine particles and dust that essentially turn into mush making pre-rinsing a real pain. These inconsistencies can happen from brand to brand but also bag to bag of the same brand. It just depends on the manufacturing locale.

I would recommend testing with it first and keeping an eye on your Ph and PO4 levels before introducing your fish to it.