LATERITE

[nene]

I recently purchased a 55 gallon tank and am in the process of setting it up. I would like to have some live plants and in my other tanks even java fern doesnt do so well- the leaves are green but covered with black spots. Our water is extremely hard. When I was purchasing supplies from Drs Foster and Smith online I looked into plant substrates which were mostly very expensive due to an extra shipping cost due to weight. I noticed laterite and it said you can mix it with regular gravel and it is clay based and in granular form. Is this a good idea. Do any of you have experience with it? I don't expect to have a Garden of Eden but would like to have healthy Java Fern and maybe one or two other types of plants.

 

[Bangin]

You can buy a box of laterite at Petsmart for $15.00. You're supposed to use it as your first layer, hence the name of the product, and top it off with regular gravel (mixing the two a bit). I have done this in one of my tanks and I plan to use it for another.

Laterite will cloud the tank if it's not used properly. It should not be disturbed much once you've put it in and topped it off with gravel. You'll know what I'm talking about when you begin to rinse it. Don't bother trying to rinse it until the red goes away because it won't.

If you plan to grow only java fern, then I wouldn't bother with laterite. The expense is too great for a plant that isn't planted in the substrate. Laterite is more suitable for rooted plants.

 

[luxum]

Laterite has a reputation for being great for plants but difficult to keep it out of the water column which results in tinted water and sometimes algae blooms. If you use it, make sure there is a pretty thick layer of gravel on top and plant very carefully. Make sure you don't disturb it during water changes. I personally use flourite instead and like it a lot. You have to rinse the heck out of it before it goes into the tank, but the root growth is great and it doesn't end up in the water column. You can also mix it half and half with a gravel of similiar grain size. I have mine topped with black tahitian moon sand and i love the look. If there is any way you can buy your substrate locally it would save you $$$ on the shipping, but even then these substrates are pretty pricey.

 

[nene]

Thanks for the replys. Our LFS's only carry ordinary aquarium gravel. I also noticed that the online store had what they call planting rocks so I could just order enough of the more expensive stuff such a flourite or eco base to fill those and plant the rooted plants in the planting rocks. That way I would only need one or two bags instead of 5 or 6 bags.

 

[George Farmer]

I have had excellent results with Laterite. I rinsed it thoroughly first and mixed it with the lower third of my fine gravel. Before my plants used to last a month or two, now they're very healthy and I'm constantly pruning (although I've improved other aspects too i.e. lighting, co2, heater cable). Echinodorus species and other gross-feeders with big roots will especially benefit from laterite and it lasts ages as it releases it's iron slowly.

 

[Lateral Line]

I have laterite under swimming pool filter sand. I mix the laterite into a slurry with some water and pour it over the base of the tank - only a few mm deep, then let it dry. The sand goes over it about a week later. It is easier to manage like that. Once the tank is filled of course, if you pull up a large plant that had roots fdown to the glass, you'll pul a bit up - inevitable price you pay for the benefits.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Echinodorus species and other gross-feeders with big roots will especially benefit from laterite and it lasts ages as it releases it's iron slowly.

do you know how long, roughly, it lasts?

 

[Lateral Line]

Properly done, we are talking years.

 

[clutterydrawer]

What do you do then? just add fertiliser? sorry for all the questions.

 

[dannykerbles]

i use Eco-Complete...its kinda expensive 24$ a 20lb bag...but it looks great as is and you just pour it in your tank...no hrs of cleaning substrate...YEAH.....!!!!

its avail on Fosters&Smith....i highly reccomend it.