I LOVE Eco-Complete for my tanks, but the stuff is expensive! I've got the new 125 and 55 going into the fish room soon, and was wondering about cheap substrates.
Could I get away with using half Eco-Complete, and half Aquatic potting soil. I see these big bags of "Aquatic Potting Soil" in Lowes and Home Depot.....
In the garden pond, I use a mix of compost, time released ferts, and clay kitty litter (more on that when you all come here in June for the meeting).... Would that work in a tank indoor, or am I doomed to failure?
Another thing I really like is the boxes of peat from Eheim. I was filtering one tank with the peat, but when I changed out the filter, I just dumped the peat chunks into the tank, where they sank and broke down in the substrate.... If I had the cash I could do that, OR at least mix it with the Eco-Complete. Good idea, bad idea???
If you can find it anymore Lesco used to carry a product called Soilmaster Select. They might have one called Turface now that should serve the same purpose. Be ware that they are very light especially when new, but they work well for our application.
I would probably use a slight variation of your pond mix; substitute mineralized soil for your compost, go light on the time released ferts, and kitty litter and you should be good to go.
Or use Turface like Aaron suggested. It's a heat treated montmorillonite clay used for ball fields like Soilmaster Select was, and is generally available at landscape supply and John Deere stores.
DelawareJim wrote:
Or use Turface like Aaron suggested. It's a heat treated montmorillonite clay used for ball fields like Soilmaster Select was, and is generally available at landscape supply and John Deere stores.
Cheers.
Jim
Thanks Jim and Aaron. There is a John Deere place about 3 miles from here, so I'll check it out. Next Question: Do I have to cap the Turface with gravel or something, or can I just plant in it like the EcoComplete? And do I have to rinse it like Flourite?
If I mix in some of the peat granules, it will soften my hard water a bit... bad idea???
Thanks Dave. I'll do that... I just want to make the hard No. Va. water I have a little more conducive to the angelfish I want to keep. It makes a big difference in the gourami tank, so I was thinking I'd do the same thing in the angelfish/tetra tanks I'm planning.
I've not actually used Turface myself but the people I know who have used it just rinsed it to remove the dust and used it straight into the tank. It apparently is a little lighter than typical gravel like Aaron mentioned and can be more easily disturbed but they say planting is easier too.
Sherry-- My big tanks you saw have the Soilmaster Select (precursor to Turface). I just did a quick rinse in a bucket and threw it in the tank. It doesn't dust NEARLY as much as some of the other stuff. Michael Barber has a source for it, a bunch of us got bags of it from him at our holiday party. Might want to see where he got it from. I'd offer you the one I got then, but it went to a friend already.
DonkeyFish wrote:Soilmaster Select...
It doesn't dust NEARLY as much as some of the other stuff
Hmm... waaay different from my experience. I was too lazy to rinse a whole 50 lb bag for my 75g, so I just poured it in dry. There was so much dust that I had to get a mask or risk black lung. The fallout in the room was about an inch thick! (ok, slight exaggeration, but you get my point)
The fallout in the room was about an inch thick! 
(ok, slight exaggeration, but you get my point)
