kitty litter?

[Abrams96]

I just find it breaks down allot when rinsing leaving you with less. But everyone has their own methods. As for mosses I can't help you. My plants are all very low tech low light which moss doesn't thrive in. Many people in the native fish community use plain old dirt from their back yard as a substrate, I'm not sure how well tropical fish would like this. I guess if you capped it with sand or something it could work. But take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Abrams96]

Here is my special

Kitty, kitty litter

 

[jetajockey]

I like that grey color, this is regular oil-dri.

 

[Abrams96]

ya basically the same stuff, I use cat litter as speedy dry in the shop aswell, just branded differently

 

[butterfly_koi]

What do you mean? Moss doesn't really grow along the substrate. I do have some that attaches itself to individual pieces of gravel but it doesn't creep along the substrate as much as it just grows up and out towards the light.

I know you say that it doesn't grow along the substrate but I had found this webpage where a guy grew fiss on the rocks and substrate

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/community/threads/fiss-mini-mountain.6000/

This is the reason I want try a planted tank, I want to go for this look in my tank. I'm getting a new tank Friday so I work from scratch to try and achieve this. Was just kind of wondering what substrate was best

 

[emerald76]

That's actually very interesting, I might have to try that. I figure that the potting soil would have to rinsed well, can it be rinsed in the same method as sand? This is what I'm going to try in a tank I'm getting Friday. The moss grows along the bottom as well as the rocks. I wonder if this method would work well with mosses as well as tall plants

Sorry to go off topic but WOW! iwagumi?

 

[Coursair]

He did an Emersed start. It takes a lot more than just substrate to achieve an Iwagumi like that.

 

[butterfly_koi]

He did an Emersed start. It takes a lot more than just substrate to achieve an Iwagumi like that.

I'm going to play dumb for a minute, what's an "emersed" start?

 

[Coursair]

http://www.shrimpnow.com/content.php/245-Starting-a-Planted-Tank-Using-Dry-Start-Method

http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2009/08/starting-iwagumi-aquascape.html?m=1

 

[butterfly_koi]

Ok I see its kind of the same concept when I jump start my morning glory seeds for my flower bed. Seeds are put in wet paper towel with some dirt, put in a zip lock bag and set in the window. Seeds start to pop open in three days. Kinda off topic but it works in the same way

 

[butterfly_koi]

And after reading on Iwagumi I don't think that's what I want to do. I mean I want the look but can't classify it as Iwagumi. Iwagumi has "rules" to how the tank is set up

 

[Atxpunx]

Is this the right stuff to use? It is the all natural clay type, bit it doesn't say baked clay. I tested it in a fish bowl and it just fell apart. I intend to use it as the first layer with some osmocote mixed in and capped with some black blasting sand. I read post of using the all red bag of special kitty but I think they've changed the packaging since then. Any help would be great, thanks.

 

[Trickerie]

Is this the right stuff to use? It is the all natural clay type, bit it doesn't say baked clay. I tested it in a fish bowl and it just fell apart. I intend to use it as the first layer with some osmocote mixed in and capped with some black blasting sand. I read post of using the all red bag of special kitty but I think they've changed the packaging since then. Any help would be great, thanks.

If it falls apart, NO. Kitty Litter is usually used as the cap, not for the under layer. If you are using it thinking you will get iron from it, you wont. If you want iron, use RED pottery clay. NOT dyed. Make oscmocote root tabs with it. Just use the blasting sand. Or, use soil, make a mud mixture with the clay + soil, and cap it with blasting sand.

Be careful with blasting sand. It is sharp(er than other substrates) and may leach an oily substance. If you plan to house a lot of bottom dwellers, maybe rethink the blasting sand.

 

[Atxpunx]

I was wanting to use the kitty litter as an absorber for excess nutrients from osmocote leeching. Could I bake the kitty litter?

 

[Trickerie]

I was wanting to use the kitty litter as an absorber for excess nutrients from osmocote leeching. Could I bake the kitty litter?

If you want something with high CEC, go for this:

Moltan 7941 Montmorillonite Clay Absorbant, 40 lb

Or the less desriable Oil Dri, available at Walmart.

I highly recommend the safe t sorb. The Oil Dri is VERY VERY dusty and needs a TON of rinsing. Of course, if you don't mind it works just as well.

 

[Atxpunx]

Well thank you. I wanted to use something I had already, the walmart in my neck of the woods doesn't seem to carry many things that seem common at others. I will be searching my auto part stores in town come payday.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Well thank you. I wanted to use something I had already, the walmart in my neck of the woods doesn't seem to carry many things that seem common at others. I will be searching my auto part stores in town come payday.

I've seen oil dry at stores such as menards and Lowes for sale pretty cheap

 

[Atxpunx]

Okay got some oil dri, check. Just to be sure will oildri offer any iron to the plants?

 

[Atxpunx]

With oil dri as a substrate, will foreground plants still roots as well? I have had them with blasting sand and they rooted great. Can I expect a similar lushness? Plants in question are glossostigma, Pygmy chain sword and dwarf sag. Thank you for your time.

 

[jetajockey]

Oil dri probably has some iron in it (mine has some red in it) but I wouldn't count on it and still dose iron if you see a deficiency. I have had both pygmy chainsword and dwarf sag in my oil dri tanks and they root very well, honestly better than when I had them in playsand. I have to be careful pulling them out so I don't rip roots off.