Quick: Red clay emergency?

[bubbaboy]

I am going to dirt my tank soon and I need to know what red clay works. There is no Mexican Pottery Clay around my area but I found "Fimo Classic Clay" and "Sculpey Colored Polymer Clay".
Are polymer clays good and what are the general guidelines for safe clay to put in your tank? (i know it has to be red)

 

[Rivercats]

I would not use those clays. Here are all kinds of proper laterite clay products you can use.... https://www.google.com/search?sourc...rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-SearchBox&tbm=shop.

I use this one in all my dirted tanks... Real Laterite, Freshwater Aquarium Gravels for Sale Online | PetSolutions.

 

[aqua_chem]

Are you making MTS then? If so, then polymer clay won't work, and laterite won't mix into the substrate very well. That being said, it's not a strictly required step, but it is nice to have.

 

[bubbaboy]

Are you making MTS then? If so, then polymer clay won't work, and laterite won't mix into the substrate very well. That being said, it's not a strictly required step, but it is nice to have.

what is MTS?

 

[Super_Blueberry]

what is MTS?

Mineralized top soil

 

[molly100a]

I just dirted my 75 gallon, with 1 inch of Organic Garden soil mixed with Mexican clay then 1 inch of Florite, the one with the highest iron content and the finally 1 inch is florite black. Try looking online for the clay, you can start the tank without it. check out the florite site, they give a detailed ingredient list. The florite and florite red are high in iron, you could always mix that with the dirt. The tank was set up on 10/10/13 and already I see new growth using only 3 t8 6500k bulbs. If you get the clay after setting up the tank, just make some clay spikes, let them dry for a couple of days and stick them in near the root of each plant, this works....

 

[wildroseofky]

Polymer clay is safe in tanks if it is cured but not if it is left uncured. Lots of people use it to make decorations and caves for their aquariums. It just has to be baked first.

 

[bubbaboy]

Polymer clay is safe in tanks if it is cured but not if it is left uncured. Lots of people use it to make decorations and caves for their aquariums. It just has to be baked first.

Can I use terracotta? i'm thinking of buying a terracotta pot and just breaking it up to tiny pieces and putting it in the soil

 

[tiger terror]

Pretty sure you want unfired clay...

 

[aqua_chem]

Pretty sure you want unfired clay...

Correct. You want unfired natural red clay, ie, not a polymer clay.

 

[flitabout]

Yep natural clay is the way to go or just get red laterite