Laterite sources and Info on ?

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Where do you buy your Laterite from in the USA? and anyone have some good links on informational sites?

thanks,
al

[thebaglady]

I get mine through a local guy who might sell regionally, I dunno. His name's Karl Schoeler and the product is called "Substrate Gold" I think he's currently the FAAS plant guy.

[Ralph]

I use Flourite, a Seachem product, which is basically baked laterite. You get the same nutrients but it doesn't break down over time like laterite does. It's about $1.25/pound. You can use it as a sublayer under a gravel layer, mix it with the gravel, or use all Flourite. It come in two colors, brown and redish brown.
There is other stuff that is similar.

[thebaglady]

Substrate gold is also baked laterite. It comes in two forms; loose or little balls (about 3/8" in diam.)

He recommends loose stuff to be mixed with sand underneath the gravel. Best time to do it is when setting up a new tank. Little balls = if you have an existing tank and just want to stick them in. Not so messy, no clouds of laterite floating around.

[dm]

I got mine from a lfs. I put a layer a couple inches deep under the gravel.

[RAWesolowski]

Al,

Seachem has a new product out called Onyx. Comes in either sand or gravel. Sand will "billow" a little when you fill the tank but quickly settles out. The product is marketed to complement their laterite lines.

I've used the sand in one of my tanks, love the dark look combined with a light gray back. Plants seem to do very well. Supposedly the product is pH neutrak with a tendency to maintain a tank around 7.

I particularly like the product as it seems to dorm a very solid base. There appears to be little that permeates the surface in terms of waste. Vacuums well and the discus treat it like a bare bottom.

Seachem will provide you with dealers in your area. I read about the product and made a price deal with a LFS if they brought in a special order for me.

[Wahter]

I use Seachem's Flourite too in most of my tanks.
http://www.seachem.com/en_products/product_pages/049_flourite.html

For one tank that has mostly gravel, I've inserted some old Dupla K balls into the root areas. (I think Dupla products are kind of hard to find in the US).
http://www.dupla.com/e009.htm

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals also makes a laterite product:
http://www.aquariumpharm.com/aqplant.html

[brewmaster15]

Thank you everyone. I am planning on removing the gravel on one side of the tank and using laterite/fluorite instead.

Let you know how I make out. Does anyone have an online supplier?

-al

[Ralph]

Big Al and others carry the stuff but the shipping is tough because of the weight.

[thebaglady]

I checked ThatFishplace.com and it had the Aq. Pharm. product First Layer (pure laterite) in stock. It was $13.49 for 55 oz. plus ya, whatever for shipping.

[ChloroPhil]

I got the same product at PetsMart for 15.00 a 55oz box. It's decent stuff.

[Don_Lee]

Just an FYI Al, if you may be moving the plants around or stirring up the substrate for any reason, stay away from laterite. Laterite gives off terrible cloudiness when disturbed, whereas neither Flourite or Onyx will.
Also, Onyx does buffer the water a bit, adds some hardness.

Don ;D