Planted Substrate as Filter?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Mr_Altepeter;3936190; said:
Why would you want to though? It seems to me that it would be easier and better for the inhabitants to just suck it up and pick up some flourite. If the issue is money then someone is in the wrong hobby. The cost of the flourite is a drop in the bucket compared to what you can and probably will wind up spending over the course of a year.
Click to expand...

In the context of substrate for a planted tank I agree with you. Sucking it up and going for the flourite or other good substrate will make for a better tank in the end than cheap o' cat litter. Even plain soil is a better alternative over the litter imo. However I will agree with the OP, that there are times when saveing a few bucks weather it be going to home depot for some DIY supplies is indeed better and cheaper than getting the more expensive "good" stuff. I will take a couple DIY algae scrubbers any day over a sump full of high dollar ceramic bio media. The trick is knowing when to chose one route over the other.
 
LD50;3938211; said:
In the context of substrate for a planted tank I agree with you. Sucking it up and going for the flourite or other good substrate will make for a better tank in the end than cheap o' cat litter. Even plain soil is a better alternative over the litter imo. However I will agree with the OP, that there are times when saveing a few bucks weather it be going to home depot for some DIY supplies is indeed better and cheaper than getting the more expensive "good" stuff. I will take a couple DIY algae scrubbers any day over a sump full of high dollar ceramic bio media. The trick is knowing when to chose one route over the other.
Click to expand...


Too True!!! With as much as you can spend in this hobby every dollar makes a difference. I agree with you that when you can, try to save a little. And there are some things that you just can't get the cheaper version. It's kind of like buying hydrox cookies when you really want oreos. They work, but just don't taste quite right and crumble as soon as you dip them.

Nauticalnut01 not trying to bag on you earlier, I had never heard of cat litter as an alternative substrate for plants. Caught me by surprise. Every dealing with cat litter that I have had was keeping overused boxes clean for friends on vacation. Not pleasant experiences.
 
lol its Cory; and yeah, my friend said his cousin uses it, and I wanted to ask if it worked the same as a substrate for plants.
 
if I had to guess why cat litter might have been considered as a potential substrate for planted tanks, maybe it's because old-school cat litters were basically clay pellets, and one technique for a planted tank is to mix laterite (which is also clay) into your substrate

so, maybe that was the theory behind the idea . . . but I wouldn't do it
 
Now that makes sense!! CLAY! Duh!

Hey Cory, think about this one....Are there any rivers or streams nearby? I wonder if taking a few shovels of the silt next to the bank would be a viable alternative? Maybe rinsing it like you would when you pick up anything else to put into your tanks. I know that would make setting up my 220 a helluva lot cheaper :)

Kris on this end. Let's see what kind of responses we get to that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom