# Laterite....



## wetone (Dec 25, 2006)

Who here as used laterite that red iron red clay for plant fertilzer , I am sure that most people use it in the gravel bed, because I ahve alot of it.


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## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

As the aquarium ready-to-use soils are very costly here, I rely on using laterite which is readily available around my hometown, Ranchi, India.

For further details you could browse my post:-

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...m-projects/47381-my-diy-planted-aquarium.html


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

I've used Dupla's laterite before but I wouldn't recommend it to a new hobbyist
as it's a bear to get out of the water column if you don't bury it under a real
substrate layer first.

I have used there DuplaPlant and Root Fert products which I highly recommend 
except Dupla products are hard to find in the US as they only market them in
the EU.

- Brad


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

I don't have any personal experience with laterite, but I know a local fish store owner who set up a planted show tank with c02 injection. He capped API Brand first layer pure laterite with chicken grit. Man!!! you should see his tank. It's beauty rivals that of Amano Takashi's beautiful tanks. His anubias have some of the largest leaves that I have seen on any anubias, they are lush green and even flowering. His vals, swords, and java ferns are all doing excellent. He claims that he does not dose water column fertilizers at all and as his solenoid broke down he has been injecting his tank with c02 24/7. I am so impressed by his tank that I have placed laterite on my list of substrates to test. If he had such impressive results with laterite, capped with chicken grit, and no water column fertilizers, then perhaps I may succeed in setting up an equally beautiful tank using the same setup. Alas, when to test what, with so much to test and not enough room to set up more tanks


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

API First Layer (easier to find in the US) and Dupla Laterite are great stuff in the hands of an
expert and is probably the best mixed substrate you can find so it sounds like he really knows
his stuff.

I consider myself only middle of the pack at best and I had good results with my Dupla (not
outstanding tho) but it was a major pain in the @rss to setup. You do not want it to get
into your water column or your almost better off dumping the tank and starting over it's 
that bad on clouding.

I never thought of using chicken grit, I may have to put that on the list for my next experiment
tank, thanks!

- Brad


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