# Laterite- mixed in with gravel or in a seperate layer?



## kitkat (Nov 23, 2007)

Hey again-

I purchased some laterite today for what will be a planted 10 gallon tank. I already have about an inch of gravel in the tank (it's not yet established, the gravel is just in there). Would it be better for me to mix the laterite in with the gravel, or take out the gravel and just use it as a top layer to the laterite? Thanks in advance!


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Laterite is usually used as a bottom layer, but it can also just be mixed with gravel.


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## kitkat (Nov 23, 2007)

Is one option better for plant growth, or does it not matter at all?


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## HoldingWine (Oct 7, 2007)

kitkat said:


> Is one option better for plant growth, or does it not matter at all?


The plant's roots will absorb the Iron, etc. from the laterite fine. I had a bottom 1" layer of gravel/laterite mixed with a 2" top of gravel when I first started my tank. After a few weeks of moving plants, digging kribs, etc., the entire substrate is just a big mix of the two.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

You could do whatever you want that looks good, but it doesn't matter. I would use laterite, and maybe top it off with some EcoComplete or some other beneficial substrate. I have noticed from my own experience that a combination of laterite or gravel mixed with a finer substrate yields favorable results as opposed to just fine substrate or just gravel.


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## kitkat (Nov 23, 2007)

Thanks for the responses!

I decided to go with a layer of laterite mixed with gravel topped with about an inch of just gravel. I really like the way it looks from the side of the tank.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You picked the best choice, in my opinion. But, laterite is only a source for some iron for the plant roots. It has no other significant nutrient value. It may have a high CEC, since it is a clay, but I haven't seen that being claimed. I don't think laterite is being used much today, since people have had better success using a material with more nutrients in it than laterite as a bottom layer.


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## fishfan (Feb 19, 2006)

I think this is a good idea you are doing. I made the mistake of not planning in that I added just regular gravel thinking I would not need any 'special' substrate additives for plant growing. The plants in my tank like crytocorynes and anubias grew ok at first but terribly slow at a snail's pace. 
Then I started adding Seachem root tabs for gravel and have seen improvement. Based on this I think it may be mandatory to provide rooted aquatic plants with a nutrient source (especially iron) other than just inert gravel and liquid fertilizers. Laterite is a good choice if you don't want to spend lots of money on the fancy newer substrates now available.


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## wakemenow (Jul 26, 2007)

I use inert gravel mixed with laterite in my tank. Like another poster mentioned, the laterite winds up getting mixed in anyhow, so don't sweat it. 

For the last few months, my plants have been growing just fine.  

I do agree though that mixing gravel with a fine substrate would probably be the most beneficial. Perhaps I can try that in my next tank.


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Karen Randall has been successfully using laterite mixed with gravel and capped with gravel since 1997. 
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/basics-randall.html
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/school.html
She talks about using 1-3 mm gravel and sugggests traction sand. A bag of traction sand, which is really 3-5 mm pea size gravel costs $6.00 for a 18 Kg bag. I have not seen aquarium gravel any cheaper than this.

Costwise, a box of laterite, which will be enough just for 1 tank costs me, $24. I can get a bag of eco-complete or fluorite for $30 and I can do a 10 gallon with plenty left over, so I don't see a huge cost savings using laterite and in fact when you consider that you may have to purchase the gravel to cap the laterite or mix it with that, it comes out to the same price.

Still, I have heard and seen nothing but good things about laterite as an aquarium substrate and will be experimenting with it in the future despite cost. A guy who owns a local fish store, had a planted show tank with crypts, swords, anubias, java fern and pressurized c02, but was not using ferts, believe it or not. He was using laterite topped with chicken grit(too sharp for catfish but he did not have any of these). His tank was jam packed with plants. The plants were some of the most beautiful that I had ever seen. All the plants were lush green, there was no algae whatsoever, and the plants appeared to be healthy and growing quite rapidly. His anubias were flowering.

DonaldmBoyer, you suggest eco-complete as a cap and suggest a finer substrate. Would something like pool filter sand work or do you think it would be too fine and has anyone tried a mixture of laterite and pool filter sand? This was a suggestion I read about and was curious.


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## inkslinger (Jan 1, 2005)

i had use laterite on the bottom layer then i added some more and mix with my gravel of #1-#3 stones for a couple of years with no problem and good plant growths


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