# Turface gray



## aquaverde (Feb 9, 2004)

I like Profile for its CEC, do not like its color. I'm setting up a tank with eco-complete, and perhaps some Onyx as the top. Tom mentioned Turface comes in gray.

Has anyone used this to date?
Is the grain size the same as Profile aquatic plant soil?
thanks to any who can help!


----------



## bobo (Jan 21, 2004)

*turface gray*

Profile is just expensive Turface - the grain size seems much the same as I recall. I like Turface for it's economic (i.e. real) price and use it often to bulk out substrates. It is lightweight, it's one purported drawback when planting new growth, but really haven't found this to be much of an issue in real life, especially since I mix it with heavier stuff anyway.

I'd use it more if my local distributor had not stopped carrying it. I bought their last 100lbs, and they said they were glad to be rid of it since before I came along it just sat there for three years. No one was buying it from them - not even the local Ballfield boys!

There are a number of fired clay products out there to experiment with. If you like gray, there is an oil dry type product worth looking into. A lot of this stuff turns mushy when wet (like the kitty litters) but several of the oil dry products used by garages to mop up oil are hard, gray and never get mushy. One batch I bought from Rose's Auto grew the reddest Ludwigia arcuata I've ever produced. It cost $5.00 for 50lbs.!

Bobo

bobo


----------



## aquaverde (Feb 9, 2004)

That's interesting. Profile does well for me, but when I don't cap it, current from the filter will blow it up in dunes, unplant the plants, etc. Anything else on top solves that. I'm a little leery of trying out the oil dry stuff since this is going under Eco-complete and I don't want to experiment with it, so I'll keep looking for Turface. One home landscaping company checked his 3 distributors with no luck, but there's supposed to be a company around that supplies golf courses, so I'm going to check there next.


----------



## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

James, any luck finding the Turface? I'm praying for you, bro.


----------



## aquaverde (Feb 9, 2004)

Looks like I'm not going to find it since there is no local distributor. Best I can hope for is to talk a supplier into ordering a pallet. It'll be the weekend or later before I have the opportunity.

Bobo's advice in the post above is really very good. He's talking a money smart way to deal with the need here, and I may explore this option also. All these products are some form of clay.


----------



## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

I have also heard of Oil-Dri being used. IT has the right ph (slightly acidic) and all that good stuff.. The Special Kitty Litter at Walmart in My area has bubbles when i do the acid test, so it's a big no no in the aquarium.


----------



## CKfish (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm looking for an inexpensive substrate for a tank with a 60" x 24" footprint. Using stuff from the LFS or online dealers specific to aquariums will mean shelling out a lot of cash otherwise! :shock: 

I've read through the various posts on this board about Turface and it sounds pretty good, but I want to fully understand the pros and cons before driving an hour to the nearest distributor.

1) Does Turface change the pH of the water?
2) One poster noted in this thread that Profile is very light and moves around-- is this also the case for Turface? (My plan is to have some open areas of substrate in the tank, so it will be able to move around, but hopefully not too much)
3) Anyone have longer-term experience with the stuff?

Having no experience with the stuff, I really don't know what to expect, but I'm having trouble finding gravel or sand that's large enough not to compact but small enough to hold the plant roots well. :-k 

If you use Turface, what do you think of it? I'd love to know!

Thanks!

CKfish


----------



## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

1) Turface is inert. Which means it does not affect you pH.
2) That is true. A slight flow will move this around. Many people cover it with an 1" of gravel.
3) I've never tried it, but I have read a lot of reviews about it and people seem to love it. DIY Eco-Complete as Tom Barr said. It's cheap, it contains long term iron and it has a really good CEC. It's the ideal substrate if you ask me, it contains more Fe, Ca, K and Mg then Flourite.

You should add laterite to the bottom, then top it with Turface Pro-League Grey.


----------



## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

I like turface a lot. It's cool. Yes, it's true it's light, but you get used to it...


----------

