# Broken Clay Pots for Iron Supplement?



## Byronicle

I got a lot of clay pots, and I was wondering if I was to grind them up as best as I can into a powder, will these clay pots leach iron into the aquarium? I rather use this rather than buying a pound of clay that will cost $15. I am trying to mineralize my own substrate.


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## NeonFlux

Hmmm... That might work.. I am not certain about the consequences of doing that though. Just get some pottery clay that is soft, then blend them with the MS. Perhaps someone else can chime in to clarify.

Free bump.


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## Byronicle

NeonFlux said:


> Hmmm... That might work.. I am not certain about the consequences of doing that though. Just get some pottery clay that is soft, then blend them with the MS. Perhaps someone else can chime in to clarify.
> 
> Free bump.


thanks for the response and the free bump

i just got a lot of broken clay pots where i live. darn raccoons digging through my my pots eating my plants roots and in the process knocking the pots over :frusty:

just figured well if this is grounded up, increasing surface area and soaked, maybe it'll make a mud like substance, kinda like sand when wet.


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## RickRS

I've asked that very question, myself, in regards to mineralized topsoil. Most responses I got pointed out that clay is used for both an iron source and for it's flocculating properties, which I took to mean it's a binding agent to help keep the mts out of the water column.

I'm not certain, but I think even ordinary red clay gardening pots are fired, and may not leach iron as well as unfired clay. It certainly doesn't form that slick wet mud that unfired clay does when re-wetted. So I decided not to experiment with the mts "recipe" because I didn't want to have to start all over if it didn't work.


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## jetajockey

I considered doing this but for the amount of work involved it's much easier just to buy red clay.


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## Diana K

Used gardening pots will have remnants of whatever fertilizers, pesticides and anything else used on the plants. I would not use them in an aquarium. I have used new pots as caves for some fish, and these are OK. 

Certainly not the same use, but I would think grinding them up would be even worse as far as any accumulated stuff in the old pots getting into the tank.


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## Byronicle

thanks for the responses

rather not risk putting chems into the tank and just going to ordered powdered clay


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## niko

Even cheaper is to use rusty nails burried in the substrate.

I know someone will now jump in and start telling us about the level of oxydation of the Fe - Fe+, Fe3+ and so on - and trying to convince us about the lack of bioavailabile Iron from rusty nails. This is all good, makes sense scientifically and all. But what I've seen is that rusty nails work wonders for my plants.

In rare cases stepping outside of the calculations makes sense. Just don't do it too often.

--Nikolay


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## jetajockey

Byronicle said:


> thanks for the responses
> 
> rather not risk putting chems into the tank and just going to ordered powdered clay


Good call IMO.


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## MrFishyBob

Byronicle said:


> thanks for the responses
> 
> rather not risk putting chems into the tank and just going to ordered powdered clay


Good option.

Fired clay starts the process of vitrification. Depending how vitrified the pot is will allow the iron or other nutrients to soak into the water slowly. *I highly do not recommend grinding already fired pots for nutrient source*. Clay has a bunch of Silica and that is an important ingredient that allows glass to vitrify. For the purpose of giving nutrients into your aquarium I highly recommend to use none fired clay preferably without grog.

Grog: is already fired clay that is put into clay bodies mainly to lessen the expansion rate and shrinkage rate of clay when fired.


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