# substrate called "playball?"



## daduke11 (Aug 25, 2004)

I tried calling several landscaping and recreatational outfits to find Turface, but nobody seemed to know what it was. Did have 1 place offer a product called "playball", which is supposedly similar. 8$ for 25lb. bags. Anybody heard of it or used it?


----------



## jppurchase (Dec 15, 2004)

*Re: Turface*



daduke11 said:


> I tried calling several landscaping and recreatational outfits to find Turface, but nobody seemed to know what it was. Did have 1 place offer a product called "playball", which is supposedly similar. 8$ for 25lb. bags. Anybody heard of it or used it?


I presume that you're trying to save money by looking for Turface. The same product is sold under a variety of names, one of them may be "playball". But they are all basically the same thing - calcined clay which appears to have been baked at a low temperature. It won't fall apart underwater but it IS very light weight and I found it very difficult to get plants to stay put in the several tanks I used it in. Once they take root, they stay put but be wary of strong currents - the stuff will move around. I also didn't like the color - a light tan with no particular character.

Flourite is much nicer, but quite a bit more expensive. Remember that you only need to buy a good substrate ONCE - it should last pretty much forever. Depending upon the size of your tank, you'll soon forget about the price you'll have to pay for Flourite, but you'll always enjoy an attractive and effective substrate bed. The bargain basement Turface/playball substrate might be regretted in six or seven months.

James Purchase
Toronto


----------

