# Fertilizer doped clay?



## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

Hiya, I've been messing about and in two experimental tanks I've had success using local clay "soils" topped with play sand. I'm wondering if anyone else has used clay as a substrate before and if you think doping the clay with fertilizers beforehand would work.


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

Well all of the commercial substrates are clay based (Eco, Flourite, API/Durpla Laterite, Aqua Soil).
Eco and especially Aqua Soil is made with fertz baked in so it has to work in a DIY setting as well.

- Brad


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## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

except that I'm not even baking it, its just straight gooey clay  
I bet red mineral clays work better than quartz clays though.


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

That's an odd way of doing it, so your not even mineralizing it first?

- Brad


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Lots of people used to use clay balls, with fertilizers in the middle, as a root tab. And, they felt it was very effective. I don't know if anyone still does this, and I never have done it, but putting some fertilizer in a clay underlayer would be similar.


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## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

Why mineralize it first except to make it look pretty for sale? I've never seen mineralized clay as a substrate while I was out in the field collecting.


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