# Turface better than Soilmaster???



## Glouglou (Feb 21, 2006)

*Soilmaster *is as they say: a thermally optimized Montmorillonite clay that is baked around 1000 to 1500 F.

This is 2 US Montmorillonite Clay chemical makeup (should be close to Soilmaster)

Texas Montmorillonite 
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (%): 
SiO2: 70.1
Al2O3: 16.0
TiO2: 0.22
Fe2O3: 0.65
FeO: 0.15
MnO: 0.009
MgO: 3.69
CaO: 1.59
Na2O: 0.27
K2O: 0.078
F:0.084,
P2O5: 0.026
S: 0.04.

Montmorillonite (Wyoming)
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (%): 
SiO2: 62.9,
Al2O3: 19.6
TiO2: 0.090,
Fe2O3:3.35
FeO: 0.32
MnO: 0.006
MgO: 3.05
CaO: 1.68
Na2O: 1.53
K2O: 0.53
F: 0.111
P2O5: 0.049

Soilmaster CEC=19, PH=6 (from a Power Point of the Company)

*Turface beige, red* is an Illite calcined clay

Composition Mg/Kg:
Al : 6590
As : 8
Ba 124
Be : 0.7
Ca : 3640
Cd : 0
Co : 2.6
Cr : 15.8
Cu : 4.1
Fe : 10700
K : 3210
Mg :2730
Mn : 96
Na : 574
Ni : 11.8
Pb : 6.6
Sb : 0
Se : 0
Sn : 0
Ti : 0
V : 10.4
Zn : 33.4
Ag : 0

(maybe somebody can translate in %, like that we can have a good comparaison with Soilmaster

Turface CEC=29.8, PH=6.2

*Turface black* is an Illite calcined clay

Composition Mg/Kg:
Al : 10500
As : 0
Ba 119
Be : 0
Ca : 5310
Cd : 0
Co : 3.5
Cr : 39.5
Cu : 5.21
Fe : 12600
K : 3980
Mg :4130
Mn : 61.1
Na : 353
Ni : 14.8
Pb : 0
Sb : 0
Se : 0
Sn : 0
Ti : 0
V : 18.7
Zn : 50.5
Ag : 0

Turface black CEC=41.1, PH=6.2

From: http://home.infinet.net/teban/jamie.htm


----------



## Glouglou (Feb 21, 2006)

*Bof, That's interesting...*

It seem that this thread, that I think really important, do not bring the interest I was expected.

First Soilmaster, Turface and other DIY stuff are really important for this hobby because they are inexpensive alternative to the stuff reserve to a certain elite that do not really want to take the time to understand what is involved in a good substrat, and buy the ready to use expensive stuff.


Good, now that this is said, Soilmaster and Turface are used mostly for their CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) that is the capacity to retain nutrients in dissolution to make it easily available to the plants.
They are fired clay at around 1000F. At this temperature clay is vitrified it will remain in this state for thousand of years.
No more organic materials, no more soluble material. This mean that whatever the chemical composition, no leaching of any element will occurs or only a so small amount that it will not participate to any nutrient available for the plant. The real advantage is the CEC, or the capacity to grab nutrients, oxygen from the water and build a reserve available to the roots of plants.

Make your choice:
Soilmaster CEC: 19 and low PH 6 (remember that the lower layer will have tendency to lower this ph number and bacterial activity is not imperative to low ph)

Turface:CEC 29 to 41 and a higher ph of 6.2 that will be almost an ideal ph for the water column (achtung, we will need some kind off buffering capacity , like Soilmaster) to keep lower layer to have very low ph)


----------



## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

*Re: Bof, That's interesting...*

very interesting, i just added soilmaster select to my tank yesterday, on the mag is said baseball infied conditioner... kinda funny im punning baseball conditioner in my tank lol


----------



## snickle (Apr 8, 2007)

I have been playing around with Shultz Aquatic Plant Soil. It is made by the people who make Turface. It is available at Home Depot. The labeling claims it 100% Fuller's Earth kiln fired to make ceramic granules. Ingredient list says 100% Arcillite. I quick google of Arcillite shows that NASA has been doing testing of this to use as a substrate for growing plants in space.

So far, to me it seems that the Shultz Aquatic Plant Soil mixed with small gravel is a good combination for beginners. I am still fairly new to all this, but the ADA soils tend to be very light and hard for me to plant in. The Shultz seems heavier, but I have not tried a tank with it as the only substrate.


----------

