Messy flourite...

[SouthernGal0682]

Ok, I know that flourite can get pretty messy even after it has been rinsed. I'm getting ready to start my planted tank and I have to put 4 bags of the stuff in. For those of you who have used it, any good suggestions on how to keep the brown cloudiness down?

[Chrona]

After rinsing, let it dry completely. That is, lay it out on cut open garbage bags for a day with a fan blowing air over it. Then, put it in dry and pour the water into a bowl sitting in the Flourite. This will all but eliminate any cloudiness. The problem, of course, is that there will be many many air pockets that, when disturbed, send up a puff of cloudiness, but it's better than having a completely cloudy tank.

Furthermore, do NOT use any kind of water clarifier, especially if you have plants in there. My plants still have a nice coating of powdered flourite from when I added it lol

Heres the site I got the info from. Someone posted it a while ago, I forget who

http://www.vickisaquaticplace.com/fluorite.html

[SouthernGal0682]

Good idea with the bowl...I was just going to pour water in there little by little holding a pitcher as close to the flourite as I could get it to try to prevent stirring it up.

[cocoa_pleco]

i just use that p-clear that clumps particles for the filter. It works good

[Chrona]

i just use that p-clear that clumps particles for the filter. It works good

DON'T USE WATER CLARIFIERS WITH FLOURITE lol

Trust me. With most stuff, the particles will break down over time, so if it gets on your plants, it doesn't matter. Flourite never breaks down though, so the brown layer is very much permanent unless you scrub it with a brush. It does a great job clearing up tanks, thats for sure, but water clarifiers put half the powder in your filter and half on everything else in your tank.

[cocoa_pleco]

sweet. I wont need fluorite though, so no worries. I have no plants that are live right now

[cocoa_pleco]

WHY IS MY MOTHER FARTIN rating still at unknown quantity 2021 posts later?

ARRRGGHH! lol:1:

[Chrona]

I'm on a distinguished road :hmm3grin2orange:

[xoolooxunny]

i took the cheaper way and used 2 bags of sand beneath the fluorite. works great, only half as much to clean! i used it in a 75 gallon and its heavily planted and everything is healthy.

[cocoa_pleco]

otherwise im cement under your distinguished road.

AURATUS, ATTACK! lol

[kimmers318]

Make sure you are serious about wanting a planted tank. I just removed the flourite that I had originally put in my tank almost a year ago, and after all that time I still got cloudy water if I stirred things up too much. A couple of times I stirred it up and ran my clarifying filter in the filter to try to get rid of the cloudy issue with no luck. I didn't have luck with plants, not enough light.
The other issue I noticed is that I could never keep clown loaches alive in this tank, the ones I have currently have been in my 20long for 4 months, the longest they have survived around here, so I am afraid that not having plants to utilize whatever is in the flourite made the water not too great for the clowns. It was removed the other day and replaced with with a sand mix instead of the flourite gravel mix I did have so they can live in the large tank for a few years until they need their final HUGE tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

I would be afraid to use loaches in a planted tank. They tear into my veggies and I suspect would eat plants just as well. I have ordered some onion plants that I plan to put in pots to see if my Silver Dollars will leave them alone. If not, I will just move them and plant elsewhere.

I have ordered Laterite as well. I was afraid of my tank being set back with all new substract and using Laterite I can mix it with a bit of used gravel and pour all the rest back on top.

[SouthernGal0682]

i took the cheaper way and used 2 bags of sand beneath the fluorite. works great, only half as much to clean! i used it in a 75 gallon and its heavily planted and everything is healthy.

I had suggested to hubby that we buy half the flourite and put small gravel on the bottom so cut a little bit of cost. But he picked up 3 more bags of it at petsmart last night (we usually only shop there for the dog) so I'm gonna use it.

[Lady Hobbs]

i took the cheaper way and used 2 bags of sand beneath the fluorite. works great, only half as much to clean! i used it in a 75 gallon and its heavily planted and everything is healthy.

I have not planted yet but read enough about it. I'm afraid you may eventually have a problem with sand under the flourite. Sand compacts leaving a hard surface. It also gets air pockets and can leave green spots where the gasses are trapped.

You are giving your plants sand to grow their roots in rather than the flourite, as well. I would run my fingers thru it all and mix it up a bit, myself. That way you will get rid of air pockets and leave flourite under the sand for some roots to attach to.

[Chrona]

Another suggestion that I've seen from several people and forums, is to spread a VERY thin layer of peat moss (thin enough so you can still mostly see the bottom) below the Flourite. Apparently the organic material helps break down stuff or something. I already had my Flourite down before reading that, so I didn't get a chance to try it.