# Cheaper alternative to Flourite?



## cgcaver (Jan 19, 2005)

First of all, here's what Im working on:

Mbuna tank (yes i know they are typically rough on plants)
4wpg
pressurized CO2
glosso, amazon swords, anacharis, corkscrew val
Average substrate depth 1.5"


Here's my question:

Is there a cheaper alternative to buying Flourite? I know its probably really great stuff... but how much better is it than pool sand with seachem root tabs in it? Is it better enough to justify the cost of the stuff? Also, what about sand with a peat layer below it? What do you guys think? I just hate to spend all that money on Flourite, but if you think its worth it, lemme know.


----------



## Spar (Aug 7, 2003)

i didnt like the $$ either so mixed it 50/50 with natural colored gravel. My plants still kling to it quite well and pull in gravel between the flourite pebbles.

How many gallons will the tank be?


----------



## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

how are you planning on keeping the ph/gh/kh to the liking of your fish? peat is definitely not the best idea in a malawi tank. peat decomposition = ph drop. ph drop = unhappy cichlids. perhaps you should look into seachem onyx gravel (sand might be a bit too easy for them to dig up plants, maybe not...). It comes in a very pleasing color, is known to buffer the water (very good with CO2 injection and rift lake cichlids), and should be as good for the plants as anything else. 

oh, and we have a member here named travis that is the best person for advice on a planted rift lake cichlid tank. 
check out this thread:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11730&highlight=african+cichlid

Oqsy


----------



## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Onyx comes in two sizes. Dust and boulders. One is very fine and works well once you get it rinsed. The other is much to large for a planted tank.

Flourite contains a lot of iron. It is also a porous substrate that can hold other nutrients and make them available to plants. Sand is non-porous and inert. It holds plants down. Seachem Root Tabs are mostly calcium and sulfur. So Flourite is a better substrate than sand and root tabs. I would not use peat in a
Mbuna tank unless you carefully watch the hardness of the water.

Tom Barr whom I greatly respect says that that pH is not as important to the Rift Lake fish as is the hardness. Note that in natural water pH and hardness pretty much go hand in hand. In the artificial environment of our tanks we are able to maintain a high hardness with a lower pH.

You can mix Flourite 50/50 based on depth with a coarse sand. In fact I have done that and actually like the look better than my 100% Flourite tank.


----------



## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

If you use CO2, the pH is not an issue due to the lower readings, the salt content/hardness still remains high in Rift tanks.

You can use MPV Turface, about 12$ for 50lbs.
Light weight though, makes planting a PITA.
Otherwise it's good.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------

