# kitty litter



## compulsion (Mar 2, 2004)

howabout playsand and gravel, are u sure that the kitty litter wont release any odour nutrifiying chemicals or anything like that?

seems dodgy to me


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I would definitely use (~pea sized) gravel over KL. Sand will move downwards, and you end up with the Kitty litter on top. Plus, all that nutritious fishpoop moves down into the gravel and becomes available for plants. With sand, you get a hard-to-clean layer of floaters on top.

The KL brand you mentioned works really good for me...


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

Try to get fine grained kitty litter so it stays concealed under the sand, not letting it find its way downward. A thicker layer of sand can help to avoid/reduce water cloudiness and messy uprootings.

I cannot afford flourite either, so I use a layer of zeolite (finely grained) with some kitty litter (also fine). A little peat is adviced for the bottom layer. All covered up by sand.

I don't know how much zeolite costs there (US), but I get it pretty cheap here (Mexico), and works good.


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## morpheus (Feb 16, 2004)

Hi

My experience with kitty litter has not been that good. In the short term it works well enough. However as a long term option it exhausts pretty fast IME. 

That is in a higher light CO2 tank. In a low tech I have had it last 3 years before I needed to break it down and start over. SO the choices are yours. Go the cheaper route now and pay now and then later when you have to redo it.

Morpheus


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

Perhaps the Kitty Litter in Africa is not the same as in the US??? I don't know, just a thought.


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

You can use root tabs for your more demanding plants (swords, crypts) after the cat litter goes exhaust, if you decide to use it. It is a cheap choice, but not actually a need.

Perhaps only a thin layer of flourite/zeolite in the bottom layer will do the trick fixing nutrients, thus making them available for roots. A little peat at the deepest layer will help providing organic matter until the substrate matures itself. Proper fertilization will keep it up.


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Is your sole purpose of using zeolite is for it's high CEC?


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

Does Kitty Litter really "run out"? Then is it's sole purpose for CEC? If Kitty Litter runs out than I have a hard time believing that fluorite and eco-complete don't either. How long will the kitty litter last? Do you really need replace fluorite and eco eventually? 

Thanks


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Most substrates will last longer than the tank they are used in. What runs out is the initial supply of nutrients. But that doesn't mean you have to replace the substrate. It only needs to be supplemented with root tabs/fertilizer sticks and/or water column fertilizers for optimum plant growth.

Consider gravel, which contains no or very small amounts of nutrients. Compared to it, Kitty litter has a lot of nutrients, iron, etc. Once that runs out, it is still better than gravel due to its CEC.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

If you are considering using kitty litter your main concern should be where it came from... not so much its CEC (it will stay high, assuming your kitty litter doesnt turn into a clay mush)... Not all kitty litter is suitable for the aquarium... Much of it harvested regionally so products you have in your stores may be vastly different to products that others have used... its a lot of trial and error...

I had thought about Kitty litter about a year ago and went though lots of research and experimentation... in the end, I went with Potting soil. It grew my plants very well.. however there were downsides. I am in the process of replacing all of my soil tanks with plain old White Silica sand.


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

So will "the initial supply of nutrients" run out of eco-complete and fluorit fast too? And then I will have to add fertilizer sticks? I've really been debating about using eco-complete or kitty litter. If the eco-complete runs out too, than I might as well go the cheap route, right? Or does eco-complete still have nutrients long after? 

I'm a little confused

Thanks for all your help


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## morpheus (Feb 16, 2004)

Hi

The kitty litter in 'Africa' as it was put is just fine. The thing is that kitty litter was never designed to remain wet! It is a porous clay that can absorb moisture. 

Right so clay has certain attributes that we find desireable namely iron and other nutrients. Kitty litter has never been baked or designed to release its nutrients slowly. Eco complete and Flourite have been created with just this purpose in mind therefore they last a long time!!

In my tanks I could have reseeded the substrate and did try this with the kitty litter tanks. Eventually though I saw no need to keep them going there was just far to much effort involved. I have since switched to soil and have no problems at all.

Anyway your question answered; IMO go for the Eco complete or flourite and have a stable, nutrient rich substrate that half the free plant world swear by. 

Your money, your choice.

Morpheus


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

morpheus said:


> Hi
> 
> The kitty litter in 'Africa' as it was put is just fine. ......... I have since switched to soil and have no problems at all.


I don't think that the 'kitty litter in Africa' statement was intended to be nasty, just that you are in South Africa and he was responding to your comments on kitty litter. I'm trying my hand at international diplomacy here. :wink: 

I do like how my topsoil/clay substrate grows plants. I like it so much I am hesitating to take down 2 smaller tanks and put up a larger one. I'm afraid of 'breaking' a system that is working so well and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.


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## valiko (Jan 31, 2004)

Isn't it easier to go and buy/dig out the real clay, instead of using kitty litter?


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## morpheus (Feb 16, 2004)

> don't think that the 'kitty litter in Africa' statement was intended to be nasty, just that you are in South Africa and he was responding to your comments on kitty litter. I'm trying my hand at international diplomacy here


Don't worry no diplomacy necessary just do get peeved that people assume Africa is some backwater where there is no electricity or running water!!!

Anyway I have found in my soil tanks that crypts do very, very well. I would say that they are for sure one of my favourite plants!!! Soil is tough though but I think having to use it has made me a better aquatic gardener.

Morpheus


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Yeah I thought that maybe there was some residual 'third world misinformation' that had bothered you at some point. :wink: Welcome to the forum. Have you posted any pictures of your tanks here? 

Does this count as a thread highjack? :lol: 


Someone asked if Eco-Complete runs out of nutrients...the product is too new to know that for certain yet. I'll be interested to see if it lasts as long as my substrate mix.


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

My comment about the kitty litter in Africa in no way was meant to be nasty in anyway whatsoever. I also don't think that Africa is some backwater place with no electricity or running water. I know that South Africa in particular is a fairly-modern country.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.

Thanks for all your help!


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

Zeolite is very efficient. It can adsorb a great amount of ammonia, and can be enriched with various fertilizers, you can soak it in iron rich ferts, even some macros, or anything else you need, thus providing a good source of nutrients to radicular systems. Its purpose basically is to hold nutrients in the substrate for root plants. It is also cheap (I get 12 pounds for $1.50 US). I don't know if it would be good to use it solely, yet its blue-green colour is not of my taste.


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## morpheus (Feb 16, 2004)

Sean

No digital yet so no pics. Spend all my money on tanks and motorcycles!!

I like the soil mix too. I always try and mimic nature and too my knowledge there are not that many rivers and lakes with flourite substrate

Anyway thanks for the chat.

Morpheus


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