# Anyone Know anything about ActivFlora



## wickedj (Aug 17, 2008)

I was wondering the same thing. the website doesn't do much then put that back page on the web. I was going to email them and ask them about price to compare with other substrates.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

According to the website: it's not much different than Eco complete.
If it has bacteria in it, then it's wet and you end up paying for shipping. 
Perhaps the grains are more consistent than EC.

Does not sound like there's any macro nutrients however(NPK).
Unless it does, it's not going to win over anyone really, and the plant tank market is just not that big. It also would need to be at least as cheap if not cheaper than Flourite and EC.

Given the low cost requirement, the weight, the ability to grow plants vs something with macros in it already, I do not think it's going to win many converts. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Damian (Jun 17, 2009)

So I saw this today at my LFS. It runs about $25 dollars per bag. I purchased one out of curiosity for my 10 gallon tank. Once placed into aquarium per instructions say not to drain the water, I let it sit for awhile for the substrate to "settle into to layers with the finer substrate at the bottom with the more coarse on top". Well the opposite happened. The "finer" substrate which to me seems like a mixture of sand and potting soil sat on top. One slight movement of the water and the SOB clouds like crazy. I placed about an inch of plain black aquarium gravel to cap off the substrate with the hopes of it not clouding when disturbed. Anyone else have any experience with this substrate?


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## ryan_p (Mar 18, 2009)

I went to my LFS to get some more substrate for my 20g and found one of these, i was actually looking for eco-complete but its not available so i got this one because they were so similar and i got it for $25 per bag. I added and mixed it with the existing eco-complete i had in my tank. The tank got cloudy for a 2 days and now its all good, the finer substrate went at the bottom, while the big one sat on top. So far plants are doing ok and growing well, fish and shrimps were ok, no Ph change whatsoever. 

One thing ive notice is that activ flora had more light and finer grains/material on it that makes it more messy to work with than eco-complete, it made my tank very cloudy when i added it not unless your starting a new tank where your putting the substrate first and slowly adding water. 

In addition, after the substrate had settled down, the big grains are noticeably edgy compared to eco-complete with a bit more rounded grains.


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## MValentine (May 31, 2010)

*Fun with ActivFlora*

I am in the process of setting up a new 10 gal. aquarium nothing special. But I found *ActivFlora *for $1.50 at one of the big box stores, "well crap for less than two bucks gotta try it right"....WORNG.....

As per the directions (new tank) put the whole bag in and top off with water take it easy when you fill. Sounds good.

Looks like you squeezed a squid in your tank and after days of looking at a tank of black water, had to do something. It all started with water changes and more water and more water. Yea no more of this time to look it up online.

The first page I found was a guy same thing water change join a forum was told to try micron filter and you guessed it MORE WATER CHANGES! yea ( I HAVE NEVER HAD TO SCHLEP SO MUCH WATER IN MY LIFE)

Well the only micron filter in the house is a whole house filter system, that I had planed to use on an aquarium set up anyway, so slap in a filter and go baby go....not so much.....real slow.

Okay, take out the water, put old gravel sub. on top of *EvileFlora,* plant aquarium with no water and fill back up with a thimble full of water at a time. fill half of tank and wait for it to settle.

Now you can't tell my this stuff isint worth a buck and half. tell ya what if it keeps simple plants alive and growing, fine.

BUT GOD HELP ME WHEN I CLEAN THE AQUARIUM!

I had plants, plants, plants they had to go somewere now covered in black crap (washes right off kinda colors skin black till you wash up) 

Now what to do with the other bag?

Long I know, thanks for reading, Not so nuts about *evileFlora *just so ya know.


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## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

I like the activ-flora product, I bought some black stuff on clearance at a Petco. I rinsed it and had no issues at all, maybe a little bit of cloudiness for the first day, but it could have been the flourite I mixed it too.


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## GouramiGuy (Jan 2, 2011)

I've used it. Got it for $17 a bag. Rinsed once and it worked great. Looks pretty good too.


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

i had this (ActivFlora Floralite Gems) about a year ago in 2 tanks and absolutely loved it!

plants grew aggressively...the only problem i had is that it exhausts the nutrients after about 8months or so

but I love the stuff! the funny thing is is that the nutrient breakdown is identical to flourite...tho I had bad results with fluorite which is why I changed


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

the activflora I use doesn't have added nutrients, its just black crushed lava rock. Got it for $4 at Petco on clearance. It never shows mulm on the bottom, its great for anchoring plants, and malaysian trumpet snails move through it easily. I rinsed it well before using it and have never had any problems with it. It makes an awesome cap in Natural Planted Tanks (Walstad).


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

Interesting this should pop up today. I'm researching substrates for a new 10g and the closest LFS only carries Activ-Flora. So I'm either stuck with it or have to go further afield in my search.


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## ukamikazu (Jun 4, 2010)

I tried Active Flora as well and just like so many others I got it super cheap during one of PetCo's $1/gallon sales. The bag I got though was dead and had milky white stuff in it which was rich in ammonium and so I was able to do a dry start.

I really don't care for it because the grain is too large, I find. Keeping stem plants down was tough even with 3 inches of depth. Similarly inserting fertilizer tabs is difficult and I really have to push the tabs down and even then that's no guarantee they'll stay down. I also suffered a major dust storm when I added it. 

When I eventually got my stems in it they rooted pretty easily. The _Anubias _seem to like it as well. The huge chunks stay nice and aerated. Compositionally it isn't different from the other brands, just really hard clay it seems, too dense to be pumice. 

I really wouldn't recommend it and again I don't care for it. From the retail prices I'd say it is more expensive than the other brands, but ultimately they are all about the same, just a question of grain size and if they already have some nutrients in them.


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## Franco (Jun 13, 2010)

The Petcos around here quit carrying any plant substates after I bought my activflora. The had a few different kinds including the waterfilled bags but I opted for the dry stuff since I was just using it as a cap.


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## sdm (Jan 9, 2007)

Franco said:


> the activflora I use doesn't have added nutrients, its just black crushed lava rock. Got it for $4 at Petco on clearance. It never shows mulm on the bottom, its great for anchoring plants, and malaysian trumpet snails move through it easily. I rinsed it well before using it and have never had any problems with it. It makes an awesome cap in Natural Planted Tanks (Walstad).


Petco here had two bags of the Lake Gems for $4 a bag so I figured I may use it at some point. When I checked out turns out it was $1.50/ bag. It's got to be worth that. I really like the color. I guess we'll see...


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