# Fluorite is $90 a bag in Australia



## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

really

$166 for 2 bags which is what I'd need to cover a 35gal tank.

In Australian dollars of course. Maybe it's the shipping costs from the USA.

But I really like the red colour. Can anyone suggest a cheaper (but just as good) alternative?


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## joan (Apr 25, 2005)

The words _highway_ and _robbery_ come to mind. Perhaps it is the shipping but, yeeesh, that seems ridiculous.

Are Sera products sold in Aus? They're not cheap as a rule either, but maybe as they're a European company they won't be as ridiculous? Anyway, Sera FloraDepot is meant to be used under a gravel of your choice. So use it and a regular reddish gravel? Red Sea Flora Gro? (I think that's the name of their substrate) Not sure if either of these are useful, but just trying to come up with alternatives to look into. Good luck!


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## Bert H (Dec 15, 2003)

Man, if that's what they're asking for flourite, they must be asking for your first born for ADA products.


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

Thanks for the suggestions, Joan.

Unfortunately, European stuff like Eheim ($500 for a canister filter?!?, $75 for a disconnect valve?!), Sera, JBL, Tetra and all the rest are even more exhorbitant here. The only aquarium equipment/supplies here that are reasonably priced are the Chinese/Taiwanese products (which are usually direct copies of the Eheims etc anyway at 1/4 the price).

Anyway, the LFSs around me simply don't stock 'substrates' so I don't really have a choice. Just plain gravel or that white coral sand they use in reef tanks. I even asked them if they could order Fluorite in for me.. 'Naaah, sorry..".. So the only place I've been able to find it is on online stores like the one I linked.

The LFS does sell JBL Aquabasis Plus, which sounds like the Sera FloraDepot you mention, but I want to avoid having layers if I can as this will be my first tank and I'm sure I'll be moving plants around a lot until I get it right.

Actually, I've just read this thread Anyone with Red flourite have pics? and it doesn't seem as deep terracotta red as they advertise it to be.

So I'm thinking about the dark Onyx Sand now. At $79 a bag, it's $11 cheaper than the Fluorite!


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## joan (Apr 25, 2005)

Man, and I thought I was spending a LOT. Yikes! I know you like red, but can you get EcoComplete there? Black really looks great with the plants and fish and it seems to me the most straightforward, least muss & fuss subtrate to use that provides an excellent growing medium for the plants. It's especially simple for a new tank that you'll be moving plants around a lot in as doing so will not stir up a big mess at all.

Another thought... e-mail these companies and ask them what the closest distributor is to you? Anyway, best of luck. :fish:


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

ouch!!!! there better be gold mixed in it. Seriously though, plants will grow fine in plain gravel too. Add some mulm from established tank, or a thin layer of peat at bottom. This will give the tank a fast start. Plants will grow just fine with water column dosing alone. Read up on "EI", estimative index on this forum, and here


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## duck (Apr 22, 2004)

i can get you EcoCOmplete if you want.
It's the shipping and Exchange rate's.


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

Hey, thanks Duck. I'll send you a pm about it.

I really like the dark colour of eco-complete. The onyx sand seems almost light gray in comparison from the pics of tanks I've seen. But what I've also read is that eco is less heavy than fluorite or onyx so doesn't hold the roots so well (which I'll need with big fish barging between the plants). Is that true?


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

Thanks for the help, Joan. I'll call them up now see what I can find.

Thanks Shalu. I'm not really keen on using gravel though. Especially the standard dull light brown stuff they sell at the lfs. I really want something that looks better. Mind you, I'm not sure if Onyx Sand 'asphalt gray' can be called classy, as I've never seen it in real life!

I'm planning on using EI anyway (or as close to it as I can), which I can still do if I use Onyx or Eco, can't I?


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## EcoSystem (May 24, 2005)

At first, yes, but once those plants get rooted the are hard to move. I once had a hell of a time when i had to break down a lightly planted tank. I was using flourite. At first when i planted it, the plants kept coming loose.

-Eco


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## Aqua Essentials (May 26, 2005)

JBL also do a substrate mixer along with Dupla. These are desinged to be mixed into your chosen gravel and actually work really well. So much so that Red Sea now produce their own substrate fertilser as well.

Anyway, the above items are very light and also easy to post, which would really bring down your costs dramatically considering the fact you live in Oz!!


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

I haven't had any problem with Eco holding the plants. But I'm with Shalu on just using a plain natural looking gravel as substrate and adding mulm to save some serious moola, unless cost is not an issue. The plants really get most of their nutrients from the water column like he said, at least that seems to be the current consensus. If you don't care about the cost, Eco looks great, like you said.


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## swannee (May 22, 2005)

joan said:


> The words _highway_ and _robbery_ come to mind. Perhaps it is the shipping but, yeeesh, that seems ridiculous.
> 
> YES! I,m an American or "Bloody Yank" as they say here living in AUS, and those two words come to mind every time I walk into a store! except for a gas station or "servo" than I say HOLY @#%* CHRIST, on average $1.10 a litre thats about $4.40 a US gallon! But on the other hand a $7.00 hr job there pays $20.00 hr here so I works out pretty close at the end of the day! But make no masteak about MATE, NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can top an Aussie woman!


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## Aussie_Star (Feb 15, 2005)

see i was like you dude searching for subtrate and i settled on aquabasic but its not good it you want to change things around. It gets annoying when you pull plants out and the jbl stuff comes with it and makes your tank really mukie. i have normal gravel with added trace elements in a 20g and im thinking of doing the same in my 187 works alot better and as same results as jbl or sera flourite.


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

Yep, I wanted to avoid the JBL mud-swirls as well. So I ended up getting some Eco-Complete from duck and am very happy with it. His post is further up this thread if you want to get in touch with him to get some for your 187 tank.

Right now I'm trying it out in a 70 litre rank (warning, lots of pics) and I think it looks pretty good and is working well too.


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## reddstagg (Oct 29, 2003)

Brilliant more Aussie's struggling with planted substrate problems.
Ive been trying to track down materials for a planted tank for the past 1 week, not even the shops where helpful.



> $500 for a canister filter


Not really... at worst its like $370 for a large professional series Ehiem down here in melbourne. Not sure what sydney is like though.

Red Sea have just started an advertising campaigne this month in melbourne, ive found alot of the quality eastern shops are pushing there products... but i found from a friend that they have sent samples to all the employee's (gee i would be selling there products too if i got $100 of supplies free)

Dean


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## enigmatic (Nov 8, 2005)

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the site but thought I'd share details of the company I've been using:

http://www.aquaticlifeaquariums.com.au/ 

Prices seem reasonable to start with but by just registering and logging in, you save a further 10%.

My orders have always been processed very quickly and I've always had next day delivery with normal post (they are in Gosford, I'm in Hornsby).

Cheers,

Chris


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## Jerm (Sep 26, 2005)

WOW australlia is expensive. Almost as bad as canada. Us americans look at them when and smile when we find that prices on everything here are going up. Its a small form of condolence. Sigh... its Canada's fault roud: (Now watch all the canadians on the forum post something in reply.)


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

But at least in Canada and Australia you can legally buy Cuban cigars and rum.


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## jho51e (Jan 20, 2005)

enigmatic said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'm new to the site but thought I'd share details of the company I've been using:
> 
> ...


I agree with Chris, I have ordered from them before and have been fantastic with service.


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## Jerm (Sep 26, 2005)

Rex Grigg said:


> But at least in Canada and Australia you can legally buy Cuban cigars and rum.


 :icon_cry: so true :icon_cry: curse american embargos. :icon_cry:


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## 66 north (Oct 28, 2004)

Flourite expensive in Canada? Not really much more if you know where to look, and then pricematch at a Big al's to save on shipping. http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/cshop/PFSE-04950.html?L+scstore+fkmm8180ffccd4cc+1132623684

We look at americans and smile when COPS is on tv.


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## Jerm (Sep 26, 2005)

We look at COPS and cry to think that actually fellow man can stand to watch it... and then realize its being taped live across the street. :icon_roll


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