# Mixing flourite with gravel



## Jerm (Sep 26, 2005)

On a limited budget, and lights needed, full flourite is not an option. I need to 
find fine gravel, a nice type too, the one at the LFS is too big.
Know how much gravel and flourite are needed, i hope to keep it mostly flourite, unless it doesnt make much of a diference
to know if their are any other good cheap substrate options out there that would be almost as effective and more cost effective then this
if you actually care at all as you read this. 
hehe just making sure you're all still awake. I know its 3am wherever you are. roud:


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

You can mix Flourite with gravel in a 50/50 mix based on depth. Try an industrial supply house for a bag of gravel. They sell it in 100 lb bags most of the time but it's pretty cheap.

There are lots of other options. Turface/Profile/Shultz Aquatic Soil. The Soilmaster that everyone is talking about. There are a couple of threads about that one. 3M Colorquartz.


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## Jerm (Sep 26, 2005)

hmm... there are about 4,000 kinds of turface lol, idk that i can find either soilmaster or shultz aquarium soil locally, the soilmaster is almost 140 miles away in a place i've never heard of... could i mix flourite with just a small gravel and have it work just as well?


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Jerm said:


> hmm... there are about 4,000 kinds of turface lol, idk that i can find either soilmaster or shultz aquarium soil locally, the soilmaster is almost 140 miles away in a place i've never heard of... could i mix flourite with just a small gravel and have it work just as well?



Yep. That's what I have done. 50/50 based on depth.


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## intermision (Nov 7, 2005)

I have a 50/50 mix of pea gravel and flourite and it works great.


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## broodwich (Nov 29, 2005)

Can you just get pea gravel from the local hardware store and wash it or does it need to come from an aquarium dealer?


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## intermision (Nov 7, 2005)

I got mine at petsmat. I don't know about other places.


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## adamjh (Sep 2, 2005)

Same here. I bought some pea gravel at PetsMart and added 1 inch of it to my already-2-inch deep-fluorite bed. It has worked very well so far.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

How critical is the 50/50 deal? I have about 2" Flourite and 1" gravel as well.

Also, must the layers be separate or can they mix? I'd imagine it to be pretty difficult to keep the two layers completely separate.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

You are fine at that ratio. And it would be very hard for me to keep the layers separate.


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