# Diatomite - Diatomaceous Earth



## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

Has anyone out there ever used this for a substrate. I was at a local horticulture store and the guy gave me a sample. I was the small sample of it as shown in the picture then added it to a little container and added RO water. The pH of the RO water was 6.4 and after I added the Diatomite it stayed the same, I also measured the KH it was zero before and after. Just an idea it looks nice when it is wet, water looks a little cloudy in the container. i am going to try to filter it later.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

The diatomaceous earth I know is an extremely fine white or cream-colored powder that you can not use as a substrate. It can be used as media in DE filters to "polish" water.

Can you post an action shot with the wet Diatomite? Also, measure the GH rather than the kH.


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

This stuff is 1/16 to 1/4" here is a picture of it when I washed it.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

This is nice stuff. I know it as river sand/gravel. Not great for plants as it has a very low nutrient binding ability, but not a problem when you dose the water column and perhaps add a few root tabs where necessary.

I would not call that diatomaceous earth though. Someone might have just used the bag to give a sample of this for you.

In any case, this stuff you can probably use without issues, DE... not really. :smile:


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

It was a sealed bag from a hydroponics shop. Sorry what is DE. I was going to mix it with flourite substrate, THanks
Edit Du "DE" Diatomaceous Earth


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

Something got mislabeled. DE is very fine white powder and that looks like gravel.

Edit: What you have there would do fine mixed with Fluorite


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

angelsword said:


> Something got mislabeled. DE is very fine white powder and that looks like gravel.
> 
> Edit: What you have there would do fine mixed with Fluorite


It is a growing media for hydroponics - I am going to try it in a small tank with a guppy or goldfish - hate to do that but I am really curious if it is safe


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

This is still DE, just not ground to a powder. It appears that it actually has a decent CEC, as it is used as an absorbent. It might actually be really good, once it picks up some nutrients.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

http://www.diatomitecanada.com/horticultural_diatomite.php


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

So each of those rocks consists of billions of dead single celled organisms? How did it end up as different colored rocks. Maybe I’m being clueless but it looks like rocks to me


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

angelsword said:


> So each of those rocks consists of billions of dead single celled organisms? How did it end up as different colored rocks. Maybe I’m being clueless but it looks like rocks to me


Me too, I just put some in a ten gallon tank with an Auquaclear 50 on it - I am going to see how it clears up.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

angelsword said:


> So each of those rocks consists of billions of dead single celled organisms? How did it end up as different colored rocks. Maybe I’m being clueless but it looks like rocks to me


So maybe the definition of DE might help...



> Diatomaceous earth (pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətəˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 1 micron to more than 1 millimeter, but typically 10 to 200 microns.[1] This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven dried diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica, with 2 to 4% alumina (attributed mostly to clay minerals) and 0.5 to 2% iron oxide.[1]
> Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, as a mild abrasive, as a mechanical insecticide, as an absorbent for liquids, as cat litter, as an activator in blood clotting studies, and as a component of dynamite. As it is also heat-resistant, it can be used as a thermal insulator.


Straight from the dictionary....


> A light-colored porous rock composed of the shells of diatoms.


and another


> Diatomaceous earth is a remarkable, all-natural product made from tiny fossilized water plants. Diatomaceous Earth is a naturally occurring siliceous sedimentary mineral compound from microscopic skeletal remains of unicellular algae-like plants called diatoms. These plants have been part of the earth's ecology since prehistoric times. It is believed that 30 million years ago the diatoms built up into deep, chalky deposits of diatomite. The diatoms are mined and ground up to render a powder that looks and feels like talcum powder to us.


DE filter media is heated to make it crystalline(part of what makes it dangerous to inhale). 

It is a sedimentary rock. It doesn't naturally occur as a powder...


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

The wikipedia link above describes a rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white powder. I did a google image search and found pics of white powder and or chalky looking white rocks.

That looks like many different types of shiny rocks and they are all different colors and textures. I'm confused.


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

So would it be safe to use in a planted tank, I have angels, rams, various tetras, cories, pleco.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Just quoting wikipedia sometimes doesn't do much. :smile: I'd agree something might be mislabeled, or perhaps up North there are various things labeled as diatomaceous earth (DE, yes). I didn't know you could grow orchids in DE! Bark, yes, maybe rock wool, or peat, but DE?



Plantz said:


> So would it be safe to use in a planted tank, I have angels, rams, various tetras, cories, pleco.


Pretty sure what you have there in your photo is good to use. I would make sure and test the GH perhaps, since most of your fish wouldn't like a steep increase. But like I said, this looks just like the stuff I fished out of rivers and used for my tanks before there were Flourite and EC.

If you mix it with Flourite, over time it will most likely end up on the bottom. Not that it matters much, just fyi.


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

I would go with whatever overstocked says. I say it's fine but I'm still trying to figure out how the stuff on that pic gets to a fine white powder. I kinda hijacked your thread. Sorry about my bad manners


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks for your comments everyone, I noticed this morning that the 10 gal tank is not really cleared up yet, I will give it a few days.


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## ReefkprZ (Aug 21, 2010)

the whitish colored pebbles in the mix are the diatomaceous chunks the rest are probably composed of just about anything, a way to expand the amount in the bag while reducing cost. while the chunks do have a high silica content, the way a diatom forms is by taking soluble silica and binding it inot a non-soluble form, thats why it sinks and gets formed into sedimentary rock, because it doesn't redissolve. It's basicly the same claim as "crumbled glass growing media high in silica content" while very true its not soluble silica. the DE itself probably has a high cec value while the other chunks could vary greatly, anywhere from some to none. probably mostly common river pea stone tumbled for a smooth look. not sure why you would want high amounts of soluble silica anyhow, would most likley just produce a diatom bloom in your tank. I infact have dosed silica in my reef tanks for just that purpose, to initiate diatom blooms as they are a great food for filter feeding invertebrates like Small Polyp Scleractinian corals and featherdusters (polychaete worms) etc.

just a guess here but the redder chunks could be the higher Iron content DE, and the grey chunk the high alumina content...

I wouldnt dare say one way or the other as to its value as a planted tank media, but due to the use in hydroponics where most of the nutrients are supplied by the water, I would say its value would be limited to the cec value and iron oxide content.


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## Baadboy11 (Oct 28, 2009)

This seems to be pure DE, used for bonsai. They compare it to turface so who knows? Link


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Wasserpest said:


> Just quoting wikipedia sometimes doesn't do much. :smile: I'd agree something might be mislabeled, or perhaps up North there are various things labeled as diatomaceous earth (DE, yes). I didn't know you could grow orchids in DE! Bark, yes, maybe rock wool, or peat, but DE?
> 
> .


You might see that I have 3 different definitions from 3 sources. And if you google search you find that there are discussions on orchid boards and bonsai forums about the use of DE. In rock form, it is similar in CEC properties to perlite, etc. 

Since we don't like wiki... how about...
the USGS?
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/diatomite/250497.pdf
or here
http://www.reade.com/Products/Minerals_and_Ores/diatomaceous_earth.html

I think that assuming there is no DE in there because it isn't a white powder is silly. That is like saying my ice cream doesn't have milk in it...


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

*Went and got some more*

So I went back to the hydroponics store and got another bag. Washed it really good, took a long time and put it in a spare 10 gallon I had. I did some triming in my 35 planted tank so I added to this tank. I used normal tap water to fill it up and I have an AquaClear 50 HOB filter with just sponges in it. I measured some of the parameters

pH = 7.0 not surprised
KH = 50 mg/L
GH = 100 mg/L

It is a bit cloudy - but I think it will clear up. When I first put water in the tank some of the DE floated around it sems to be OK now but it might need something on top of it, I am thinking Flourite on top of it about an inch. Let me know what you guys think.

In this tank is about 7.5 kg as per the bag, it was $8.

Thanks Al


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

Bump


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I have seen that stuff. I wondered if it might encourage diatom blooms with extra silica(?).


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

I wondered that myself - I have a ten gallon test going right now, I put some plants in today and a few female betas, they seem to be doing fine, all the parameters were good.


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## JshineTX84 (Jun 20, 2010)

This stuff looks just like the Baylee's better bottom.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

This is fascinating. Before Plantz's post I only knew of the whitish powdered DE for filtration. The mining company also sells shell flour, which is what most of us are used to, by the way. 

Check out
http://www.grow-plants-indoors.com/Diatomite.html
http://www.diatomitecanada.com/horticultural-diatomaceous-earth.htm

This site lists the US distributors. 
http://www.diatomitecanada.com/diatomite-retail.htm

With some nutrients additions, we now have another very high cation exchange substrate available. Sweet!
Thank you Plantz!


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## Plantz (Oct 1, 2010)

Thank you, here are a few pictures of the new 10 gallon set up. I bought some vals and java fern plants today and a few female betas.


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