Hi Dr. Novak, Great info. I didn’t use nearly this much kitty litter in the setup of my plenum. I chose more of an inert gravel as a cap off for my tank on top of about 1/4-1/2” of the Walmart kitty litter on the very bottom with laterite. If I ever do a reset on this tank, I might to with a thicker layer of the fluorite red capped with the current gravel I am using for better structural integrity and I also like the look of the red as a bottom layer. Thanks for continuing to publish videos for our benefit!

you are so right Dr Novak, you can rinse and rinse, but still the red color on Fluorite. When I first set it up took a few days for the filtration to take the red out. But, it has been fantastic in my plenum of the 50 gal tank. It was worth the money to me

Dr. Novak, Always great to see another one of your videos pop up. Watching (some) other fish tuber videos is almost irritating upon watching all your videos always great content. I redone my tank. You featured one in your videos(Fluval spec V) I did everything as you done. The substrate is 100% (Blue ribbon premium cat litter) Florine granuals for iron, modified sponge to accommodate BCBag, Plenum w/3/8" tube slow flowing. My 4 silver mountain minnows (had a total of 9 in old set up 5 died) look happy and 3 Amazon sword plants now I wait 2 months. So as I watched this video, Is it safe to say if one couldn't get the proper litter or oil sorb, Florite would work as well as litter does? Thank you Doctor. Frank.....Subscriber, liker and bell ringer.

Dr. Novak, That’s a name that I hadn’t seen in a while! I had planted aquariums back in 1999-2003 before KZread. I went into Reef Aquariums and now I’m getting into plants again. I had a tank with Wal Mart Kitty Litter topped with sand. I also had a Dutch aquarium purely with Fluorite. Hands down, the roots on the kitty litter tank were more fuzzy and intense. My fluorite-only tank grew well, but I also loaded the substrate with frequent Jobe‘s Fert sticks and PMDD on a dosing pump. Looking at the soils today, I find them rather ugly. I just don’t like the look of the black beady aquasoils and such they look like animal waste. I just purchased a 20 gallon and This video was a great resource. Thanks!

Fluorite red is hard to clean and all but it settles after a bit once the tank is running. And yes you need more than it would appear before rinsing it. Have it in one of my tanks as substrate just because I like the look of it. My plants seem to be growing really well in it, but again I just thought it looked cool. Something a little different. ❤ thanks for the comparison.

@richiemonkey120

10 ай бұрын

Agree. Looks cool. Needs to be hose rinsed in sieve or strainer for about 5 min and then stir and do again. I lost about a half pound in dust. In the tank it’s great and keeps red. I’m not doing anything anoxic but like the videos

I stumbled across this video because I’m researching clay granulating machines. My hunch at the moment is that fluorite, aquasoils, kitty litter, biomass fertilizer pellets, etc. are all made using the same methods and equipment with varying operating parameters. Kitty litter is typically bentonite clay, and it actually contains plenty of trace elements for plants. Aquasoils are various clays, some including bentonite, and they’re simply sieved for consistency. Most are only dried and not fired or even heated; the granulation process yields pretty firm and well compacted grains which won’t dissolve in water. I’m half-inclined to get a granulator and get into the aquasoil business. It seems like a bit of a racket. Maybe I should stick to tissue culturing and fish for the time being 😅 I’m sure I’m missing some legitimate reasons for these things to be expensive… But you’re not wrong, the price of this stuff is crazy.

Just did my entire rack with organic compost capped with black diamond media blasting coal slag. I made substrate for about 100 gallons of tanks for $20 with stuff off the shelf at Fleet Farm. Looks great, plants/shrimp are thriving and it was cheap! No rinsing or faffing- just put a few paper towels down on the sand before filling and I had clear water in a couple hours without using any flockifer. I’ve used Flourite before- it always clouded the water any time you disturbed it.

Im from Australia, I used to have a tank with some tropical fish and plants about 25 years ago, and the funny thing is the gravel I had I got from the lake at the end of our farm property, and it's like a mud stone/ clay gravel with a little other stone in there, but mostly looked like the flourite. I have a tank once again, son really wanted axolotyls for his birthday, so it's been a massive learning curve for everyone. I wanted plants if we were to have a tank, a tank isn't a tank without life plants. So everyone on the FB was recommending here the play sand from Bunnings (big hardware chain here), however there was lot of mistakes made including the sand which has taken me months to pin point as a big potential issue, can't get the PH down no matter what, always 7.8. The sand through careful isolated experiments confirm it was the problem. My KH and GH are good and rock solid, actually that was a saga in itself and it turned out much of the poor plant health was due to almost all the GH being calcium and no magnesium, I add epson salts for that. Anyway, the sand is super light, silty and almost floats, so it gets everywhere and promotes detritus and algae to form on the sandy plants. I can't really vac it either, lost already 10-15% of the sand from water changes. Since the GH and KH do not change with the sand tested in isolation, I suspect it's either leaching something else or scrubbing H+ ions somehow. Since I live in Aus, seachem's biggest issues is it's insane prices of their products and just weird combos in their supplements that create more problems forcing you to buy more products. Recently I have seen mentions of this kitty litter. To get the 2.5" substrate in my 4' tank, it will cost some nearly $300 to go the seachem route and it's still too coarse for the axolotls in my opinion, where as the kitty litter looks much finer and I have used one just like that recently for the cat that is at the local cheap shop in big 10kg bags. It's smooth and soft too, which is a big win for clumsy axolotls. I plan to rid most of the plants and go the microsorum and anubias on lots of drift wood route with low light and allow the roots to find the substrate as one of them already has. Not having any luck with the other plants, I am hoping the kitty litter will really help the plants grow better and hopefully curb the algae issues too, despite my parameters being quite ideal, but the plants just always look sick (mag and cal deficiency type symptoms). I think the sand is a big part of my issues. Who knows, maybe if I still have some of the substrate plants when I plan to start over at the new house mid year, they might actually stop dying and grow with the kitty litter.

Excellent comparison!

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

Flourite in one tank, even after rinsing, water a bit red. I thought it was nice for a red planet Mars type tank. Was cool for a couple days. It is expensive like you said though.

Very useful information 👍🐠🐟💦

I have baked clumping kitty litter in a regular home oven at 280 degrees Celsius and it became much more sturdy and wouldn't disintegrate in water. Thanks for informative videos !

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for the information, I often thought if a hobbyist could heat up the kitty litter themselves and bake it. For anybody reading this, that would equal 550°F. We used to reactivate carbon by doing the same thing..

@user-ii1ei9gw8t

24 күн бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums great!!!!! was looking for this!!!!

Though I really like the basket might be able to get it a tad cleaner on a screen where it could be spread thin while rinsing

I recently found an old bag of Seachem Onyx Sand that I’d forgotten about, it’s grey in color. My new tank has CaribSea Eco-complete capped with Fluval Stratum. It’s working really well for Jungle Val and Crypts, I don’t really like many stem plants so I use random Anubias and Banana plants to add variety.

Makes sense the kitty litter being softer would work better with the root systems

Dr. Novak. Thank you for the info on Seachem Flourite. I have used the Flourite Red as my iron base between kitty litter and safe T sorb. I was under the impression that the Flourite red was full of iron as they advertise it with the statement, "gravel modifiers such as laterite are not necessary". Would I be better off using laterite? The tanks I have set up this way, with a plenums seem to do good. Would I be better off just using the kitty litter safe T sorb combo and liquid iron? I like the safe t sorb substrate as it looks good with the color in it than just plain kitty litter. Thanks again for the info as this hobby can cost some $$$!

Flourite makes a good 50/50 mix with perlite for bonsai soil.

I made flourite red with a mix of laterite powder and oil dri safetsorb. I was washing the oil dri and added laterite at the end. Grabbed a handful of flourite red and its the same as what i made

Great info. Kitty's rule💪

Dr Novak, thoughts on miracle mud and it's additives. Both freshwater and marine versions?? What do you think?? Cheers

For me Seachem was my only choice because I couldn't find the right type of kitty litter in my country, it was the same for me, I couldn't get it 100% clean, but after a while it settles and my water is now clear, now if grows plants good or not is hard for me to say, because I mixed it with dirt and aquasoil and I can speak for that combination, all in all I really like Seachem Flourite. 🙂

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@Sinserg

10 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums You are very welcome. 🙂

Flourite has black but it’s sand not hard clay they also have a a nother kind but it’s more rare to get. The one you have only comes in red. Try the black sand and you will probably like it better. It is expensive.

I just finished setting up a plenum using kitty litter with a layer of Flourite in the middle. Now waiting for the reddish grey water to clear...

I've used that product for years as a substrate and also the Sachem fluorite sand. I'd never use anything else.

Started my plenum in my 75g without rinsing the Fancy Kitty - did I completely screw up my plenum?

Also, what are your thoughts on the fluorite red as a BCB medium?

what about to use akadamia bonsai soil instead of kitty litter fo BCB?

How about Akadama? it’s also a Clay, not veria expensive, and it has about 8,5% of iron?

How does the Flourite red compare to Laterite?

Hello Dr Novak: How about using the bonsai substrate called kiryuzuna? . It is very hard and it is supposed to be an iron rich zeolite.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

I've been asked that several times, but I've never used it myself.

The real trick is that it isn't worth it for either. If you scroll facebook marketplace, or even just have an older house, you probably have some old bricks lying around. Smashed chunks of older bricks from before they started mixing concrete into them will do the same job as kitty litter or seachem. They come pre "charged", are industrially baked, and have all the iron that seachem red sports.

I've used this stuff. It seems to me like its just normal rock that is coated in the red clay. Not a very good substrate. Def prefer kitty litter.

The price of Flourite is slightly more expensive than normal gravel from the pet store. Usually normal gravel at the pet store is $20-25 for a 20lbs bag.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

I don't understand why gravel is so expensive, yet you can buy a bag of pea-gravel at the hardware store for next to nothing.

@onlywei

10 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums the granule size of pea gravel is on average much larger than pet store gravel. It’s also really dirty and needs a lot of washing.

@dacon999

10 ай бұрын

POTTING SOIL THEN PEA GRAVEL YES. A FEW SIZES LATELY SHOWING UP AT THE HOME CENTERS.... GOTTA WASH THOUGH I FIND EVEN MORE THEN THE AQUARIUM BRANDS. BUT SO WHAT! ITS 25% OF THE PRICE.RECYCLE THAT WASHED WATER FOR YOUR HOUSE PLANTS OR OUTDOOR PLANTS. SOMETIMES THIRSTY ANIMALS PASS MY HOUSE AND WAVE THEN TAKE A DRINK THEMSEFS...LOLOLOLOL JOKING.... @@anoxicfiltrationplenums

@peterreece2340

8 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I understand that the aquarium gravel is coated with an acrylic coating whereas the hardware store product is plain gravel. The aquarium product will have little or no effect on your water. The hardware product could change Ph and water hardness.

Hello, would I need this substrate if I only have anubias plants that do not root in the substrate. Is this only for planted tanks??? Would a plenum be a good idea even if I only grow anubias? Thanks.

@peterreece2340

8 ай бұрын

If I only had anubias in my tank I would only use plain old aquarium gravel. Anubias does not feed on the substrate.

In my country we have small vocanic rock that look like seachem fluorite. I wonder whether are they the same.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

It probably is the exact same thing.

Was the Flourite better or worse at anoxic bacterial activity compared to kitty litter?

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

I think the kitty litter in the" long run" is better.

Would the fluorite red work as a stand alone with out kitty litter in a bcb basket for anoxic filtration? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

6 ай бұрын

Unfortunately, no. It will work as part of a Plenum, but not in a BCB bag or basket. There's a lot more science going on in such a basket than what most hobbies think.

@jeffrotenheber2681

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the quick response Dr. Novak. I have a 230 gallon aquarium with a Sump, I haven’t been able to get my nitrates below 40 ppm. I am going to give the Bcb baskets a try, I do 50% water changes weekly and would love to at least go every two weeks or less if possible. Thanks again for sharing all your information

The water in my aquarium that is full of insufficiently washed kitty litter from Whiskers & Tails is always grey. Even after 8 months of water changes every 1-2 weeks.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

Yes, it never seems to really get very dark at all.

@onlywei

10 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I can barely see my fish, the water is so grey

@NameName-do9hj

8 ай бұрын

​@Shinwei85 is it baked clay ? Did you wash it properly I use kitty litter in Australia with Oliver knots laterite and mine cleared up in a day Like he said stay away from kitty litter that's not baked as it turns to mud

Id cap the laterite with the fluorite

Dr, novac I live in Florida where do I buy baked kitty litter

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

I buy mine at Winn-Dixie or you can go to a tractor supply house and buy the same thing under the name oil dry or safety sorb.

Hi Doc, i use seachem red because i cannot find api 1st layer. Can i do that??? TIA!!!

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

Yes that is ok

@khanguyen7978

10 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you, Doc.

Is there any other brand of kitty litter that I can use? Looking up litter not sure which is the correct one, they don’t tell me if it’s baked.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

3 ай бұрын

You can go to a tractor supply house and buy oil dry our safety sorb, which is basically backed kitty litter. You could even purchase it off the Internet.

@toocuties5863

3 ай бұрын

@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you 😊

Is Flourite fine ground terracotta with a pigment?

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

From my understanding, it is not because it has a lot of trace elements into it. It just has the appearance of terra-cotta.

Are seachem fluoride similar to small red volcanic rock.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

No not at all.

Could you crush up clay pots for the iron source

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

9 ай бұрын

If you're 100% that the clay is not bonded in the pot and cannot be released.

Kevin, could you use LECA balls? Would they work to achieve an anoxic zone?

Try Saf-T-Sorb, much better. Tractor Supply

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip

I set up a 29 gallon tank this past February with Safety Sorb over a non bubbling plenum. Three months later the plants grew so fast i was pruning every week. Is kitty litter the same as Safety Sorb, i believe it is.

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

Basically, it's the same product.

@communication6001

10 ай бұрын

I have plenums and BCBAGS with both baked kitty litter and safe t sorb . After about 2 years of use , the safe t sorb is holding up better . The Flourite I’ve used remains hard as a rock but my experience all my plants grow better especially in the long run , in kitty litter and safe t sorb , no comparison the longer it is set up . I’m dose liquid iron weekly , great way to do it . Presumably safe t sorb is baked at 800 degrees and kitty litter at 300 . Theoretically the safe t sorb should break down slower .

science aside - did anyone else notice how hard of a time he had cleaning gravel/clay in a basket? work harder not smarter?? 5 gallon bucket, and just weigh down the hose at the bottom, walk away. in 15 minutes mother nature would have done all the work for you. and not left a huge mess on your driveway

@anoxicfiltrationplenums

10 ай бұрын

I can tell you never lived in Chicago and had to pay for lake Michigan water. For every gallon of water you use in Chicago you also must pay a sewerage charge. Putting a hose in a bucket and let it run for 15 minutes. It's going to cost you. Plus it's a waste of a lot of water.

You know how rich I am? You know how much money I got? I use Seachem Fluorite as kitty litter.