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Re: Profile as Flourite substitute
Nathan <nathanw at knoxy_net> wrote:
> Subject: Re: Profile as Flourite substitute
> > If price is an issue, you should look at Profile as a Fluorite
> > substitute. It is a kiln fired clay like material. It is used as a
> > soil amendment. You can find more info at www.profileproducts.com or
> > search www.thekrib.com. You can find it at Walmart, some Home Depots,
> > and Frank's Nursery and Crafts under the names:
> > Profile Clay Soil Conditioner
> > Profile Aquatic Soil
> > Turface MVP or Pro League
> >
> > If you are interested in DIY substrates you should check out Steve
> > Pushak's website (http://home.infinet.net/teban/). Especially look at
> > Jamie Johnson's article.
>
> I just wanted to comment on this a little. I noticed just today that Chuck
> Gadd's site lists Flourite as having *some* nutrients and Profile having
> *none* and this goes along very well with my experience between the two.
> (Well, really Flourite as nutrient rich.) And I think when people comment
> that Profile is a *great* cheap substitute for Flourite, this is an
> important missing element.
Neither have added "nutrients". When I hear the terms nutrients, I
think of nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium, as in fertilizer. But
nutrients are also all those little things needed for life, i.e. Fe, Cr,
Na, etc.
Both products are loaded with naturally occuring mineral nutrients,
but I think they lack any appreciatable amounts N or P. That's why
we amend our subs with Jobe's sticks. If they did have added
nutrients, we'd probably all be fighting green water constantly.
Maybe Dr. Morin can comment on the Flourite, but I would pretty
much think they come "as is".
> Flourite's added nutrients help a lot in keeping a tank going. 'Course I'm a
> stinkin' newbie at this, but my Profile tanks have been much more difficult
> to maintain than my one Flourite tank (I'm hoping to convert all to
> Flourite), and I'm going to guess that if I stick with Profile in these
> tanks, they're simply going to require more fertilizer, ie, more money, ie,
> the very reason (only reason) I went with Profile rather than Flourite in
> the first place on the other tanks.
> Profile = way cheap, very light, no nutrients (as per Gadd)
> Flourite = expensive, stays put pretty well, nutrient rich
> As a frustrated Profile user looking to up the ante with a more expensive
> drug of choice, I just think this should be pointed out to people before
> they set up an aquarium assuming that Profile is just as good but cheaper.
> It ain't.
They're TWO different products. They'll never match in
performance. Tomatoes planted on both sides of our garden grow
at different rates, but pretty much the same soil. A lot of times
there are other factors that control growing rates, as the case in
yours seperate tanks.
Both are very good products.
Jamie <"\\\><
Greenwood, SC