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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #285
Earl did use a whole lot of pottery laterite in his 220 gallon tank with
his undergravel filter, and it did clear up in about 3-4 weeks. It did
take a while. Before that, he also had a 100 gallon tank set up with
pottery laterite and undergravel filter, which also cleared up in about
3-4 weeks. In his 220 gallon tank he has half set up with undergravel
filter + laterite, and half with undergravel heater + laterite, and he's
trying to see if there will be a difference in plant growth.
When I had my undergravel heater + pottery laterite running, using about
2 to 3 times as much laterite as Dupla reccomends, there was not a
problem with water circulating through the gravel and laterite mixture.
One thing I suspect the undergravel heater + laterite (or even just
gravel + laterite) will do for a tank is denitrification. Just as in a
Joubert substrate, used in marine reef tanks for denitrification, I
suspect the slow diffusion or flow of water through the gravel may
encourage denitrifying bacteria to grow. I'd like to hear opinions on it
this possibility.
-- Phillip Smelt
psmel at sunny_ncmc.cc.mi.us