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Re: Laterite/vermiculite mix



>From: Miles Morrissey <mmorriss at sophia_smith.edu>
>Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 15:13:46 -0400 (EDT)
>Subject: Laterite/vermiculite mix
>
>Dear folks, 
>		After over a year of dreaming, planning, and building I 
>am ready to fill a 50G (36" x 18" x 18") with water, some fish and lots 
>of plants.  This is a show tank for the living room so doing it right is 
>very important.  First off, in reading the instructions that came with 
>the 500g of Duplarit G I am confused about what to do with the 10 
>Duplaplant tablets.  Do I push them into the gravel? Dissolve them in the 
>aquarium water itself or are they anti-anxiety pills that I shoud injest 
>to calm myself?

Duplarit G came with two kind of tablets. These tablets can be distinguised
from their colour. There is/are green tablets and light-brown.

The light brown tablet is known as Duplaplant. some folks refer to as as
anti-anxiety pills. However, the green tablet is for the stimulation for root.

The height of your gravel should be in the region of 7-8cm (50G tank). Dupla
recommended that you mixed the 'red dirt' (duplarit) with 1/3 of the gravel.

However I am more comfortable with just 1/4 of the gravel. Meaning a mixed
substrate with a height of 2cm. 

TIP: Before adding Duplarit, it's best to have a clean and dry gravel. Mixed
them thoroughly in a bucket. Then you take the root enhancer tablet,
dissolve it in a glass of water and pour it and mixed it evenly with the
gravel. Refer to **.

If you have laid your heating cable, then you are ready to add the mixed
gravel to the tank. Spread evenly.

Then top the rest of the tank with the remaining gravel. If you like you can
landscape it in a way that it slopes towards the front of the tank.

Use a water hose to add water to your tank. Make it real slow flowing. We do
not want to disturb what's underneath the gravel.

** Now if you have a very wet gravel that was mixed with Duplarit, this is
what happens:  Through capillarity effect, the 'laterite solution' will find
its way thru the small openings of the gravel. Diffuse upwards and ... you
see red!!

You can increase the flow slightly when it is half filled.

When you are done,  it's time to add the Duplaplant tablets. Remember to add
the amount that is recommended. Too much, then it can be party time for
algae. Therefore make sure to have fast growers at this running in period.
Cabomba and Hygrophilia Difformis are good examples.

You should also think of adding Duplaplant 24 daily drops. Maybe 3-4 drops
daily.
Have an iron measuring kit. Hardness of 3.5 and pH of 6.9.

Good luck.