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Kitty Litter (fwd)



Please remember to address posts to aquatic-plants at actwin_com    Sending
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appearance of your post.    - Cynthia

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 11:35:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Kleinkramer <paulk at lightspeed_net>
To: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com
Subject: Kitty Litter

Mavis,

Here is something I sent to the Goldfish list a few months ago when someone
asked how I used Kitty Litter.  Maybe you could adapt this to bigger pots
and use it in your bog.  I think the sand is critical to keeping the Kitty
Litter from disolving in the water.  This is just what works for me.  No
doubt there are other, better ways.
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Here is what I do to keep plants in my Goldfish tank (90 gallon tall):

I plant in small
orange clay pots form the Garden Department of Wal Mart.  They
cost $ .24 each.  Each pot is about 3 inches tall.

-First I put a small piece of Scotch Tape in the bottom to cover
the small hole.

-Next about 1 inch of generic kitty litter.  I suspect that plain kitty litter
is 100% iron rich clay.  Perhaps it is similar to the expensive laturite
clay used in Dutch aquariums.  Make sure its just plain litter
though.  I don't think Goldfish would appreciate "special odor
absorbing crystals".

-On top of the litter I put 1/4 inch of peat moss.  Not much,
just to cover.

-The plants always benefit from some organic food, so on the peat
I place 5 or 6 small sinking Goldfish pellets.

-Next I add enough water so I can stir the peat around until it
is kind of soupy.  At first it never wants to absorb water but
pretty soon it gives up and turns to peat mud.  Water will soak
into the clay too.

-Next place the plant in the pot and surround the base with
enough sand to almost fill the pot.  That will be at least an
inch of sand.  I use washed play box sand from Home Depot.

-Over the top I place a little gravel from the tank bottom.

-I usually bury the pot in the gravel so I can't even tell its
there.  I have also just set the pot on the tank floor which
works equally as well.

My Goldfish do very little plant damage.  I also feed par-boiled
peas once or twice a week which seems to quench their desire for
veggies.

Ludwigia is a good plant to try as it likes temperate water and
grows fast enough to recover from Goldfish nibbling.  Java Fern
is supposedly poisonous and tastes so bad that no fish will touch
it.  My Goldfish leave it alone.  Pond Rush and water lilies grow
well too, and can stand up to any Goldfish; they require aggresive
prunning in an aquarium.  I have not tried
Anachares but have heard that if it roots, it grows and holds
down great.  You might try some floating plants like Water
Hyacinth and Frog's Bit.  They grow well and the fish don't seem
to bother them.  I also like Peace Lily.  I grow it with just the
roots in the water and the rest growing out in the room.  Peace
Lily is a popular house plant that I see at nearly every store
that has house plants.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Good luck Mavis!

Paul