[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Flourite substrate
> Again, Greg, I don't want you to think I'm picking on you, but do you have
> any idea _what_ kind of susbtrates your product is being compared with? If
> it's plain gravel susbtrates, we know that almost anything is an
> improvement. Even kitty litter ;-) I was wondering if you know how your
> substrate compares with laterite or other commercial substrate additives.
Well, in the example I gave, no, I don't know what substrate they had been
using before... but that's a good point, if I get any similar compliments
in the future I'll be sure to ask...
First I just want to say that Flourite is not marketed as a substrate
additive, it is intended to be used as substrate or at the most a 50%
cut... it competes with laterite and other substrate additives only insofar
as it obviates the need for them. With that said, with respect to amount of
provided iron, depending on which substrate additive you are comparing to,
Flourite compares at least equally well if not a little better in some
cases. The main advantage with Flourite is that because it is the substrate
you are assured of maximum effectiveness through maximum contact whereas
with a substrate additive the contact might be patchy if not well
distributed. It is also my understanding (I haven't actually worked with
the stuff myself) that laterite can be quite messy, falls apart, clouds up
the tank when working on the substrate, then is difficult to remove if you
want to replace it.
> Also, just from curiosity sake, and I know you can probably only speak for
> Seachem, but do manufacturers do their own comparison tests between their
> products as they are being developed and other known products? If the
> only comparisons are between nothing, and a particular product, you've got
> a pretty good chance of getting a better response by adding much of
> anything.
Yes, I can only speak for Seachem :-). But for us, it depends on the
product and what kind of claims we make. If we claim that such and such
product performs better than so and so products, that is based on testing
we have actually done in house. These performance comparisons are based on
hard measurable data (e.g. our Matrix Carbon releases the lowest level of
leachable phosphate, we just measure that in comparison to all other
carbons, only one variable, very easy to establish a clear difference).
On other products where we don't make direct comparison claims, (like with
Flourite or Flourish Iron), we just make sure the product performs as it
should through our own testing, e.g. it wouldn't be wise to put on a label
"Makes your plants grow 50% more than if you used Product X" as we all know
from an ongoing thread that it can be very difficult to control every
variable and quantitate such things.
-Greg Morin
Gregory Morin, Ph.D. ~Research Director~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seachem Laboratories, Inc. www.seachem.com 888-SEACHEM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~