Re: adding laterite etc to a substrate

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

A fellow Kiwi hobbyist, and I never met a Kiwi I didn't like, gave this
method for adding soil, laterite, fertilizer of any type to the substrate:

Simply mix whatever it is, soil+water = mud, laterite etc in with a bit of
water, add to an ice cube tray, stick in the freezer, take out and add a
cube to the substrate. The ice will melt but by then the soil, laterite etc
will be in place.

You can also roll up little clay balls with whatever you want(KNO3, laterite
etc) and push these down in deep.

When adding anything to the substrate it is important to get it as deep as
possible. If you prune often, move things around in your tank often etc,
substrate dosing methods tend to be pretty messy.

Generally when I redo a tank etc, I just remove the substrate and get it
over with and add the flourite/onyx sand then add some ground peat to the
very bottom and mulm.
It's more work but it's not that bad.

I'd vacuum the sand you already have there and save all the
dirt/mulm/detritus from that and mix into the bottom 1/2 of the new
substrate. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr