Inert Clay-Gravel Substrate

Performance & sizing

Core numbers for matching this unit to your tank and electrical plan.

Power

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Flow rate

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Noise

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Dimensions

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Price range

$$

Tank fit (L)

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Consumables & maintenance

Nutrient caps and soil recharge depend on plant load—re-supplement when growth slows and tests indicate depletion.

Description

Flourite Dark is a fracted clay gravel, and the most useful thing to know about it is what it does not do. Seachem states it is not chemically coated or treated and will not alter the pH of the water. Anyone who has read that this substrate buffers a tank soft and acidic has read wrong: it is an inert base, not an active soil. Plants root into it and it holds them, but it will not shift your water chemistry, and it will not exhaust after a season. Seachem's line is that Flourite is good for the life of the aquarium and need not be replaced. It works best used alone as the whole substrate bed, though it can be mixed with other gravels, and Seachem says gravel modifiers such as laterite are unnecessary. Feeding is a separate decision. The company's own FAQ suggests Flourish for foliar dosing, Flourish Tabs at the roots and Flourish Iron depending on how dense you want the growth, while saying plainly that none of them are necessities. Setup is where people lose patience. The gravel is pre-washed but arrives dusty from friction in transit, so rinse it anyway. When filling the tank, stand a bowl on the bed and pour into that so water spills over gently instead of cratering the substrate. Early cloudiness is normal and filter floss will clear it. Washing fine particles away costs you nothing, since the material is a mineral ore rather than a coating. Adding it to an established tank goes better in small rinsed batches spaced half a day to a day apart, and expect to rinse the mechanical media while it settles. It holds together wet, and Seachem confirms it works over an undergravel filter.

Source

• seachem.com — https://www.seachem.com/flourite-dark.php

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