Inert Clay-Gravel Substrate (Black)

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 Black is Seachem's fired clay gravel for planted tanks - a specially fracted, stable, porous clay, sold in 3.5 kg and 7 kg bags. Seachem's positioning is deliberately unglamorous: it is not chemically coated or treated, it will not alter the pH of the water, and it is good for the life of the aquarium and need not be replaced. That inertness is the whole decision. An active aquasoil like Fluval Stratum comes loaded with nutrients and actively pulls carbonate hardness down, which is what soft-water plants and Caridina shrimp want but is a moving target you have to test for. Flourite Black does none of that - it changes nothing about your water chemistry and holds nutrients you supply rather than releasing its own. In practice that means it does not exhaust after a year, and it does not fight your tap water. Seachem notes that gravel modifiers such as laterite are unnecessary underneath it, and their FAQ adds that liquid and tab ferts are useful but not required. The setup is where people get caught. It is pre-washed but arrives dusty from friction in transit, so rinse it, and expect the rinse water to stay cloudy longer than feels reasonable - Seachem confirms that washing away those fine particles does not reduce the product's benefit. Fill the tank by pouring into a bowl set on the substrate and letting it overflow, or you will lift the whole bed. Initial cloudiness is normal and clears on mechanical filtration; filter floss will clog while it does, so plan to rinse it. Adding it to an established tank is worse than filling a new one - Seachem's advice there is small amounts at a time, thoroughly rinsed, spaced half a day to a day apart. It works with an undergravel filter, and Seachem confirms the grains keep their physical integrity wet rather than breaking down into mud.

Source

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

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