Today I got the excellent news that I can pickup my new 50 gal tank on Friday at customs....
Where I live, I can not just go to a shop and buy some substrate so I have to be very inventive.

I got for free last week, directly from the open mine site, 2 huge bags of Laterite.
It is composed of very fine dust, grains and small rocks all of a red/brown color.
I think it can be used as bottom layer, covered with sand, but I am not sure how to use it.
Should I use the dust, the grains, the little rocks?
Does anybody has experience with this?

I intend to start (from my smaller tank) with the following plants: Egeria Densa, African waterweed, Java moss and spiky moss.
Will this plants be happy with such bottom layer or should I just dump the idea?

Thanks for your advice & help.
Marc

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100 Gallon tank (work in progress)
2 x Fluval U3 filter + DYI CO2 + 40W 'Grolight' + 2x28W 'warm white'

3 Bala sharks + 2 Angel fish + 2 Black Mollys +1 Orange Platy + Plenty of Molly fry, baby's & teens

Egeria Densa, Cryptocoryne petchii "pink", Urticularia Graminifolia and African waterweed

Can't wait to see it!

I bought a bag of laterite recently to add to one of my existing tanks - the packaging recommended that it be rinsed to remove the dust - I am pleased I did as the dust took ages to remove and I am sure it would have made my tank very murky indeed. I mixed the washed remainder into the gravel substrate so do not know if covering it in a layer of sand would stop the cloudiness, but I would be concerned that it would always be there, ready and waiting to be kicked up by a burrowing fish or accidental human.

Best regards,

Grant

IMO you may want to rinse the dust out because any time you mess with the substrate im sure your water will cloud up and all of that dust will be pulled through your filter.

+1

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

I have been washing this stuff for the past hour and indeed, when I see the brown / red water I am so lucky to asked for advise first.

My first guess was to use it as is not to remove ' nutritients'. This way would have ended in a catastrophy!

I have still 2 evenings after work to wash and rince as much as possible and Friday will be my BIG day.

I will post pictures soon.

Wish me good luck and thanks to all for the info,
Marc

__________________
100 Gallon tank (work in progress)
2 x Fluval U3 filter + DYI CO2 + 40W 'Grolight' + 2x28W 'warm white'

3 Bala sharks + 2 Angel fish + 2 Black Mollys +1 Orange Platy + Plenty of Molly fry, baby's & teens

Egeria Densa, Cryptocoryne petchii "pink", Urticularia Graminifolia and African waterweed

When I washed my bag of laterite it took ages for it to become clear enough to use. It never cleared completely but I was told to expect that. After being in the tank for a couple of days though, it was fine. One word of warning - I managed to block the drain in my bath tub because of all the dust so take care!

Grant

This linke was very useful - gives ideas on do's and don't concerning laterite in aquariums

Aqua Botanic's Aqua Bloggin » Why use Laterite in the Aquarium?

Grant

Thanks for the link Grant, very useful.
And no, today I did not managed to block the drain of my bath tub but surely tomorrow work will continue at the old sink outside....

__________________
100 Gallon tank (work in progress)
2 x Fluval U3 filter + DYI CO2 + 40W 'Grolight' + 2x28W 'warm white'

3 Bala sharks + 2 Angel fish + 2 Black Mollys +1 Orange Platy + Plenty of Molly fry, baby's & teens

Egeria Densa, Cryptocoryne petchii "pink", Urticularia Graminifolia and African waterweed