Reddit Reddit reviews Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel - Stable Porous Natural Planted Aquarium Substrate 15.4 lbs

We found 14 Reddit comments about Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel - Stable Porous Natural Planted Aquarium Substrate 15.4 lbs. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel - Stable Porous Natural Planted Aquarium Substrate 15.4 lbs
GRAVEL: Seachem Flourite Black is a specially fracted stable porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. Its appearance is best suited to planted aquaria, but may be used in any freshwater aquarium environment.AQUARIUM BED: Gravel modifiers such as laterite are not necessary when using Seachem Flourite Black as this product is most effective when used alone as an integral substrate bed, but it may be mixed with other gravels.SET-UP: When adding water to the aquarium, fill slowly to avoid disturbing Flourite Black substrate bed. Place a bowl in the aquarium and add water directly to the bowl, allowing water to overflow softly on to the gravel bed. Initial cloudiness is normal, but to remove this simply use mechanical filtrationCOMPATIBLE: Flourite Black substrates will work fine with an under gravel filter and will not soften or decompose to an unsuitable state within your tank.Flourite substrates will work fine with an UGFSAFETY: Seachem Flourite Black is not chemically coated or treated, thus does not alter the pH of the water. Flourite Black is beneficial for the life of the aquarium and need not be replaced.
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14 Reddit comments about Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel - Stable Porous Natural Planted Aquarium Substrate 15.4 lbs:

u/AlwaysChangingMind88 · 17 pointsr/Aquariums

FIRST OF ALL: Good on you getting a proper tank for your betta!

Here's what I would do with this tank. Take what you want from it.

Lighting: Finnex Stingray Aquarium LED Light, 20-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAFQ6FK/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_QuphybE4CPE6A

I'd get a timer for the light and set it for 8 hours a day.

Substrate: Flourite Black, 7 kg / 15.4 lbs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019J0ISU/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_nxphybZM3Y2ZD

And add plants. I think moss would be a nice plant to add with that light as well. Maybe every now and then dose some ferts. I think I see a box to which is a filter. So I'll leave out my filter of choice.

If this were my tank for a betta I'd do this (:

u/sluttyredridinghood · 6 pointsr/Aquariums

Check out some pictures in my profile of the 10 gallon I have set up. Here's what I would do if I were you. Can you start fresh? Here's what to do:

Buy one 15 pound bag of Seachem Flourite substrate. It comes in many colors, I prefer black. It comes in gravel type and sand type. I personally started w/ gravel type but the sand type is more fun, in my opinion. I added sand on top of my gravel afterwards and it will stay only because I already have plants established. But when I move everyone to a 20long or 29 in the near future, I would just use the sand. Just REMEMBER TO WASH IT THOROUGHLY! It is VERY dusty. But this stuff is worth it, I promise. Your plants will grow 10x better than if you used regular gravel or regular sand. This is the only stuff I'll use for planted tanks. It holds onto some nutrients and helps bring it to plant roots. It's inert, so it won't change your ph. And it NEVER breaks down, unlike most of the other good plant substrates, which have to be replaced every 1-3 years. So it's the best choice imo. It is economical, compared to other plant substrates. It will help you achieve success with your plants.

For plants, I recommend a few basic ones to start out with, bulletproof. You should buy as many plants as you can physically fit in your tank, they will do better that way. You can get the following at most pet stores too. Anubias and java fern have what's called a rhizome and you should superglue it to driftwood, rocks, or decorations. Lots of Youtube vids of this for inspiration. And Amazon sword (echinodorus) a root feeder which won't do as good in gravel, but does awesome in Flourite and looks beautiful when it's grown in. Jungle Val (vallisneria) is a long, grassy looking plant which is a great filler plant. Cryptocorne (wendtii and parva are a couple I love) give some nice variation in heigh and texture. And red dwarf lily, which comes as a bulb, is a beautiful red plant with big drapey leaves and it sends lily pads to the surface. All of these are easy growers. Throw a root tab deep under the substrate every few months (i use 2 broken in half, four pieces, as a 10 gallon isn't very big. Api brand or Flourish tabs are p good)

And the other part of the equation for plants to thrive is light. You can go basic for this or fancy, it doesn't really matter. Just find an LED light between $15-50 that has good reviews and fits your tank, it will probably have enough light for the plants I recommended above. Please get a timer to set your light to be consistent. You can set the timer for 5-8 hours at first so algae doesn't have as much a chance to grow, but if you stuff your aquarium with plants, you will have easier time with that. They will outcompete most algae in the right cases.

You will have to cycle the tank, I hope you know about this but if not please research the nitrogen cycle as it is crucial to the health of your tank. Get an API freshwater master test kit and do frequent water changes if you do fish-in cycle.

For fish, a few you can get at pet stores are:

For a centerpiece fish, imo a betta is the best easy and fun option. Only 1 to a tank. My heart belongs to my female betta Serafina, she is amazing, the queen of her 10 gallon. I would get one with short fins, a king betta, or a female, please, because they do better with the bigger space, the ones with long flowing fins are fighting against the weight of them and can have a hard time in a 10. But a plakat or female will be sharky and awesome to watch. Sometimes they are aggressive to tankmates, but if you set the tank up as thickly planted as i suggest, they usually do quite well with the right tank mates. Usually, this means bottom feeders. You have a few options.

Pygmy corydoras, you can start with 4 and have up to 6 or 7 maximum, start with a lower number and add a few more after a couple weeks if you do the fish-in cycle. They are really fun little fish who are quite active when they are in a proper group, easy to keep, and really fun.

You can do otocinclus instead of corydoras. I would suggest not, because they need a well seasoned tank with a good amount of algae and biofilm and can be challenging to keep. Nevertheless, I have 5 of these in my 10gal and they do awesome. 3 females, 2 males. They are fat, peaceful, happy, and mine have some iridescence to them since they grew up nice and healthy. I love them!

With either betta and corydoras or otocinclus, doesnt matter, you can also have up to 3 mystery snails in your tank if your filtration is really really really good. These guys are a little messy and can get big but they are amazing! Only pick really active ones, if they are all lazy at the store get different ones or wait for another shipment. They have so much character and can get as big as like, a lemon! I have 3 beautiful grey ones in my 10gal, and in my 5.5 gallon amano shrimp and wild female betta tank I have 1 ivory colored and 1 golden colored mysteries. In my Fluval Spec V, I have 1 black mystery snail. They are really really cool and I would be sad to have a tank without them.

And that is a good complete stocking for your tank. I also have red cherry shrimp in my 10, but those can be hard to find. If you want, you can add some of those or amano shrimp.

My 10 gallon is a blast to watch and it's because I set myself up for success from the beginning. I never get bored, it's like a whole ecosystem and there's always something cute or funny going on! My tankmates get along really well, and often hang out together, it is really fascinating.

u/jynnjynn · 3 pointsr/Aquariums

I suggest going with flourite black instead. Your sand WILL start to sink and mix with the flourite, and it will look a lot more natural with flourite black than the red.

If you want a carpet like the one youve pictured, Id strongly suggest you drystart the tank. You can learn more about it over at /r/plantedtank

I would probably go with a finnex Ray2 or a regular planted+ for the light. No reason you should need 2 of the, either. I really don't get what all the hype is about the planted+ 24/7. Its not a brighter higher par light, its just got a built in timer (which can be emulated for $4 with a mechanical outlet timer) and some gimicky (imo) color settings

You may want to look into Co2 systems as well, a high light tank with no Co2 is usually going to be an algae farm. You may be able to get away with dosing Excel or another liquid carbon instead of pressurized Co2, but id go ahead and do some research and pick something out in case you cant.

u/cmdR_CHRIS · 3 pointsr/PlantedTank

Too late, already bought my Flourite Black 15.4 lbs for $20.03. I have had good experience with Flourite so I'm not to bummed out.

Thanks for the heads up on the price. It would be nice if more hobbits would post deals like these when they come up. May be we should have a deals thread similar to the RAOK threads. Hint.. hint..


edit: hobbyists (I'm tired)

u/ecrous-deez · 2 pointsr/Aquariums

I use this. It's a very nice color and my guppies have been loving it, it is for planted tanks though. My plants have been loving it aswell. If you'd like me to send you pictures of my setup I can.

u/zoobtube · 2 pointsr/AquaSwap
u/LoveChops · 2 pointsr/walstad

For a cap I used Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019J0ISU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_QlR2DbCMHZK35. It's worked fine I think I want to try sand next time.

u/mchoat013 · 2 pointsr/Aquariums

Definitely be looking in to canister filters. You would probably do best with having two large-ish canister filters, sorry I don't have any brand recommendations.

Substrate: Since you're planning to do a planted tank I would definitely recommend this one. It is really good for plants and super good quality, not to mention I personally think it looks really amazing (depends what kind of look you want for your tank)

Plants: Again these really depend on what kind of look you're going for but I'll just give you some of the common low tech ones that always look killer in a tank

- Back of tank: Vallisineria, Amazon sword, Java fern, water wisteria and Ludwigia Repens

- Middle-ish of tank: Pygmy Chain Sword, anubia and anubia nana (keep in mind anubia needs to
be attached to an ornament/stone/driftwood not planted in gravel)

-Front of tank, completely optional but some small patched of carpeting plants often look nice:
Dwarf baby tears, java moss and dwarf hairgrass

Fish: Look everybody has different taste in fish, for me I really like Australian rainbows, tiger barbs,
golden blue rams, koi angelfish, fantail goldfish. If you reply back with some fish you personally like
the look of I might be able to help you come up with a stocking list

u/BridgfordJerky · 2 pointsr/Aquariums

Interesting. Right now my Betta tank is a pure substrate of black Flourite which the LFS told me was the best for planted tanks.

That tank's about a year old and I've since learned that you're better off mixing the substrate, so my 25g is a mix of black flourite and then some regular stone substrate, I'm not sure if it has a special name.

Am I SOL with that kind of setup unless I resort to CO2 or fertilizers? A total substrate change would be a pretty big job at this point, but if that's what it takes maybe an experiment in the 6g would be a place to start.

Here's a pic of my substrate in the 25g: http://imgur.com/BolXo6o

u/swismiself · 1 pointr/Aquariums

Ugg yeah I know! I remembered that after set up and I just didn't have it in me to do anything about it. Survival of the fittest this winter - I'll correct it for next time.

I do have the plants planted in this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019J0ISU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

u/Supasouljer · 1 pointr/PlantedTank

There are two of them listed on Amazon with a 5 dollar difference, do you know the difference between the two?

Flourite Black for $20.63

Flourite Black Sand for $25.25

u/IKnowWhoYouAreGuy · 1 pointr/Jarrariums

I'm just saying the yellowing of your plants mean they aren't getting enough light. If the ends turn brown and start molting/rotting, it's a nitrate deficiency. Shrimp (shellfish in general) are particularly sensitive to nitrate changes, so I was suggesting you make the amendments before you add the fauna.

You have a few options:

Full restack:

  • Put a base layer of aquarium substrate (usually clay based) fertilizer/nitrate-infused (I use Seachem Plant Base, https://amzn.to/2Z6gfmA and it's enough in one bag for a 10-gal tank, so you should have plenty to spare. Layer should be about an inch high in a jarrarium

  • Put in your substrate on top of the soil. You can use anything organic, but not plastic gravel

    *Plant your plants

  • Top off with 1/4" more substrate to help them stay seated and start rooting.

  • 24-hour light cycle until the plants start showing green, then you can swap for your normal hours.

    If you have temperature control where the jarrarium will be, you can use direct sunlight to kick-start the plants, but if not the Sun will make the water too hot (and the hot-cold scale to lengthen to be too dramatic for most life beyond snails).

    The other option, with much less effort is to just use a spoon or a long cylinder (like a tank vacuum tube) and fill it with the nitrate soil, then jam it into the jar to the bottom and release it on the way out. Same concept as nitrate "plugs" you see at the store, but much more natural and much less likely to induced burn on the plants.

    As with any living ecosystem, it's all about the balance, which can only be achieved with a cycle. With still-water, you'll only get gas exchange at the site of the plant, not in the surrounding ambient water. So getting a large pond or apple snail will help physically move around the water and get things mixing.

    For a REALLY great start, you can use the soda-bottle hack to make a DIY CO2 bubbler, put it in the jar with a lid, then it will bubble (and mix) through the water and infuse the water with plenty of CO2 for the plants to thrive. Then when the bottle is empty/spent after a few days, you can let it stabilize for a day and add shrimp by the weekend.

    If you want more details/recs, I'm extremely happy to help.

    Also, I've started a YouTube channel for old game restorations, but I also make custom LED lights, if you have a request (at cost < $10-$15 shipped).
u/scaradin · 1 pointr/Aquariums

I've stopped using aquarium gravel because of this. It may be they are eating the paint off or the paint may be just flaking off.

Before you just "get sand" make sure you know what type it is, some can affect your PH. Natural small stones are a favorite by me. If you want to stay with black, this is an option, and works well with planted tanks.

u/Behemothdog · 1 pointr/Aquariums

Until all that came out was clear water at least 3 times? Because It took me way more than 3 to get clear water .


EDIT. How I did it was.

5g bucket, about 1/6 full of gravel, add water as I stir, pour water out. repeat until water comes out clear a minimum of 3 times. Repeat until it's all done. This is my gravel not sure if it makes a difference.