SAND SAND SAND HELP ME!!!

[clutterydrawer]

Because it's what my cats poo in! I like my fish and cats to have different pooing media!!!

Honestly, no real good reason other than it didn't seem necessary to complicate the substrate issue by having anything other than pure sand!

Fair enough just checking it didn't have some evil secret property not that I even use it...but it's nice to know these things.

 

[Dubby]

Vermiculite? What's that?

Its a mica like substance with a high CEC. Its normally used in horticulture and is available from garden centres.

 

[mrV]

Ok, now I understand. Does it contain nitrates or fosfates?

 

[Dubby]

No.

Here is a clipping from www.vermiculite.org

Vermiculite is the mineralogical name given to hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-ironsilicate which resembles mica in appearance. When processed for horticultural use, the mineral is subjected to intense heat, expanding it into accordion-shaped granules with countless layers of thin plates. Horticultural vermiculite has the excellent property of improving soil aeration while retaining moisture and nutrients to feed roots, cuttings and seeds for faster, maximum growth.

The chemical formula .... (Mg,Ca,K,Fe11)3 (Si,AL,Fe111)4O10(OH)2O4H2O

TYPICAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS


Element Percent by Weight
SiO2 38-46
AL2O3 10-16
MgO 16-35
CaO 1-5
K2O 1-6
Fe2O3 6-13
TiO2 1-3
H2O 8-16
Other 0.2-1.2