# growing crypts in a tank



## philoserenus (Feb 6, 2007)

hmm, buying crypts is the easy step, keeping them healthy and happy is another. i'm anticipating a 2.5G upgrade to a 10G for Pinky (my CT betta) in a few months.

*the idea is that i'm gonna use inert as the substrate and use tabs for the nutrients; would that be enough?* because i researched a lot and many tend to use clay, laterite, fluorite, ecocomplete ($$)... i'm not exactly the rich university student. although a lot of people would suggest just getting one bag of fluorite since it wouldnt be too expensive for a 10G

i just wanna grow crypts to be honest... b/c i love them and are most likely thatz the only other plant that will grow, haha (i have the ferns and dun prefer the mosses; i'm afraid they will grow everywhere). i have a very low light tank and an even smaller bioload of one betta.

if i wanted to use clay or peat and gravel... *(1) where can i even get clay?* and *(2) where can i get such a small amount of clay?* u know, dun wanna buy a huge bag when only need handfuls once a blue moon. mix the rest with my crypts' terrestrial cousins? haha. cant exactly dump the clay into the tank u know... itz gonna be a HUGE mess b/c of it's particle size. and *(3) peat... where can i get that stuff? home depot? there's many different types =(*

any comments or suggestions from our fellow GTA aquarists? any crypts experts around?

thanks

// nick


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## biofish (Jan 4, 2007)

hey,
I found my peat at a local nursery, but you can also find them at any garden center like canadian tire. apparently they have smaller bags there. they probably sell small amounts of clay, too. 
good luck with your tank... I'm new at this too and currently upgrading my 5 gal to a 10 and researching what types of plants I'm going to grow. 
biofish.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Profile Tuface MVP is a fracted clay product that has been used for some time. Not sure where to get it but it's used extensively in major league baseball infields and landscapers. 

Schultz Profile is another product that is found in garden centres used as a soil conditioner. From what I hear, Turface is the manufacturer but MUCH more $$$/lb. 

Either way, it has high CEC and though low in nutrient content, you may want to add more ferts intially for substrate absorption.

HTH


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## philoserenus (Feb 6, 2007)

hmm this all sounds good, thanks guys. my friend talked me into use using fluorite... so i might just use peat under fluorite. how does that sound?

i called up harold at the menagerie and he sells it at $29.99 a bag... that a good price? i've never really bought any substrate before so i dunno, but i'm definitely gonna get my plants from him even though itz like a 1.5+ hr bus ride to get there. if so... i guess i could still afford one bag of fluorite, and since fluorite lasts _forever_, it should be a good investment for the future i guess.

but nonetheless it is still too early for me to do anything since my main form of transportation is public transit, so i'm gonna hafta wait until the weather gets warmer b4 i start anything crazy, not to mention, i aint washing fluorite outside in -17*C temperatures, haha.

biofish: good luck with ur upgrading, let me know how things turn out to be
wtac: thanks, i'm considering Schultz as an alternative to fluorite for the time being.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I wouldn't bother mixing peat as Flourite itself works very well. IIRC from another forum, jrs is using Schultz Profile and he's not too happy w/the particle size as it's too small/light to keep down some ground covering plants. You might want to get in contact w/jrs for more details.

I wouldn't bother washing Flourite, you'll be there for quite awhile . Basically add it to the empty aquarium, slowly add water and gravel vac. Just move the end gentlly and slowly not to kick up the dust. Refill and repeat as necessary.

HTH


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

Yes, the Schultz is OK, definately cheaper. I just could not get my HC 'cuba" to stay rooted. I pulled it out and am trying glosso now and it seems to be working pretty well. I went through a diatom stage which I just licked   . I have never gone through that with any of my other planted tanks; it involved lots of daily water changes and about 8 otos. Was it the Schults?? Cant say for sure. I went with it because I have a 6' tank and eco (my favorite) would have been around $200. I will eventually change the tank over to eco at some point.


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

BTW here is the link to a company in Brampton that sells the turface

http://www.plantprod.com/EN/catalogue/20Media.html


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## Sameer (Sep 30, 2007)

I dont like to dig up old topics, but since it was related, I did. Which stores in the GTA have you found Schultz Aquatic Soil at? I live right beside the Ontario Science Centre and Ive searched Home Depot(Eglinton and Laird) and Walmart Supercentre(Eglinton). I have to search more, but to save travel and time where have you found it close to these locations. I went in these stores and searched, and then asked the people working there, and they didnt have a clue. So my guess is it would be sortof useless to call other stores, or would it? I went to the Schultz site and emailed them too, havent had a reply.


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