# Safe-T-Sorb



## Lyfeenz (Jan 1, 2013)

Has anyone used this as a planted substrate ? 

From what I've read, with a layer of peat down first then about 1.5" of Safe-T-Sorb on top, this looks like an excellent option for species that like soft water. And it looks pretty nice too, nicer than Fluorite in my opinion. 

I'd like to give this a whirl, if anyone has anything to add.....


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Not knowing what it is, I looked it up. It's a mined earth, 80 - 90% montmorillonite clay, the rest silicas. The clay is mined in Texas, and this product is then calcined, which is to say, it's baked in kilns at very high temperatures. So it's clay, with some silica in it, and the Material Data Safety Sheet advises not breathing the dust, because of the silica content. It does not have any useful amounts of things like iron, which are very useful to plants, that you'd get in Flourite, for example. It's essentially inert, with no nutrient value, but then, so is most gravel.

Usually used as an oil absorbent, or to soak up other spills.

Don't see why it wouldn't work as a substrate, though it's not designed for prolonged immersion in water, so it may break down over time, quite possibly it might break down into gooey clay again, perhaps within a year or two. But there's no way to know but to try it. 

Some of the rather expensive substrates for shrimp also break down in a year or two, and have to be replaced. So I guess it depends whether you want to risk that you may have to replace it in a year or two, if it breaks down into gooey clay again.


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## Lyfeenz (Jan 1, 2013)

Thanks for the detailed reply ! From what I was reading, this substrate has been used because of the really high CEC. I've heard that firing at a lower temperature increases the CEC, rather than the high temperature like fluorite is. But I would gather that if charged it would be able to hold a significant amount of nutrients.

My main concern you hit right on the button, that with the lower firing temp, it may start to break down into mush quicker than desired. I really don't want to have to scoop all of this back out again.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Fwiw, even my Eco Complete, which I started with, I think it was April or so last year, has decomposed a bit. It was relatively coarse, which I wasn't so happy about at the beginning. But now, I find it's broken down quite a bit, mainly into finer size particles. It won't go gooey because it's not clay based, and I actually like that it's getting broken down a bit, because that's better for the loaches I keep in the tank.

I know what a king size pain in the butt it is having to change substrate, so saving some money may not necessarily save you the hassle of having to scoop it all out in a year or two and replace it. Sand or gravel won't give you that problem. Flourite will break down some over time, but not like the clay could. I think it does much what the Eco Complete has done.. break into smaller particles over time. But I don't think it actually goes back to basic clay, and the SafeTSorb might well do just that. 

Personally I would not trust it. If it helps, the clumping cat litter that is made of clay is actually very similar to SafetSorb in terms of the way it's made and what it's made of. The litter most assuredly will turn back into clay if submerged long enough.


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