# Clay as Aquarium Substrate?



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

anyone here have experience with using clay as an aquarium substrate? is it a pain in the butt? im doing a Biotope tank for my Keyhole cichlids and from what i was reading it says fine gravel, sand, or preferably clay. is it possible to use clay in the aquarium? where can i buy it?

sorry about all the questions, just sounded cool to use as a substrate.


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## renegade545 (Jul 4, 2008)

Clay is good, and a great substrate for plants. But can be easily stirred up by fish. If you are going to use clay, its best to put a layer of fine gravel over it. If you have plants this would be a good option and probably would benefit you a lot, but if aren't going to have many, than its pointless. Scent-free non clumping cat litter is basically clay and works great.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

you can use cat litter as an aquarium substrate? :lol:

do you have a pic of a tank with clay as a substrate?


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## 3569Ryan (Jul 8, 2008)

I use clay it looks like tan, gravel. I got it at home depot as aquatic potting soil. works great for plants the roots love it. It is very light weight and stirs up easy.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

have any pics by any chance Ryan?


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## 3569Ryan (Jul 8, 2008)

I have been out of town and came back to some ugly algae. sorry no pics. the clay is in a dry graulated form its not just a glob of wet clay smoothed across th bottom of the tank. It looks like gravel. not unusual in any way. I'll get some pics when my tank looks better.


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## alexrex20 (Aug 26, 2005)

technically it's not clay unless the particles are <0.0002in, or 2 millionths of an inch. that's 4 thousandths of a millimeter.


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## 3569Ryan (Jul 8, 2008)

No it's clay it must've been fired and then broken into little gravel sized pieces. I hadn't given it much thought. I had a bag from home depot that I used in my pond and had some left over. Then I bought some at orchard . The stuff from orchard is a little different color. they look good mixed. Aquatic potting soil is in the garden dept. If the store has a display of a pond with a lily pad growing in it you could probably see it in the pot it's growing out of under the water.


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## noobdood (Jul 19, 2008)

How about this it's non toxic. I ate it all the time.


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## 3569Ryan (Jul 8, 2008)

I don't know about that it might float or cloud the water. The colors might not look as natural as you think. And when eaten it causes brain damage in people, so it might do the same in fish. :lol:


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## finless (Oct 11, 2008)

Turface is a brand of fired clay that is used in sports fields and other lawn projects to allow for better drainage and to hold water and encourage a spongy landing. Because it is fired at such high temps it does not break down. There are numerous grades the most accessible and cheapest comes in a 40lb bag and should be around 8-10 bucks. This clay needs to be rinsed first, before use, because it holds out of the bag, a little fine debris. This should not deter you from using it. The product allows for excellent root formation. The angle of the particle allows for efficient surface area, which facilitates increased aerobic microbial life. Better than more compact sands, sifted rock gravels etc. It weighs much less than rock substrates and can be used indefinitely.


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