Substrate for oxygenators

Hi, all
I was at Home Depot and they had half barrels. Next thing I knew, one
was in my cart. :-) I'm going to try running it unlined because wood
dries out horribly here in San Diego, and a half barrel planter I had
literally fell apart after the staves shrank in the sun.

So, The water is a reasonable 60 degrees ;-p and the handful of hornwort
I tossed in from my fishtanks is already growing. I went ahead and mail
ordered some Egerea najas, Cambomba pulcherrima (purple cambomba), and
Vallisneria americana (spiral val) as oxygenators. I figure at least
one of the three should thrive.

I found some 7" plastic planting baskets, but I'm not sure what to put
in them. I do have extra Fluorite from setting up a fishtank. Fluorite
is a fine laterite clay gravel that's high in minerals and iron,
designed to grow true aquatic plants. Will that work in a pond as well
as in fishtanks?

Thanks - and sorry to you folks who are still cutting holes in the ice
with axes.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__