substrate?

Ok, I'm new at this...last tank I had was 45 years ago. Now I think I've
jumped the gun. I have a 29 gal. tank with 'natural' gravel and I planted
several varieties straight into the gravel. I just have 3 small fish right
now.
The question is: Can I move the gravel aside and insert the Laterite around
the plants without turning the water to mud?
Thanks,
Dan

"Dan Norgard" wrote in message
...
Ok, I'm new at this...last tank I had was 45 years ago. Now I think
I've
jumped the gun. I have a 29 gal. tank with 'natural' gravel and I
planted
several varieties straight into the gravel. I just have 3 small fish
right
now.
The question is: Can I move the gravel aside and insert the Laterite
around
the plants without turning the water to mud?
Thanks,
Dan




Probably not....but you could add those root tab things. Seachem makes
a gravel conditioner type. In essence, its a chunk of desired minerals
that melts slowly releasing its goodies into the gravel bed. I have
used them many times and in my opinion are extremely effective when used
as the directions say. They are cheap........

There are other brands, but I have not tried them....

I did just this.

I used a plastic syphon tube ( the large one at the end of the thin pipe,
about 1inch diameter, open both ends), placed it into the gravel and filled
the tube in situ, with the laterite.

Pushing the tube throught the gravel, and lifting slightly, the ploughning
action released the laterite under the gravel, in my case a quartz type.

This done a number of times all the laterite ended up beneath the gravel ,
and not above.

It can be done you just have to be careful not to pull the tube too near to
the surface of the gravel.

Good luck!


"Dan Norgard" wrote in message
...
Ok, I'm new at this...last tank I had was 45 years ago. Now I think I've
jumped the gun. I have a 29 gal. tank with 'natural' gravel and I planted
several varieties straight into the gravel. I just have 3 small fish
right
now.
The question is: Can I move the gravel aside and insert the Laterite
around
the plants without turning the water to mud?
Thanks,
Dan

Yes, go ahead, I screened the laterite first, so only the granules went in.
I kept the dust for when I pot plants in my Discus tanks.

I have added laterite to an existing tank during a 50% waterchange, I
moved the gravel aside form the base of my amazon swords, and dropped the
laterite right in, covered it with my sand/gravel and completed the water
change. Water did not cloud.

"Dan Norgard" wrote in
:

Ok, I'm new at this...last tank I had was 45 years ago. Now I think
I've jumped the gun. I have a 29 gal. tank with 'natural' gravel and
I planted several varieties straight into the gravel. I just have 3
small fish right now.
The question is: Can I move the gravel aside and insert the Laterite
around the plants without turning the water to mud?
Thanks,
Dan