Flourite & Tank Maintenance

[thexena1]

I had purchased a couple bags of Flourite for a planted tank. I was surprised to find that it was so small in size. I have a Python siphoning system, and am wondering if siphoning any of the substrate is possible with such a small type of substrate.

I've tried using the Python with the Flourite, and ended up clogging it or had a sink full substrate; but I'm not sure if I had rinsed it well enough. Tried it out in a spare 10g tank, and I'm not certain I want to add it to my larger tank until I know how to properly maintain my tank with Flourite as a substrate.

Plan on adding a small amount of additional substrate to the Flourite but am concerned about routine tank maintenance using the Python. There aren't many plants in the tank right now, so I do need to remove the organic wastes and such from the gravel.

Any suggestions? Any tips for "rinsing" the Flourite? It's so dirty and full of fine particles, and rinsing just once or twice isn't working. If I use a strainer, even with finer holes, I'll lose a good portion of the product.

Thanks in advance, any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Tech Support GL]

For advice washing the gravels this comes from our website; common complaint of many substrates is that they tend to cloud up water when first setting up a tank. This clouding can be mitigated by filling the tank slowly or adding water over a dish so it does not stir the gravel., If it is important that clouding be completely illiminated, you might want to try one of these methods...

Probably the best way to remove residual dust is to screen it. this can be accomplished in a few different ways but the principle is the same. You can take a common screen from a window and spread your gravel out over it. Then take a hose and pour water over it until the water comes out from under the screen clean. Another suggestion is take a cover from a reptile tank. These have a fine screen and a plastic border to keep material from washing away. Yet another way to do this is to simply build your own rinsing apparatus using wood and screen. Make sure the screen is fine enough so that only dust washes trhough it.

Another method is by filling up a bucket halfway with your gravel, then filling the bucket with water . Stir up the gravel and pour out the water. you can also just let the bucket continue to fill with water and let it overflow. This can be don outside or in a sink.

If you have a large sieve, you can also use it. Fill it with your gravel and then just let water run through it. One good idea we have heard, if you are rinsing any of our substrates for the planted aquarium and have a garden or flower bed, is to rinse out the substrate over your garden. All the dust that settles in the soil will benefit outdorr plants as well.

Flourite can be siphoned. try not to let the gravel just go through the siphon, because Flourite can fall back into the tank while picking up finer debris. It is a good idea to remove organics and debris occasionally from the substrate.