• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Sub Substrate

Carpman

Member
Joined
5 Sep 2016
Messages
329
Location
London
Looking for a good cost effective sub-substrate, the below image is holding approx 30 litre's of soil with 10 bags of 6"x 3" slate making a lot of soil. I have got 25kg of play sand but can't bag it as it is to fine, in turn, makes it useless for holding large stones in place as there is no friction. I have slate but that is probably too coarse for the main tank, I have read about cat litter (non-fragranced) and pea shingle in media bags can do the job.

So I'm wondering what others are using for building up their mounds/slopes?

20181103_014032.jpg
 
Funnily enough I was just looking at cat litter in my local supermarket of the two types they had one was lime based and the other had some kind of “active ingredient”. As I understand it (and always happy to be proved wrong) lime is bad as it will increase hardness and “active ingredients” are likely to be antibacterial so also bad for a multitude of reasons.

@zozo gave a good suggestion on another thread relating to what media to use for emersed planters:
You can use a lot, but something inert and porous would be best. Check out Alfagrog for example. But Seramis clay granulate or Hydro clay pebbles can do as well and might be more readily available at any garden centre than Alfagrog.

I’d also add Lava Rock gravel to the list but probably will settle for whatever my local garden centre has in stock.

I believe ADA Power Sand is pumice based.

I did consider using horticultural potting grit but as I was cleaning some I spotted a green looking stone and in case it was some kind of copper I decided against it (bad for Shrimp).

As an alternative approach I have seen people on here using driveway reinforcing tiles (the kind you fill with gravel or grass) these are useful if you need to build a lot of height and as a bonus the ones being used didn’t float.

Great question, I look forward to hearing some other replies!
 
Funnily enough I was just looking at cat litter in my local supermarket of the two types they had one was lime based and the other had some kind of “active ingredient”. As I understand it (and always happy to be proved wrong) lime is bad as it will increase hardness and “active ingredients” are likely to be antibacterial so also bad for a multitude of reasons.
@zozo gave a good suggestion on another thread relating to what media to use for emersed planters:
I’d also add Lava Rock gravel to the list but probably will settle for whatever my local garden centre has in stock.
I believe ADA Power Sand is pumice based.
Great question, I look forward to hearing some other replies!

I did look at ADA power sand until I saw the price (amazon 2ltr £24) no thanks.
Lava rock is also quite expensive if you look in aquarium shops/stockists but again on amazon 9kg £16.39
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0716BG...locphy=9045880&hvtargid=pla-423436117857&th=1

I mentioned cat litter because I read it somewhere here by a moderator I think here what was suggested
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/262681114
 
It seems not all cat litter is created equal then! My local Tesco didn’t have any in stock though :(

I might split the difference and go with some clay granulate, 10L for £6.53 delivered. At least it’s designed with growing plants in mind and I can use what’s left over in emersed planters. :)
 
Just ordered 45l of clay pebbles for £16 on Amazon and they will be here tomorrow. Cheers @davexcape & @zozo

I think you did the right thing, I drove the 10 mile round trip to Tesco’s but the had run out of stock :thumbdown: at 45p a mile it would have been cheaper to order the clay pebbles and they would have been here this evening!

Guess I’ll have to settle for the horticultural grit in the shed instead - I’m only scraping a nano cube so won’t need to worry about the weight as much as you.

Good luck with the scape, I’m no expert but the latest version is a massive improvement IMHO :thumbup:
 
Hi Carpman
Hope is not fired clay (Hydroleca)as is very porous and light it may start floating.
Alternative is Danish pink (moler clay) and others from bozai soil strains
https://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/bonsai-soil/bonsai-growing-media-straights
Just few examples.They can be sourced cheaply probably.
Regards Konsa

Just looked through description and low and behold they are baked:thumbdown::thumbdown::thumbdown: the only good thing is, I can return without any problems to Amazon. this is what I ordered.https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...84d-8286a3530ba1&pf_rd_r=MT1VD9E133PVJW5NFAS2
 
Hi
yes I thought about the same stuff.Its just too porous and holds lots of air in it.It has consistency a bit like lava rock so not going to take much water in it I suspect.Darrel I think is( was) using it as filter media
Maybe he can chip in if it is going to saturate in water and not float.
Regards Konsa
 
I knew I should have gone with the alfagrog.... Sorry @lain Sutherland
 
I knew I should have gone with the alfagrog.... Sorry @lain Sutherland
No worries... I can confirm that the hydroleac clay balls never sink... past experience! Live and learn...

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top