# montmorillonite clay for shrimp tanks ?



## Trevor Pleco (10 Sep 2014)

Any thoughts or experience with using montmorillonite clay (bentonite) with your shrimp tank and if so what suggested dosage ?

I’m looking to use this with mainly R0 water and wonder how it compares with say Fluval’s shrimp mineral supplement or is this basically the same thing ?


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## dw1305 (10 Sep 2014)

Hi all, 
I believe you use it at very low dosages. You would need to know if it is the sodium or calcium based clay.The predominantly calcium based clay would probably substitute for some of the supplements, I'm not sure the sodium one would. I would need some convincing that it is a wonder product, it looks like another case where a really cheap product could be sold for a big mark up.

cheers Darrel


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## Trevor Pleco (10 Sep 2014)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> You would need to know if it is the sodium or calcium based clay.
> l


Not sure which one this is Darrel.  The product I have bought to test is sold for koi ponds with a 101 apparent advantages on the label ?

The recommended dosage is 1g per 100L weekly. I'll be trying it in the pond as well...

Not too much about it on the web for shrimps, but found this..
https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCcQrAIwAA&url=http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=122992&page=2&ei=-tEQVIXHOY3XapGRgLgP&usg=AFQjCNGTAwv8OgSjBUEzIZ49V5m-tUAarA


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## dw1305 (11 Sep 2014)

Hi all,





Trevor Pleco said:


> The recommended dosage is 1g per 100L weekly.


 Interesting, it isn't going to have any chemical effect at that dosing rate. It may work as a flocculant, giving increased water clarity.

It won't do any harm. You may find you can buy it more cheaply via ebay etc as it is the raw ingredient for cosmetic "face masks", oil well drilling mud, landfill bunds etc (they are 2:1 clays and shrink as they dry).

cheers Darrel


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## Trevor Pleco (11 Sep 2014)

the IKG I bought locally was very reasonably priced for about 12 Euro.. I dosed some last night, so trying to use my imagination to see any difference with the shrimp behaviour, too early to tell..


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## Adam humphries (11 Sep 2014)

Just seen on eBay from keenshrimp £2.99 /50g they say use 2g /50 ltr of water.


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## Trevor Pleco (11 Sep 2014)

thanks Adam, yes I saw that as well just last night, will try that dosage in another test tank and see if the shrimp are smiling and upping their grade overnight 

I'm keen to know the difference if any between this and the other numerous commercially available shrimp mineral supplements, apart from the cost.. ?


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## dw1305 (11 Sep 2014)

Hi all, 
If you look for "calcium bentonite" or "Fullers Earth", rather than montmorillonite, you should be able to find plenty of cheaper sellers. If you are worried about quality you could buy pharmaceutical grade.

A look at the ingredients on a bag of "clumping cat litter" might be quite interesting as well.

cheers Darrel


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## JMorgan (28 Mar 2017)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> If you look for "calcium bentonite" or "Fullers Earth", rather than montmorillonite, you should be able to find plenty of cheaper sellers. If you are worried about quality you could buy pharmaceutical grade.
> 
> A look at the ingredients on a bag of "clumping cat litter" might be quite interesting as well.
> ...



Darrel - just to clarify: Are you saying that chemically and functionally (in the aquarium hobby) Montmorillonite clay and Calcium Bentonite clay are identical or so similar as makes no difference?

I just want to double check as this is what my reading on the subject tells me - it being more about where the stuff is dug up than anything else - but I've just been given a load of abuse for daring to suggest to a shrimp keeper that there isn't anything magical about Montmorillonite clay. Not that justifies the crazy prices . . . I'd have thought they'd want to know, but as it turns out they're selling the stuff so my "helpful information" was not well received, to put it mildly! 
cheers


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## dw1305 (28 Mar 2017)

Hi all, 





JMorgan said:


> Darrel - just to clarify: Are you saying that chemically and functionally (in the aquarium hobby) Montmorillonite clay and Calcium Bentonite clay are identical or so similar as makes no difference?





JMorgan said:


> it being more about where the stuff is dug up than anything else


To get a definitive answer you would be reliant on the producer telling you where their montmorillonite came from, and whether it had been subsequently treated in any way. 

I would strongly suspect that it is a <"calcium bentonite"> type clay (like <"Fuller's Earth">), and these are the clays <"used medicinally">, but there are other possibilities.

<"Montmorillonite"> is just the technical name for a class of <"smectite clay minerals"> with the general formula Ca0.2(Al1.6Mg0.4)Si4O10(OH)2

Montmorillonite clays have a reasonably  high cation exchange capacity ("CEC", ~70 - 100 meq/100 g), so they can exchange different cations. Cation exchange is <"dependent upon the valency of the ion"> (multivalent ions like Ca++ are more strongly bound than Na+ etc)  and the number of ions in solution (if you have a strong solution of Na+ ions they will replace the Ca++ ions, even though the calcium ions are more strongly bound), so they can potentially have different ions bound.

If the source was from a volcanic area (which is likely in Japan)  then ions like magnesium (Mg++) and potassium (K+) may occur in higher proportions. 

cheers Darrel


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