# Cat litter - success stories please?



## MossMan (8 Nov 2015)

Hi Everyone. 

I'm starting up a new aquarium. I have blown my budget and want to have some beans left for plants so got exited by the cheap substrate sticky and then nearly fell off my chair when I read that a 10ltr bag of cat clay from tesco would only set me back £3something. So off I popped and picked up three bags for my 250ltr.

Having only had experience of substrates in my nano tanks (columbo straight through) I have been reading and reading about the cat litter route. 

The biggest drawback from what I have read, and perhaps the only drawback as far as I am concerned (as I have been happily washing the dust off and soaking, so that's a non-issue for me) is that this stuff is light. 

Does it plant ok and is it possible to hold a decent tank flow without blowing the stuff all around the aquarium?

I've seen lots of threads on the subject, but mainly from 2011-2015, so I guess an update from anyone who now has a couple of years use? Link in to your tank journals if you have one, or throw a pic onto this thread would be excellent please?

My other option I am thinking might be to mix this with some john innes no.3, then layer over a membrane as suggested in a different thread and then put a cap of something like Ecco complete or Flourite original over the top, much smaller cap so less of the expensive stuff needed.

My last option would be to bite the bullet and just spend out the money on 4 bags of aquarium substrate and be done with it! Haha! 

Thanks for the help to all those that stop by and offer tips and tricks.

Kind regards
Richard


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## Andy D (8 Nov 2015)

It is very light but seems to do the job well. I have used it on a number of tanks.

I think it was Stu that said given its high CEC it can actually suck nutrients out of the water initially but I will leave that to one of the scientists to confirm. 

I have used it on its own and as a cap over pond soil. The left tank in the following shot has a pond soil base and cat litter cap:


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## MossMan (8 Nov 2015)

Thanks Andy! What substrate have you used in the tank on the right? 

Both fantastic looking tanks!


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## kirk (8 Nov 2015)

Well, if it's worked great for my son in is lowtec set up ,  as long as your carefull with top ups, his tank runs it's self now, just a filter and 50 percent change once a mth, compared to my set ups it's been superior. It cost less to run is less work.  If your busy lowtec is the way to go. I'll stick a pic up.  Also have a thriving shrimp population in this tank with cat litter, I recomend it.


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## kirk (8 Nov 2015)

kirk said:


> Well, if it's worked great for my son in is lowtec set up ,  as long as your carefull with top ups, his tank runs it's self now, just a filter and 50 percent change once a mth, compared to my set ups it's been superior. It cost less to run is less work.  If your busy lowtec is the way to go. I'll stick a pic up.  Also have a thriving shrimp population in this tank with cat litter, I recomend it.












Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk


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## Andy D (8 Nov 2015)

MossMan said:


> Thanks Andy! What substrate have you used in the tank on the right?
> 
> Both fantastic looking tanks!



Thanks!

The tank on the right just has a Unipac black micro gravel substrate which I really like. 

I use cat litter in my CRS shrimp tank like Kirk does but it is only a thin base layer as it is not supporting any plants.


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## kirk (8 Nov 2015)

All plants are grown, under a leddy.  No ferts whatsoever, other than shrimpy poo. I'm too paranoid about ferts with crs,cbs, due to hightech disasters.


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## kirk (8 Nov 2015)

Andy D said:


> Thanks!
> 
> The tank on the right just has a Unipac black micro gravel substrate which I really like.
> 
> I use cat litter in my CRS shrimp tank like Kirk does but it is only a thin base layer as it is not supporting any plants.


Love the tanks Andy


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## MossMan (8 Nov 2015)

Thanks guys! Both great looking cat tanks. I do like your unipack tank too! You swapped the tanks round - they are now right left rather than left right? Haha!


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## Daneland (8 Nov 2015)

B&Q Aqua compost on the bottom and Tesco dust free cat litter.Keeps  uprooting especially before they develop proper roots.I wasted decent amount of Monte Carlo before managed to root.


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## Andy D (8 Nov 2015)

MossMan said:


> Thanks guys! Both great looking cat tanks. I do like your unipack tank too! You swapped the tanks round - they are now right left rather than left right? Haha!



Yeah!

I'll give you the overall shot so it makes more sense. As you will see I like things to be in symmetry and order which makes trying to aquascape a nightmare. 





(Sorry if I have taken over your thread with my shots. )


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## mattb180 (8 Nov 2015)

Andy D said:


> Yeah!
> 
> I'll give you the overall shot so it makes more sense. As you will see I like things to be in symmetry and order which makes trying to aquascape a nightmare.
> 
> ...



Lovely setup!


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## MossMan (8 Nov 2015)

Wow!! I've not seen this before - brilliant - glad you shared! I never knew you had a cockatiel. Cracking setup! I even like the colour of the walls! So the middle tanks are cat litter. Very smart. Thanks for sharing.

Kind regards
Rich


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## MossMan (8 Nov 2015)

Kadir Mumyakmaz said:


> B&Q Aqua compost on the bottom and Tesco dust free cat litter.Keeps  uprooting especially before they develop proper roots.I wasted decent amount of Monte Carlo before managed to root.


Thank you for your feedback. This is a stunning tank! I think the uprooting thing and the fact that I want a high flow in my tank is leading me to the conclusion that I need to cap it off. Going to cap with a fine natural coloured gravel I think, so if it does mix its not going to be so obvious etc. 

If I do put a membrane over the soil/cat litter mix, hopefully that will contain it a bit better. My only then concern being that perhaps itll be to the detriment of the plants, as they will have further to burrow, plus how do they cope getting through a membrane. Clearly snails wont be as happy. I've ordered some greenhouse shading material. Never used this before so will take a look when it arrives. I'm sure it will be clearer when it arrives! 

I absolutely love the pink plant and blue fish in this tank - stunning! Shame about the plant loss - you have managed to get a carpet going in there though.

Kind Regards
Richard


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