RE: NANFA-- Re: Kitty Litter...

Denkhaus, Robert (DenkhaR_at_Ci.Fort-Worth.TX.US)
Mon, 14 May 2001 09:54:15 -0500

The biggest reason for using kitty litter (or other clay) substrate is that
clay is the smallest of the 3 basic types of soil (sand and silt are the
other two and are considerably larger). Each tiny particle of clay has a
relatively large surface area when compared to its mass. The surface area
of the individual particles is where nutrients are held for later plant use.
Relatively large sand particles can't hold the same amount of nutrients and
of course, gravel can hold even less. More nutrients available = greater
plant growth (in theory). This is also one of the reasons that wetlands are
able to "purify" water because the hydric soils are able to trap
contaminants more efficiently than other types.

Rob Denkhaus
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
"El muerto a la sepultura, el vivo a la travesura"
"The dead to burial, the living to mischief"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dakota
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 9:42 AM
> To: NATURNUT_at_aol.com; nanfa at aquaria.net
> Subject: NANFA-- Re: Kitty Litter...
>
>
> Dan, the reason kitty litter is used in the bottom layer of
> planted tanks is
> that it helps bind up the nutrients from the water and
> thereby letting the
> plants roots take them up eaiser.
> Or something like that.... :O)
> Charles A.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <NATURNUT_at_aol.com>
> To: <dakota6-at-mindspring.com>
> Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 10:36 PM
> Subject: Re: NANFA-- U/G and plants?
>
>
> > Charles,
> > Thanks for your input. I just have one more
> question, how smal is
> too
> > small for sand particle size for UG filters? __Dan
>
>
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/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org