Is laterite red I mean really red?

[dearis]

Hi there,

where I was working away this week (in the Otways for those who know Australia) in a rain forest a cleared patch of land. I was pouring 5 cubic meters of concrete (we were buggered lol) but in between trucks I got talking to another bloke (who incidentally has fish) and he mentioned there was 8 different soil types so i had a wander over the job site and found some really red rich looking clay and wondered if it was laterite and how I tell and how do i prepare/use it?

I was thinking of going ADA Amazonia but was just curious if what I saw was laterite and how I identify it in future.

Regards Darren

[Merrilyn]

Okay, I'm definitely no expert, but I'll tell you what I have been told.

Laterite is an iron rich clay, and yes, it is red, but you don't use it as a full substrate. It actually goes under a gravel substrate, and when you gravel vac, you need to be very careful not to disturb the layer of laterite, or it will cloud the tank.

There are several known areas of laterite in Victoria, and several hobbyists do go collecting, but honestly, it's something I'd never risk with discus. There are a lot of good quality commercial substrates on the market, some are very expensive, some not so expensive. It really depends on the type of plants you intend growing. If you're after heavy root feeders like amazon swords, I've always had great success growing them in a fine gravel substrate, and using fertilizer tablets or balls under the roots.

If you plan on growing stem plants, then CO2 is the way to go.

If you post the list of plants you intend growing in the Amazon Garden forum, I'm sure some of our plant gurus will give you the right advice.

[dearis]

Well we were in the otway ranges but thought it would be worth thinking about even though I think I am set on ADA aqua soil amazonia