Great thread. I'll be keeping an eye on it for a while and read others before I jump into this, but it seems to be the best option. I've got some of my assumptions and/or questions bellow after reading this.
* To add the mycorrhizae, you should add it into the clay mixture during production and not sprinkling it on after.
*This substrate will not hold it's original structure for long, but it should hold it long enough for mycorrhizae and microfauna to aerate it (or do they actually form new structures around the clay to stabilize it?
*These recipes can be used as backgrounds as well, but add sphagnum moss and or coco fiber to give it better structure and water retention.
*For the calcium carbonate you can use reptical as a substitute
*Plants don't grow as well in this substrate. (easy fix is to form pots into the background and use plant soil in those spots.
*I have a worm composter, would it be beneficial to add the microfauna from there into the substrate, i would use the white worms not the red wigglers.
*A main difference between using these methods and buying planted aquarium substrate is the readily available calcium and structure. As Aquarium substrate must hold up under constant water and has a less need for calcium. So if someone like myself who still has a full container of reptical wants to use it up, could use an aquarium gravel like ADA Amazonia, Fluval, etc could do so with no difference as long as they still plan on dusting with reptical. The aeration will still be ideal for the microfauna with aquarium gravel. But where's the fun in not making your own soil
Again, great post everyone, hope these questions add to the discussion.
Randy
Re: The ultimate clay-based substrate thread
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