I was looking for substrate when I came across flourite. This is a great product however make sure to remove the fish from your tank and run the filter for a couple hours if you dont wash this. It says its fine to be used rinsed or not I put this in my aquarium and the water became very dark and cloudy. I ran the filter for about three hours and it removed most of the darkness. i had to put the fish right back in and the murkiness didn't bother then. They seem to like digging around in this substarte and my plants look amazing. Would reccomend this but jjust make sure you prepared to rinse for a bit or filter through it.

+1point

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Review 2 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Great substrate

January 7, 2013

by Anonymous

fromTexas

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

This stuff is fantastic! My plants have only been planted in it for 3 weeks and are already reaping benefits! It is very obvious that my previous planted tanks were lacking a quality substrate after having this! I will say, if you are not interested in have a planted aquarium and do not want to deal with the murky/muddy water for a few days, do not purchase this. IF you are interested in having a good planted tank, then the murky/muddy water is worth every bit of it(it goes away after 4-5 days)! Make sure you leave the filter off for the sediment to settle to the bottom and then add a layer of plain gravel to keep the flourite in place during tank cleanings.

+1point

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Review 3 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Patience

October 12, 2012

by Goggles

fromWashington

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Product is excellent. If your goal is to setup a true planted aquarium and you have the patience required to use the product, you will not be disappointed with the results.

0points

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Review 4 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

very nice

September 16, 2012

by wowwy12345

fromwoonsocket, ri

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Ok this is for those who do not read directions.
Its says and i quote " cloudiness is normal and will clear rapidly (2-12 hours). To shorten the cloudiness period use Clarity in conjuction with machanical filteration( such as filter floss)." I did not RINSE this product and i filled my tank half way and drained it filled it again put filter floss in my filter and my tank was clear in less then 6 hours. for those who have had trouble with it you obviously did not read directions. MY POINT PROVEN

+1point

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Review 5 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

Functional

September 14, 2012

by DixieDog413

fromDenton, TX

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

I've used this substrate in both of my planted tanks and have been pretty impressed with it. In the first tank I was concerned with clouding/muddy water so I rinsed it like crazy (which took FOREVER), then put a sand cap on top just in case, but the end effect was nice. It has a good color and the misc. granule size looks natural under the sand. In my second tank I tried another tactic- just poured what I needed directly into the dry tank, filled it up about half way with water, and vacuumed the substrate around 4 times until it was reasonably clear, hardscaped/planted, filled all the way, and let the filter take care of the rest of the cloudiness. Way easier and just as effective, plus I don't have awkward substrate layers. It takes some patience, but if you like planted tanks and don't mind a bit of work, I'd definitely recommend Flourite. If i could give it a 4.5 I would, only because of the rinsing necessity.

0points

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Review 6 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

over all really nice

September 2, 2012

by KristinandDante

fromColorado Springs, CO

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

so i got this because i wanted to put lots of plants in my tank. well right now they are all doing super well and rooting nicely...however when i first got this product, i forgot wash off the rocks, so my tank was a disaster (luckily i tried this out on my 10 gal...). i had to re clean it then wash the rock then put it back in my tank...but once the rocks were clean, it was beautiful!! i really like natural colors in my tanks (browns, grays, greens...) and this was wonderful to what i had before!!

0points

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Review 7 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

1 / 5 22 reviews

MUDDY, NASTY, WON'T COME CLEAN!

August 20, 2012

by Dreamgurl

fromAlabama

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

We purchased this product to go in our new 55 gallon tank. We are planning on having it fully stocked with live plants and fish so we needed something with nutrients and all the good things this and Eco complete has it in... However we bought 4 bags of this and after over an hour of washing, scrubbing, rinsing, and everything in between, I was still on the same bag and not even half way through it and it would not come clean. It was pure black clay and mud that was coming off of it. I normally don't write reviews, but I had to write this to warn everyone to STAY AWAY FROM THIS HORRIBLE SUBSTRATE! I will pay the store if they take it back from me. I don't even know why any pet store would carry this product. ITS GARBAGE! Don't waste your time! We will be ordering Eco- complete off line and waiting for it to be shipped. This Flourite stuff is impossible!

-5points

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Review 8 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

use a bucket/hose to rinse and it's great

June 4, 2012

by nerdariostomp

fromSt Louisville, Ohio

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

i did what others suggested and used a 5 gallon bucket and a hose to rinse it out. worked out pretty well after about 30 minutes of rinsing it, mixing it around and dumping off excess water. i must have done that about 20 times, but my plants love it and my fish are hyped to have more plants to hide in

i DID buy another plant friendly substrate from the same shelf that was black (sort of like the eco complete everyone online normally reccomends) and that was pre-rinsed...took a LOT less time to rinse.

in the end, the blend of both looks better and will probably be a little better too, but if there would've been two bags of the black stuff, i would've totally bought that instead

0points

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Review 9 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Great substrate, but...

November 10, 2011

by Eddie24

fromGarden Grove, CA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?3

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Reviewer Images

Be prepared to spend a good hour rinsing by the handfulls. I got so frustrated (not to mention the backache i got) rinsing the substrate buy handfulls and using a tomato strainer. Even after i finished (or so i thought) cleaning it, i dumped it in my 20 gallon tank and immediatelly clouded the water a dark red-brown and gave up. I turned my 30 gallon filter to Max for a week (no fish yet) rinsing the cartridge daily and cleared up. almost two years later and never gave any trouble besides my gravel vacuum sucking it up. Well worth the trouble if you ask me. plus my plants love it.

-2points

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Review 10 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

1 / 5 22 reviews

Horrible! Do not buy this!

September 6, 2010

by Filippi

fromNY

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Effectiveness

1 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

1 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

1 / 5 22 reviews

I bought this like 3 months ago from petsmart & I had to wash this like 100 times if you believe me or not & yet it was making water look dirty! I was tired & angry after washing this ! It wasn't helping the plants in my tank that much & it made my tank look ugly.. with a brown colored gravel! Don't waste $ 20 for this thing & buy something else like Eco Complete Planted Black Aquarium Substrate , this is 1000,000 better than that!

-20points

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Review 11 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Best substrate I've found so far

December 8, 2009

by Spyd3r

fromMichigan

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 22 reviews

I recently switched from plain gravel, had a bunch of plants that were rapidly dying, even though I was using supplements and water was ideal, a lot of people on the internet suggested Flourite. Well its expensive and you'll need at least 1 bag for under 30gal, two if you like it thick. 100gal needs about 5 bags so be prepared to dump some $$$, however this material is packed with nutrients so you wont have to buy fertilizer anymore and it supposedly lasts for many years because the nutrients don't dissolve into the water. Upon opening the bag you will find it is completely caked in mud. You must wash all of this off and it takes about 30 minutes per bag. However once washed and installed it looks great and after just a week my plants have made a complete turn around.

My recommended installation procedure is to empty the tank completely of fish and water, wash the flourite handfuls at a time in a large bowl filled with water, dump out the water and repeat until the water is completely clear (DO NOT SKIMP ON THE WASHING). Put cleaned substrate into the aquarium, fill the tank, let it run for a day with some water flow, do not use any filters or they will just get filled with mud, drain the tank completely then refill with water. You should end up with near clear water.

Pros: top quality substrate

Cons: expensive, hard to vacuum, muddy

+14points

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Review 12 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

the use of flourite

June 13, 2009

by popoftwojacks

fromMillersburg , PA

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

4 / 5 22 reviews

I recently had to tear down my aquairium , because of a really bad algea bloom . I had live plants in the aquairium , but they just didn't seem to be growing right. I went searching on-line for a different subsrate , when i saw the flourite i started to look into purchasing it . It's been about 3or 4 weeks since redoing my tank . I can already see the plants are starting to grow a whole lot better already. the only difficulty I had with the flourite was making sure it was rinsed really well , so it wouldn't cloudy the water . very good product.

+1point

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Review 13 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

Overall good product

June 7, 2009

by C7mb

fromBoston, MA

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 22 reviews

I bought this product for my 55 gallon tank. It provided my plants a good substrate for a good cost. This product overall is effective but tie consuming. It takes a VERY long time to was the substrate completely. You need to spend a minimum of one hour cleaning and washing the substrate or you will face the consequences of cloudy water (I learned that the hard way...). One way to clean the substrate is to take small ammounts and thoroughly wash it in a bucket till the water is clear. I would recommend this product due to its effectiveness as a plant substrate.

0points

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Review 14 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Great for plants and a tip for cleaning it

May 28, 2009

by Archenstone

fromFlorida

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 22 reviews

I have used fluorite in my 55g planted tank and my 30g planted tank. I have beautiful swords, wisteria, and other misc. plants that grow well in it. All I have ever needed was this substrate and good lighting.

Here is a tip for cleaning it. Take a bucket you use for water changes and dumb the gravel inside. Then take a water hose and spray water in and let the water flow through and carry away the fine dust. It does take a little bit of time but I have found this to be the easiest, simplest way to clean it out. I usually stick the hose right with the gravel...keep letting the bucket fill and stir the gravel with the hose or hands until your water pours cleanly and floating fluorite settles immediately. You will loose little pieces but they don't impact your overall quantity. Now when you fill up your tank you won't get a cloudy mess. I also do this when I have to break down a tank. Its a good time to clean all the biological matter that accumulates in gravel.

+8points

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Review 15 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

Has its "Pros" and "Cons"

January 16, 2009

by INDYdave24

fromIndianapolis, IN

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?3

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

1 / 5 22 reviews

This is an “OK” product if you have patience. Before you use it, it needs to be rinsed thoroughly or it will discolor your aquarium water. I poured a small amount into a very fine water strainer and ran it under the bathtub faucet for about five minutes before putting it in the aquarium. I mixed it with some aquarium gravel, which gave it a nice look. The only downfall I have found is when using the aquarium vacuum it does suck up a lot of the fluorite into the vacuum. This may be more of a hassle than anything else, but my plants look great and they aren’t complaining!

0points

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Review 16 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality substrate

June 26, 2008

by Rubino

fromRiverside, CA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 22 reviews

Reviewer Images

This gravel is not only effective but it is also attractive. My plants are spreading very well and my loaches can dig through it with ease and it will not hurt their barbells. It does take a little more time to rinse but a quality filter will do the rest of the job in clearing up the water in the aquarium. A must have for the planted aquarium.

+3points

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Review 17 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

Good substrate but very messy

June 5, 2008

by Hailey

fromNew Hampshire

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 22 reviews

Reviewer Images

I knew when I bought this product for the first time that it needed to be rinsed well and could be messy, but I had no idea what I was in for. I must not have rinsed it well enough because when I put it in the tank and added water, the water turned a dark, milky red/brown.

It took over a week to truly clear, and I had to leave my filter off for most of that time so it wouldn't get ruined by the dust. Once it did clear, the dust settled all the way to the bottom of the tank so it does not get kicked up easily. This nutrient-rich mulm is good for plants, but I am not sure I would personally ever want to go through that again.

I think it is a good substrate for growing live plants, and should be fine if you either rinse it for hours first, or you have the patience to let it settle and will keep no digging fish. One thing to keep in mind is that the dust may vary from one bag to another, so try to find one that looks pretty clean.

+2points

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Review 18 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

looks great

April 14, 2008

by lilcherna

fromFlorida

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

4 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 22 reviews

Reviewer Images

As many other people have said it is Very difficult to clean. I've had it in since January (4 months) and whenever i vaccum the gravel i still get very fine particals of sand. But it loks great and my plants' roots easily run through it. My bumblebee catfish blended in Perfectly but he still never came out ^.^ but my bloodfin tetras stand out greatly. My black kuhli loaches love to make little pits under my driftwood and my Amano shrimp turn over each pebble picking up food, so it must be light weight.

0points

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Review 19 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

5 / 5 22 reviews

Planted aquarium substrate

December 30, 2007

by DiscusMan

fromPalm Coast, FL

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

4 / 5 22 reviews

Like the person before me said - I did the same thing as he, for I just let the canister filters work there magic on cleaning up the cloudy water and took it from there. I have three well planted tanks that are doing really well with this stuff, and I don't use any CO2 at all and my plants are growing like crazy.

+3points

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Review 20 for Seachem Flourite Plant Substrate

Overall rating

4 / 5 22 reviews

Good Plant Substrate but dusty

November 3, 2007

by VITUSESAES

fromStafford, Virginia

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?3

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Effectiveness

5 / 5 22 reviews

Quality

4 / 5 22 reviews

Ease of Use

2 / 5 22 reviews

As the other reviewers have pointed out, this substrate has considerable 'fines' that require rinsing. I too tried using a too-large sifter and did not get much dust rinsed off.
I recommend using it without fish present and using the aquarium's filtration system to clear the water. I know this isn't always feasible but worked on the first bag I used.
I used two bags in conjunction with a couple of bags of aquarium gravel, in a 39 gal 29"x11" tank, giving me approx 2.5" of depth. The plants like it.

+3points

4of 5voted this as helpful.

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