Review on Optimized Search: Seachem Fluorite by Dianna Oden

I've tried most Flourite varieties in several different configurations. I recently upgraded my 55 gallon tank and used 3 different colors of fluorite. I applied a base coat of Flourite Dark and then finished off with two shades of Flourite Black Sand and this Flourite Red. I think it's a really attractive and striking contrast between the color and the size of the granules. Flourite Red is a burgundy Tonkies. The size of the grains is not uniform, like sand; it is very irregular but visually interesting. The red coloring looks very natural, just like the red clay from which it is made. It looks like a red clay pot and appears much brighter in bright light (obviously). One caveat if you're considering using this or any other Flourite product is that if you don't want your tank to look like a glass case full of mud, it needs to be rinsed thoroughly. The packaging says it was prewashed and I'm sure it once was, but during shipping all those clay pieces bang against each other creating a nice layer of dust in the bag. The easiest way I've found to deal with it is to run it through a fine sieve or colander about a pound at a time. Some people wash it in a bucket, which I did, but my experience is that the "dirt" just settles to the bottom of the bucket and doesn't wash away. After that, when you fill the tank, slowly add water and pour it over the bowl, plate or rocks/wood/decor in your tank to avoid raising unwashed sediment. In terms of performance, it's as good as any other fluorite substrate I've used. My plants root easily in it and after a few weeks of adaptation they start to send out shoots/leaves/ramp up. I've never run high tech setups, but I supplement Green Leaf Aquarium Micro and Macro daily and use Glutaraldehyde (Flourish) every two weeks. My plants seem happy and Flourite seems to be a healthy compromise between plain sand and muddy substrate (which feels messy and problem-prone, but overall is a great solution).