What exactly is Flourite made of? What type of clay?

All I can say is that it is a naturally mined clay (i.e. it is not "manufactured").

What is the significance of "fracted"?

Basically a fancy way of saying the clay has been shattered or broken into many small pieces of suitable size for a planted tank.

Does it provide a source of Fe? In what form?

Yes. Ferric mainly.

Does it need a chelator?

No, the plants roots are able to extract all the iron they need directly from the Flourite (just as they would extract from the soil out in the "real" world).

Does it provide any other trace elements?

I'm sure there are some, but we haven't had it analyzed for the main reason being that the report would not tell us if said element was in a useable form or not, thus we wouldn't want to supply misleading information (i.e. source of X, when in fact the plant get at the X even though it is there). We know it can extract the iron based on a simple qualitative test e.g. plants simply do incredbly well when planted in Flourite. I know that sounds like hype, but in this case it is just simply true... plants that were doing so-so or dying, when switched to Flourite simply take off. Anyway... the proof is in the pudding . You'll just have to try it for yourself to become a "true believer".

What benefits does it have over laterite?

1. Will not crumble and fall apart leaving a muddy mess in your tank

2. Completely obviates the need for laterite as it does what laterite does (provides iron) and what a good gravel does (a place for roots to grow and looks really nice).

How long does its available iron last? Should it be replaced after a given period of time? Is it considered inert?

The iron should last for years. It's been on the market for about a year and half now and we have tanks that have never had their Flourite replaced and they are still doing great. It is considered inert, i.e. none of it will dissolve into the water column... it is for the roots only.

In general, what benefits, or what makes this product attractive to the beginer?

The main benefit is the simplicity of it. You can use just Flourite as your gravel and really don't "need" to use any other iron supplements. Flourite will provide a good solid base of good growth. Supplements will only enhance on top of what Flourite already provides; the choice to add them is optional depending on personal taste and preference. Flourite also provides somewhat of a safety net, i.e. if the hobbyist forgets to add their iron supplement for a few days (or goes on vacation), the Flourite will carry the plants on through and keep them from dying (which could have happened if Flourite were not in use and all supplements were suspended).


 

Gregory Morin, Ph.D. ~~~~~~~Research Director~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seachem Laboratories, Inc. http://www.seachem.com 888-SEACHEM