[Endlesserror]

Hi,

I'm redoing my tank and after reading and learning so much here, I was curious to try out Safe-T-Sorb as something to both mix with my soil and use as the cap.

Unfortunately, if you live near NYC it seems like it is impossible ro get that stuff as no one carries it nearby.

The closest subsitutes I found were calcinated clay specifically for bonsai hobbiest which is very expensive (like $20 for 2 quarts) so I did a little research and am looking at oil absorbents from Auto Zone.

Would something like this work? https://www.autozone.com/shop-and-g...p-minerals-oil-absorbent-clay-33lb/690875_0_0

Based on the fact sheet linked in the page, this is mostly calcinated montmorillonite clay and about 7- 10% crystalline silica. From what I can find on Safe-T-Sorb it seems like a similar composition.

Does this seem safe to use in my aquarium and would it have a similar effect?

 

[mistergreen]

That might work. Another product is ’oil dri’.
you can get them all on Amazon if you can’t get locally.

 

[Endlesserror]

That might work. Another product is ’oil dri’.
you can get them all on Amazon if you can’t get locally.

So when I look on Amazon, I only see this vendor who based on the reviews is just shipping our any old thing https://www.amazon.com/EP-Minerals-...1678023558&sprefix=safe+t+sorb,aps,141&sr=8-1

They also charge an additional $50 for shipping so $100 for some random Safe-T-Sorb subsitute vs like $20 for one I selected seems like a better way to go...

 

[Endlesserror]

Is this the Oil Dri? Oil Dri Oil Absorbent - Ace Hardware

I can get this locally too. Interestingly the fact sheet says it's 100% fullers earth. Not sure what that is so I'm googling further.

 

[mistergreen]

Yeah, that Amazon list is suspicious.
Fuller earth is a general term. Here are the minerals they use

Minerals - Oil-Dri Corporation of America

We focus on processing calcium bentonite, attapulgite and diatomaceous shale. Oil-Dri controls millions of tons of reserves. Learn more about our minerals.

www.oildri.com

 

[Endlesserror]

Thank you! But wow I feel way in over my head....maybe I should go with Search Fluorite which I think is the same sort of thing?

 

[mistergreen]

Sure, you can use flourite too. It's a more dependable aquarium product.

 

[johnwesley0]

I got mine through Grainger, an industrial supply company with an online catalogue. They don't seem to carry STS at the moment - but it sure looks as though Oil Dri is the same thing:
OIL-DRI, 1 gal Volume Absorbed per Pkg., 8 lb Wt, Loose Absorbent - 24X070|I01008-G78 - Grainger

 

[Michael]

Is this the Oil Dri? Oil Dri Oil Absorbent - Ace Hardware

I can get this locally too. Interestingly the fact sheet says it's 100% fullers earth. Not sure what that is so I'm googling further.

This product looks like a good substitute. Fuller's earth is another name for montmorillonite clay, and it is especially reassuring that Ace specifically recommends it as an additive for potting soil.

The bonsai product would probably work too, but anything with "bonsai" on the label is automatically 10 times more expensive than the same thing in another package.

 

[MassiveDynamic]

I use Safe-T-Sorb for all my tanks. You just have to rinse it with a strong hose about 3 times to get all the dust out.

Though the reason I use this specifically is because in conjunction with an undergravel filter, it does something that some people can't believe, and are even hostile towards the notion itself- when baked clays, like montmorillonite ore, are used in a low current undergravel filter, it creates anoxic conditions (like benthic zones in lakes) which can digest nitrates, processing it into N2... Basically this undergravel filter would last like 20 years and eliminate the need for water changes. There's a PhD on youtube named Dr Kevin Novak that extols the virtues of the anoxic filter.

Safe-T-Sorb and baked clay kitty litter are basically the same thing, and functions the same in an undergravel filter. Good luck!

 

[maico996]

Safe-T-Sorb and baked clay kitty litter are basically the same thing, and functions the same in an undergravel filter. Good luck!

My experience with clay cat litter mixed into the soil was disastrous and resulted in my having to tear down my tank and start over. I'd say they are definitely not the same when used in a Walstad tank.

 

[mistergreen]

yeah, kitty litter clay is baked at lower temperatures so they break down easier.

 

[dwalstad]

Safe-T-Sorb and baked clay kitty litter are basically the same thing...

They are not the same. STS is heated to a much higher temperature so it is more gravel-like. Therefore, it is not as reactive (chemically) as kitty litter, which because it is not baked at such a high temperature quickly disintegrates into a sticky muddy clay. STS is used by many aquarists including myself with good results for planted tanks.

I have never heard anyone I trust rave about kitty litter and I do not recommend it. I trust Maico996's experience.

That said, I suspect that STS would work fine in an undergravel filter for denitrification, but that's another subject for another day and another forum. If you use good plant growth to remove ammonia, there's no need for denitrifiers, because nitrates are never generated.

 

[MassiveDynamic]

Correction- for the purpose of anoxic filtration, kitty litter and safe-t-sorb function the same. Did not mean to assert that they are similar otherwise.

Also, newer formulations of Kitty litter become a mushy mess when wet - one needs old school kitty litter for this purpose. So I've heard. I haven't used kitty litter- STS has suited me just fine.

 

[johnwesley0]

I've been a STS enthusiast for nearly two years now. I have some mixture of it in both of my aquariums and I confess that I have always been fascinated by the chatter surrounding anoxic filter devices that have been a staple of the fishkeeping internet for years. The closest to a controlled experiment I have ever seen was the one performed by a distinguished member of this forum last year at about this time. Unfortunately, if I recall correctly, the results were spoiled by a spike in ammonia in one of the tanks that was later explained by the death of a fish.

The practical benefit I see from STS is how it gradually becomes sand over time, especially when mixed with potting soil. This disintegration process seems timed to coincide with the exhaustion of the potting soil as a source of nutrients and CO2 and, according to some theories, adding sand extends the fertility of the soil. It also does a decent job of containing mulm and making it a little less unsightly.

 

[Endlesserror]

Thanks all ...I think my Safe-T-Sorb dreams will have to be put on hold. I just literally can't source it. Now just trying to choose between the Oil Dri or EcoComplete and to be honest I am definitely the person being marketed and upsold to because I feel like I just don't have enough knowledge to be confident that the Oil Dri variety available is right and at least the Eco Complete won't kill anything....

 

[johnwesley0]

It's up to you. I would pay the five bucks for an 8lb. bag of Oil-Dri just to come back to this forum with a snapshot of the product. 😁

ETA: What's pretty clear is that the price of STS has shot up over the space of the past year, something we were all worried might happen once word got around that fish hobbyists were finding off-label uses or it.

 

[MassiveDynamic]

I guess the price of STS has gone up, but it's still $9 for a 33 lbs bag at Tractor Supply Co

 

[maico996]

I guess the price of STS has gone up, but it's still $9 for a 33 lbs bag at Tractor Supply Co

That much STS will last you 10 lifetimes. 😂 Still pretty cheap considering the amount you get and all the things it will soak up in your garage (if you have one). You could always sell gallon-sized Ziploc bags full of it to other fishkeepers for a dollar a bag.

 

[Michael]

Safe-T-Sorb also makes a great ingredient for home-made potting soil. I use it my bonsai mix with good results.