Anybody use kitty litter for refugium substrate?

I wanted to get some peoples thought and opinions as to using nonscented cat litter as a substrate in my 10 gal refugium. Any specific brands or types. How well has this worked for those who have used it long term. I'm just really weary about what I use in my tank and don't have the courage to try strange this like this. Also heard about using Chicken grit but for now I want to know more about the cat litter and whats the process? Should I just rinse it and put it in the fuge and let it run?

 

I use the kitty litter. as for brands, I used Wal-Marts "Special Kitty". But any non-scented, 100% clay kitty litter will work.
And its not that its anything strange. Clay kitty litter is compositionally the exact same thing as the expensive mineral muds. Just cut out the outrageous mark up and wild claims, and your left with kitty litter
No need to rinse or anything. I run 3" of the kitty litter with about 2" of sand on top of it.

 

How long have you been using it and how was the response from your DT. Any good or bad noticed initially or long term? Any changes in parameters?

 

It does what mud does. It has been used in freshwater and marine planted tanks for years.

 

Cant really answer any of those questions, because the the kitty litter was being run in my fuge from the moment the whole system had water in it. Don't really have a "without the kitty litter" experience to fall back to for comparison.

 

I'm gonna make a trip to wally world today then. Is it necessary to put live sand over it? Theres this nice Sand at Home Depot called T-C play sand (safe for gardening and pets) which is like 4 bucks for 50lbs and its really fine just like real sand but I don't know if its safe to use either. Although one bag would more than do it. I guess mud is more beneficial though rite because of the minerals etc?

 

I called T-C and it turns out all of their sands have silica. They do have this one product I was wondering about. Its called limestone screenings, its fine like sand and made of limestone. Would this perhaps be usable?

 

I bought the "special kitty" stuff in the red bag. Now do I just put it in the refugium and let it soak for a while and is it necessary to put live sand as another layer if I'm going to put some extra rocks from my tank into the fuge that could seed it?

 

right now I have only kitty litter, but i'm thinking i need to add the sand on top just because the kitty litter is very coarse? would this trap things and be a nitrate producer??

 

LOL, I just replied to your other thread while your over here.