Re: Lesco soilmaster select
The Soilmaster seems to be a very good substrate but it is a little "light in weight". That aspect doesn't bother me as much as it does some, especially when you can do a 75g tank's substrate for less than $20

It is lighter than Flourite, but I prefer the dark grey color over the multi color of Flourite.
It should also have a higher CEC than Flourite since this product is very similar to Turface. Here's a link for some substrate comparisons. Note the CEC and iron content differences of Flourite and Turface, Profile (The parent company of Turface) and Turface Black (similar to Soilmaster):
http://home.infinet.net/teban/jamie.htm
Plants do just as well as those in my Eco substrate but they seem to have larger root systems in the Soilmaster. Maybe this is due to the lighter weight of the Soilmaster. I don't notice any changes in water parameters over my Tap Water either.
Here is a link to some pics on APC:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=10563&highlight=soilmaster
Another SWOAPE member has pics towards the end of the thread. He used 3M's "T" grade Black Color Quartz Sand over his Soilmaster and you can see the slight color difference in the next to last pic.
I will try and get some more pics up after I get the re-scape done on the tank. If I forget and you are interested, REMIND ME!