substrate for a low tech planted tank
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cgthebeast
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am setting up a 10 gallon low tech planted tank. Can anyone tell me what substrate would be the best to use?
A layer of planting soil, then play sand would be good
Oohitsae
Aquarium Advice Addict
Agree with cj
If you are on a budget, that's your best bet/cheapest route.
You could also go for something like Eco complete or floramax if you wanted to spend a bit more.
Even regular gravel or sand without the soil would be okay if you were willing to dose ferts once a week or so
If you are on a budget, that's your best bet/cheapest route.
You could also go for something like Eco complete or floramax if you wanted to spend a bit more.
Even regular gravel or sand without the soil would be okay if you were willing to dose ferts once a week or so
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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Hello jd...
A 10 G is pretty small and you'll need to stick to the basics or you'll run into water chemistry problems. I'd recommend standard pea-sized gravel and easy plants like Anubias, Java fern attached to lava rock and Singapore moss that don't require planting. Add a couple of floating plants like Brazilian water weed and Pennywort. These will help filter your tank water.
Add a few small, hardy fish like female Guppies, Rasboras or White Clouds and change a couple of gallons of water every day for a month. Then, 5 gallon water changes every week or so for the life of the tank and you'll have a nice tank with healthy fish and plants.
B
A 10 G is pretty small and you'll need to stick to the basics or you'll run into water chemistry problems. I'd recommend standard pea-sized gravel and easy plants like Anubias, Java fern attached to lava rock and Singapore moss that don't require planting. Add a couple of floating plants like Brazilian water weed and Pennywort. These will help filter your tank water.
Add a few small, hardy fish like female Guppies, Rasboras or White Clouds and change a couple of gallons of water every day for a month. Then, 5 gallon water changes every week or so for the life of the tank and you'll have a nice tank with healthy fish and plants.
B
Which is better dirt, eco complete, or floramax?
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
If I were to choose between them I would go with eco complete. But special substrates are far from necessary in a tank. What light level were you planning on?
2 - 2.5 watts per gallon
What it boils down it is this... what type plants are you going to have? Low light and easy plants like anubia, java fern, bolbitus, and maybe java moss all of which don't need to be planted in a substrate? Or do you want higher light with more plants actually planted in the substrate? Reason I'm asking is this... if you want a low light, low tech tank with mostly plants that attach to rocks or DW and maybe a few easy plants like crypts to put in the substrate then using plain sand or small sized gravel will work just fine. I don't recommend dirted tanks to newbies. If you want to plant a lot of stem plants then I would suggest spending the little extra bit of money and getting a good plant substrate like Eco Complete. Personally even if your going low tech for now if you use a good plant substrate like Eco it makes it very easy down the road to upgrade lighting and move into higher light plants or even carpeting plants. It all depends on what you have in mind. Here's a good link to look at small tanks and maybe to get an idea of what your wanting so you can choose the best substrate... Your Tanks - Browsing.
I want to grow planys that require low to moderate lighting. Maybe some rotala, ludwigia, dwarf sag, crypts, water wisteria, or anacharis. I'm not going to be running any c02 and what carpeting plants that are easy what would you recommend?
Darkseid76
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I would go with Eco then. If you don't mind the dark substrate look. Dwarf sag us capable of carpeting. Anything else such as baby tears would require a different set up.
With the choices you made I would at least recommend using a liquid CO2 product along with an easy fert like API Leaf Zone and SeaChem Flourish Comprehensive. Though costly for larger low tech setups those products should have some length in a 10g set up.
If your doing a dirted tank you want plants planted directly into the substrate, not in pots. I've been doing dirted tanks for years and my largest current one is a 100% planted 220g Dutch inspired tank. Be sure to buy Organic potting soil. Many use Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil/mix. I use Just Natural Organic Potting soil I buy at Lowes.
Do either of these need c02 is so can I use excel.
Liquid carbon should at least be used with them if you don't want to do CO2.
Dirted tanks need special care in the first weeks. If you don't understand about their releasing excess nutrients and gas in the first week people can run into problems. Lighting has to be kept to 6 hours and certain plants that absorb a lot of nutrients need to be used for a while. Dirted tanks can often have algae issues in the beginning and it helps to have experience in keeping planted tanks before moving into dirted tanks. They can be very messy if you constantly move plants around.
Dirted tanks need special care in the first weeks. If you don't understand about their releasing excess nutrients and gas in the first week people can run into problems. Lighting has to be kept to 6 hours and certain plants that absorb a lot of nutrients need to be used for a while. Dirted tanks can often have algae issues in the beginning and it helps to have experience in keeping planted tanks before moving into dirted tanks. They can be very messy if you constantly move plants around.
megastri
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2013
- Messages
- 23
Seachem is honestly the best plant substrate. Its not very expensive and it has always worked for me.
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