aquarium substrate

[oliver moggridge]

is this bulb any good?
HAGEN FLORA GLO 20w 24" 61cm AQUARIUM BULB TANK TUBE on eBay (end time 10-Jul-09 01:00:30 BST)

[Wizardndog]

OK...so I have some similar questions. I have a 135 gal that I am putting back together after a 5 year hiatus. I used to use an under gravel filter and had a single fluorescent 48" tube light. I had some type of sword grass that grew like a weed, but nothing else grew well. So now I am hearing about substrate. I bought a large Eheim canister filter (up 160 gal) and a new 72" three bulb light hood (65w). I envision substrate as being like "mud" on the bottom of my tank. My question really is, what is substrate, when do you need it and how much? I don't want a lot of plants...I still want to see my fish. Is this substrate used in conjunction with gravel?

[FishEggs]

substrate actually just means what ever is covering the bottom of the tank. it can be dirt, sand, gravel, or some synthetic man made substance. you can even mix them up or layer them. for plants it is generally suggested 2-3 inches of substrate. you would be dealing with a low light tank so you could grow anubias, java ferns, crypts, java moss.

[Wizardndog]

Great! Thanks for the input!

[Wizardndog]

Opps...I screwed this up. I have three bulbs in my 72" hood, 65w each...so 195w's. I should be able to get some nice plants. 8*)