Choice of Substrate

[equinecpa]

As I have previously posted, I am in the process of setting up a 30 Gallon Hex tank. I'd like to make this a planted aquarium with fish. I am presently cycling the aquarium (which I may have been able to bypass if I had read all about plants earlier, oh well).

I am wondering about substrates. I would like to grow some tall grassy type plants (any recommendations appreciated) with maybe a few sword type plants. I have just purchased a 100W MH for lighting.

Right now I have ordinary aquarium gravel which is not super fine probably about 1/8-3/16 in diameter - some pieces larger, some smaller. In reading it would appear I probably should put in some EcoComplete, Laterite or Fluorite.
What is actually recommended? Also where can one buy these products? I have found Dr. Foster and Smith carries a couple of the products but their shipping starts making the stuff pricey. Can any of these products be found at pond supply stores? Any online store recommendations with cheap shipping?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Carolyn

 

[medge00]

my absolute favorite substrate is eco complete... its black, which looks great w/ plants, doesn't get cloudy and the plants seem to love it....

my 2nd fav is flora base... brown, clouds, and tends to break into dust, but seems to be decent for plants

both can be found online and often a lfs will order for you, which may be the best way to go in terms of cost

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure how tall hair grass gets. You might do some research on it. Also, theres a Dwarf Hair Grass that only gets about 4" tall. When it fills in, it looks nice for a foreground.

If your going to grow Swords, you'll probobly want some sort of nutrient rich substrate. Keep in mind, swords are heavy root feeders.

Eco Complete, Laterate or Flourite can be found at most good LFS's. Only problem is, it usually expensive. I ordered my Eco online and ate the shipping charges. I still saved 30 bucks VS locally.

I also seen Eco on Petsmarts web site one time, so I went to a local store to see if they had any. Turns out they did'nt have it at the store. They ordered it for me and I picked it up a couple of days later (theres a Petsmart distrubution warehouse where I live is probolby why it only took a couple of days to be delievered to the store). Best of all, I did'nt have to pay the shipping.

Worth a try.

 

[aquakev]

heres an idea.

the only reason I am saying this is cause I already got mine and probably wont need anymore. But find out what your local petsmart is selling, usually florite and laterite, I got the florite. Then go online and find the best prices you can. Print the ad and bring it into the petsmart and purchase said substrate for half the price of online or lfs (by the way half the price of online is cause I did not pay the high shipping on most of my bags, one store added shipping in and I told them it was 4 bucks-ha).

The manager maay give you a hard time but it worked for me and Ive read it worked for others too. In anycase they will probably get wise to us forum users soon and change polocy.

Kevin

 

[equinecpa]

Good tip, but a day late. I did go cheap and bought Schultz Profile to add to my existing gravel. I have read mixed reviews about the product but could find it locally (the closest Petsmart is 45 minutes away). I'm going to start off with pretty simple plants so hopefully it will be all right.

Carolyn