planted aquarium substrate

[bambam1]

If you want a proper planted tank is gravel no good to use? What you need to use instead?

 

[Fresh2o]

Gravel can be used. But there are quite a few other choices, some more effective with live plants. I prefer EcoComplete black, regular grain size. Heavy enough to keep plants rooted, high cation exchange capacity (basically the ability to attract and hold nutrients).


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[tiger terror]

image sharing

A couple 10g's growing almost too fast to keep up with,using eco-complete for substrate..

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[bambam1]

can that be mixed with the gravel that I already have in tank? or is it best to pull old gravel out and replace it?

 

[tiger terror]

You could mix it but like colors would look best. I have it mixed at an 80/20 ratio of eco-complete/black Tahitian moon sand..

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[bambam1]

what thickness should I try to go for? Its about 2" to 3" now.

 

[Alan79]

I will try eco complete or something along those lines eventually, but you don't need the expensive gravels to grow healthy plants. Eco complete and some of the other manufactured gravels are advantageous because they store nutrients and remove some of those nutrients (fish waste) from the water.

I have 2 dirted tanks (a layer of organic soil below small black gravel) and a couple of tanks with just gravel or sand. They all grow plants well enough with some variation due to how well the tanks are lit and how well fertilizer gets applied to the tank. I find that smaller grains of gravel are helpful when it comes to holding the plants down though. With gravel larger than about 2-3mm plants have trouble taking root sometimes

If you plan to stock fish that dig in the substrate actively then avoid dirted tanks.

 

[bambam1]

image sharing

A couple 10g's growing almost too fast to keep up with,using eco-complete for substrate..

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They look lush fear play hope I can get my 1 to look something like them

 

[tiger terror]

I will try eco complete or something along those lines eventually, but you don't need the expensive gravels to grow healthy plants. Eco complete and some of the other manufactured gravels are advantageous because they store nutrients and remove some of those nutrients (fish waste) from the water.

I have 2 dirted tanks (a layer of organic soil below small black gravel) and a couple of tanks with just gravel or sand. They all grow plants well enough with some variation due to how well the tanks are lit and how well fertilizer gets applied to the tank. I find that smaller grains of gravel are helpful when it comes to holding the plants down though. With gravel larger than about 2-3mm plants have trouble taking root sometimes

If you plan to stock fish that dig in the substrate actively then avoid dirted tanks.

Lovin the dirt too..I have 2 tanks dirted currently...

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[bambam1]

I have common pleco and snails that tend to dig so I should avoid the dirt?

 

[Alan79]

I have common pleco and snails that tend to dig so I should avoid the dirt?

My first dirted tank had a pair of Comets in it that tore out most of the plants daily and sifted in the gravel for food until the soil base was well mixed with the gravel cap. My biggest mistake was probably in using gravel that was about 5mm accross that never acted as a cap. I just used a gravel vac to clean up whatever surfaced so it wasn't a disaster. If the pleco buries itself completely the i'd probably avoid dirt though. Just plain gravel will grow plants well enough and if you are just starting with plants you can run a trial without dirt to see what you like and what works for you. Does the pleco have a stucture to hide in/below. It might be burying itself to hide if it feels exposed. The snails would probably not be a massive issue i have no snails that dig though so that is only a guess.

There are some very nice plants that will thrive in low light tanks with just a gravel base. The trick is to allow the solid waste from the fish to build up within the gravel. With all my planted tanks i never dig the gravel vac into the substrate, i just stir up the waste with the vac and suck up whatever floats up.

 

[bambam1]

Yes, he got a big rock to hide under, but another fish that I had to give away was bullying him. I have not seen him digging, since the other fish has gone. All my tanks I have had a few plants in and they have grown okay and rooted well. However, the plants grow faster in my tank I have now than the other one's I have had but do not seem to root at all: :S Think they may grow fast in this one because of the turtles in the sump.