Sand and plants

[bkiggy]

Changing over my tank from gravel to sand will live plants live in sand

 

[flitabout]

Actually better than in gravel! That said I do dirted with a sand cap

 

[bkiggy]

Actually better than in gravel! That said I do dirted with a sand cap

Like dirt, dirt ?

 

[bkiggy]

Actually better than in gravel! That said I do dirted with a sand cap

How do you clean it? I have a python, but you can't "suck up" stuff like you do gravel

 

[flitabout]

I do a surface siphon. and yeah it's mix of dirt from my garden and organic potting soil that I sterilized in the oven just my garden dirt got sterilized. Dirt grows crazy nice plants! The cap usually keeps the dirt where is suppose to be. Unless you have a small child helping you or constantly have to pull plants out. My crypts are terrible for sending runners out everywhere! But yes dirt dirt

 

[flitabout]

This what happens when a 2 year old moves the python full blast on a to thin sand cap when it settles. The second one is what the whole tank looks like. I have also done dirt with a gravel cape.

 

[ZxC]

I'll take a different approach.

@bkiggy what type of sand are you changing over to?

Play sand = dirty and fine grain = possibility (can be debated) for nasty anaerobic pockets and compaction

Blasting sand/Pool filter sand = less dirty and larger uniform grain size = less chance of compaction and anaerobic pockets

Now, most sand is completely inert with little Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) so, you will have to supplement fertilizer just like regular gravel either into the water column or into the sand bed or both (I'll recommend both).

So yes, sand can grow plants by itself. (Many other possibilities including dirt with sand cap and planted tank specific sand ex: fluorite black sand $$)

 

[flitabout]

I did the play sand and that was a mess! even after washing it for hours I still gave me fits. Pool filter sand works much better!

 

[agrasyuk]

I did ecoomplete capped with play sand. Washed the sand in the bucket to get rid of the finest stuff.
Was only messy for first week:

After 4 years (perhaps need a better picture of surface to show just how little black was exposed)

Not that I'm saying it's so much better the suggestions above but I feel it is a good choice as well. I like that it is light colored and very fine. cories absolutely love digging in it. Fun to watch how they stick their heads in up to the gills and then start their sifting (I deposit worms into the sand with dropper for them) .
vaccuming fish droppings (that oncentrate in 3 middle and sides due to filter current) does pick up some sand every time, so one needs to go gentle with it.

 

[Fresh2o]

I used play sand once. Dirty. I just picked up some pool filter sand. Going to use it in a new build. Not sure if I will have (rooted) plants. If I do I will be supplementing the substrate with root pellets. I have never tried soil. Fear of the messiness I suppose. I have used EcoComplete for the last 5 years with good results.

 

[bkiggy]

I'll take a different approach.

@bkiggy what type of sand are you changing over to?

Play sand = dirty and fine grain = possibility (can be debated) for nasty anaerobic pockets and compaction

Blasting sand/Pool filter sand = less dirty and larger uniform grain size = less chance of compaction and anaerobic pockets

Now, most sand is completely inert with little Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) so, you will have to supplement fertilizer just like regular gravel either into the water column or into the sand bed or both (I'll recommend both).

So yes, sand can grow plants by itself. (Many other possibilities including dirt with sand cap and planted tank specific sand ex: fluorite black sand $$)

Flourite, or eco complete which ever I can find

 

[flitabout]

Dirt is addictive! play sand is worse to deal with by far!

 

[bkiggy]

I'll take a different approach.

@bkiggy what type of sand are you changing over to?

Play sand = dirty and fine grain = possibility (can be debated) for nasty anaerobic pockets and compaction

Blasting sand/Pool filter sand = less dirty and larger uniform grain size = less chance of compaction and anaerobic pockets

Now, most sand is completely inert with little Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) so, you will have to supplement fertilizer just like regular gravel either into the water column or into the sand bed or both (I'll recommend both).

So yes, sand can grow plants by itself. (Many other possibilities including dirt with sand cap and planted tank specific sand ex: fluorite black sand $$)

Or Caribsea substrate

 

[bkiggy]

Dirt is addictive! play sand is worse to deal with by far!

Maybe just flourite, eco complete , or caribsea by itself ....... which ever is the finest

 

[bkiggy]

I'll take a different approach.

@bkiggy what type of sand are you changing over to?

Play sand = dirty and fine grain = possibility (can be debated) for nasty anaerobic pockets and compaction

Blasting sand/Pool filter sand = less dirty and larger uniform grain size = less chance of compaction and anaerobic pockets

Now, most sand is completely inert with little Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) so, you will have to supplement fertilizer just like regular gravel either into the water column or into the sand bed or both (I'll recommend both).

So yes, sand can grow plants by itself. (Many other possibilities including dirt with sand cap and planted tank specific sand ex: fluorite black sand $$)

I would like to NOT have anaerobic pockets

 

[flitabout]

I added vermiculite to my dirt mix totally fixes the anaerobic spots and has a very high CEC. But if not capped thickly enough it does float

 

[Caliban07]

I would like to NOT have anaerobic pockets

Beneficial processes occur in areas of low oxygen such as denitrification and the reduction of plant unavailable ferric iron to plant available ferrous iron. There is no real need to try to keep it oxygenated. If the plants are growing as they should they will oxygenate the root zone.

Have faith in the microbes.

 

[ZxC]

Beneficial processes occur in areas of low oxygen such as denitrification and the reduction of plant unavailable ferric iron to plant available ferrous iron. There is no real need to try to keep it oxygenated. If the plants are growing as they should they will oxygenate the root zone.

Have faith in the microbes.

Very true, my comments were mostly aimed at dead spots with deep substrate. As long as there is plenty of plant mass actively growing, there shouldn't be anaerobic pockets.

That said, why take a chance with dirty sand? I wouldn't risk it with other options such as blasting sand and pool filter sand available.

 

[agrasyuk]

I would like to NOT have anaerobic pockets

Luckily enough its not an issue with playsand yes yes, I get it, debatable issue. But not something I observed or perceive as an issue.

Perhaps I got used to it but I'm not sure what are you guys talking about when you say 'messy'. As I said cloudiness (the really fine particles) were gone after one week. I can stir things up and the only issue I will have is pulling up ecocomplete with the plant roots, so I have a few of those on surface. I really like the light yellow color of it, great at holding plant roots untill they reach down into the black stuff. Of course I don't insist on you using it.
I have larger grain white aquarium sand in 10gal (my son "keeps" that tank) ,not sure what that stuff really is but that one is indeed a mess. Waste is very visible on it and picking it up takes real patience.

At any rate, big fat raspberry to you guys from me and my playsand digging cories

 

[flitabout]

No worries I still have the messy play sand in one of my tanks and I haven't ever had any issues with it past the first week!