Spaghnum Moss, Laterite and Rexolin.

[Ozy]

Ive been told that the following substrate will last forever.

For a 30 litre tank (simply multiply for a larger one)

1Kg of Laterite
1Litre of unfertilised spaghnum moss
8 grams of Rexolin (rexolin is Micro nutrients with trace elements)

I am pretty sure this stuff will last but I am noooo pro!

I will cap this with gravel

My question is can I start planting straight away? Do I need to wait etc.

Its only my second proper set up since I started this hobby – can really do with some direction thanks.

 

[Ozy]

LOL no one has answered this one for me but plenty of views! I'll just explain what info I have found outside this forum:

Firstly - with all those initial nutrients in the water it would be crazy not to plant so yes!

Few points that I should bring up about this set up:

Sphagnum moss lowers your pH to about 6.0. It will also (to an extent) prevent KH from occurring as it stops Ho binding with Ho+1 (I think these are the right terms) anyway KH is real important and you don’t want to be messing with it! On top of that if you inject Co2 in to this type of set up you will further drop your pH - As KH is week and not buffering your water. Apparently you can add crushed coral or limestone to your filter and substrate in order to replenish KH and GH – I haven’t done this yet. It won’t matter how much crushed coral or limestone you put as it will bring KH to 4dkh all the time. The amount will only determine how long it will take to reach that point.

What I experienced:

I cycled the tank and placed the fish in. They were gasping for air within an hour. They were back gasping for air again after a 40% WC. I believe this is because I have so little oxygen in the water. As my water surface is not disrupted by my filter inlet. Nor does my filter add much oxygen as it is a water tight canister filter. I had no air stone in there either. Top that off with Co2 injection; obviously the fish are going to suffocate.

Other than those small problems the tanks looking amazing and soon I hope to add the fish in – I just need time to experiment with my KH and GH issues.

 

[jetajockey]

LOL no one has answered this one for me but plenty of views! I'll just explain what info I have found outside this forum:

Firstly - with all those initial nutrients in the water it would be crazy not to plant so yes!

Few points that I should bring up about this set up:

Sphagnum moss lowers your pH to about 6.0. It will also (to an extent) prevent KH from occurring as it stops Ho binding with Ho+1 (I think these are the right terms) anyway KH is real important and you don’t want to be messing with it! On top of that if you inject Co2 in to this type of set up you will further drop your pH - As KH is week and not buffering your water. Apparently you can add crushed coral or limestone to your filter and substrate in order to replenish KH and GH – I haven’t done this yet. It won’t matter how much crushed coral or limestone you put as it will bring KH to 4dkh all the time. The amount will only determine how long it will take to reach that point.

What I experienced:

I cycled the tank and placed the fish in. They were gasping for air within an hour. They were back gasping for air again after a 40% WC. I believe this is because I have so little oxygen in the water. As my water surface is not disrupted by my filter inlet. Nor does my filter add much oxygen as it is a water tight canister filter. I had no air stone in there either. Top that off with Co2 injection; obviously the fish are going to suffocate.

Other than those small problems the tanks looking amazing and soon I hope to add the fish in – I just need time to experiment with my KH and GH issues.

Sorry, I didn't see your post until just now.

Sounds like a good planting base. I do mineralized topsoil substrates so I am familiar with DIY substrate. With that recipe we add dolomite (CaMg(co3)2) and muriate of potash to help deal with the acidic conditions in the soil.

Are you using a drop checker to figure out your co2 concentration? Fish gasping could be low o2, but if the tank is heavily planted and the lights are on then it could be high co2 instead.

 

[Ozy]

The way I added the liquid micro/macro nutrients; basically I purchased the entire range of flourish products. I made the mix myself using a weekly dosage chart someone posted on a forum. I bought enough to make 1.5litre mix. I read all the ingredience and have seen that exact nutrient on one of the bottles. However it would not have been a massive amount. I've got some 'Yates' products too that have that exact ingredient. Am I able to simply add camg(co3)2 to the water to help control acidity or should I have added it to the substrate when first built. I’m thinking of buying some crushed coral today to help with my GH KH issues. As for the drop checker - that would be the little cup thing attached between the Co2 canister and the diffuser? I've counted about one bubble a second that im releasing in to the tank. How do I check Co2 level using this?

 

[Ozy]

Oh and by the way! Thank you very much for posting here!!