Aquarium substrate

[Hummingguppy]

I am planning a low-tech planted tank. I will have anubias, java fern, and java moss or Christmas moss. Should I buy Eco complete for this? Will these plants actually benefit from it, seeing as none of them are actually 'planted'?

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tank

I am planning a low-tech planted tank. I will have anubias, java fern, and java moss or Christmas moss. Should I buy Eco complete for this? Will these plants actually benefit from it, seeing as none of them are actually 'planted'?

Hello Humm...

Low tech tanks don't need fancy anything. For substrate, just go with with polished pea-sized gravel. It's easy to keep clean, vacuuming removes excess organic material that collects. It never becomes compacted like sand, so it can't cause water chemistry problems and with a little creativity, you can make some intresting colors. It will work well for planted plants, because there's room between pieces for water to circulate and nourish the plant roots.

Fancy bottom material isn't aways better, just more money.

B

 

[Mebbid]

Hello Humm...

Low tech tanks don't need fancy anything. For substrate, just go with with polished pea-sized gravel. It's easy to keep clean, vacuuming removes excess organic material that collects. It never becomes compacted like sand, so it can't cause water chemistry problems and with a little creativity, you can make some intresting colors. It will work well for planted plants, because there's room between pieces for water to circulate and nourish the plant roots.

Fancy bottom material isn't aways better, just more money.

B

I agree with bbradbury on skipping the fancy stuff. It's really not needed. I do prefer sand for my planted tanks over gravel though. Both will work well, its just a matter of personal preference.

 

[philipraposo198]

Safe t sorb, its cheap and sucks nutrients up.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[bud29]

Agree with the above that you don't need anything fancy - one of my favorite cheap substrates is black blasting sand. It looks nice and is very cheap. I got a 50 lb. bag for $7.50.

 

[Mebbid]

Agree with the above that you don't need anything fancy - one of my favorite cheap substrates is black blasting sand. It looks nice and is very cheap. I got a 50 lb. bag for $7.50.

The black blasting sand does look nice but personally, I don't like it. It has what seems to be bits of glass mixed in with what I got. I tried cory cats in there once and their barbels were gone within a week. When I was working in it I actually got stabbed with a few pieces in it.

 

[bud29]

The black blasting sand does look nice but personally, I don't like it. It has what seems to be bits of glass mixed in with what I got. I tried cory cats in there once and their barbels were gone within a week. When I was working in it I actually got stabbed with a few pieces in it.

Hmm, what grain size did you get? I've kept corys, plecos, and kuhlis on the "super fine grain" blasting sand without any problems.