Is planting substrate essential or will gravel do?

[Arran walker]

So I'm looking to add quite a lot more plants to my tank and I'm wanting to put them all along the back half of the tank to make a bit of a forest type look I guess with some bogwood aswell.

I currently have a fine gravel in there so I'm hoping to keep that. Will the plants do ok if I don't vacuum the gravvel where the plants are or will they need special substrate?

I'm unsure what plants I'll get but I'm wanting quite a lot of java ferns I think

Any advice would be good as iv never had a planted tank before.

 

[jetajockey]

Its better to use a plant specific substrate but you can get by just fine with plain gravel also.

 

[Arran walker]

Ok thanks, will it be ok not vacuuming the gravvel underneath the plants?

 

[jetajockey]

Yeah I don't do that, don't want to disturb the plants.

 

[Arran walker]

Ok cool I'll give it a bash, cheers

 

[Rivercats]

You will want to add root tab fertilizers in the gravel since the gravel is inert. The root tabs will help with plant growth/nutrition especially if you plant swords, crypts, and such.

 

[Arran walker]

Ok thanks, do you just bury a few of them around the plants?

 

[Rivercats]

It depends on the type of root tab you use. Should tell you on the package how many to use and how often, as they all alittle different.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I got mediocre growth when i used to have standard gravel and root tabs.. When i recently switched to Floramax with some flourish tabs and DIY CO2, i had a plant growth explosion! Could be the tabs? Could be the co2? Or just a combination of all? But wow, what a difference!

 

[jetajockey]

I got mediocre growth when i used to have standard gravel and root tabs.. When i recently switched to Floramax with some flourish tabs and DIY CO2, i had a plant growth explosion! Could be the tabs? Could be the co2? Or just a combination of all? But wow, what a difference!

I strongly believe that the high cec substrates make a big difference, especially as you move up past low light conditions.

 

[Arran walker]

It must make a difference then, however I'm not fussed for fast growth as long as the plants are healthy

 

[Batt4Christ]

Fine gravel will work. Sand works better. Specialty substrata are best, especially if you grow more challenging varieties.

If you want java ferns- they don't care what you plant them in/on!

With root tabs, a lot of plants do well even in gravel.

 

[dee99gt]

I use gravel and my plants do fine. I don't do anything at all besides dose the tank once a week..