live substrate

[jxr182]

As I said in a previous post, I took a few years off of aquariums and apparently forgot some of my knowledge over the years. I remember years ago researching a bioactive substrate for aquariums but I can't remember anything about it. The tank would in theory pretty much manage itself with only topping off needed. Plants took a large part of the bio load, but I seem to remember something special about the substrate. Maybe introducing microorganisms or something into the substrate. Does anyone know what I"m talking about?

 

[Aiken Drum]

There are planted substrates, that are often soil based that provide nutrients for high demand rooted plants. High demand plants will consume ammonia, reducing nitrate and lessoning the need for water changes. These are usually combined with high intensity lighting and injected CO2.

Or deep gravel substrate beds will support anaerobic bacteria that consume nitrate releasing nitrogen gas, in a similar way that live rock and live substrates work in marine aquariums. But this has nothing to do with plants.

There are all sorts of products out there that make all sorts of spurious claims. Yes, im sure ive seen substrates that make a claim of containing bacteria in a similar manner to all those bottled bacteria products that usually do nothing but make you poorer.