Substrate help?

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Lots of you know about my planted 60g tank and its doing great. I really wanted to make an HC carpet, I have all the correct things to grow it. I am using Fluval Stratum (worst mistake I made in 2012 probably) and I was researching HC and people said it will not grow well in the stratum, because its so light (the substrate) and it can't hold it down. I already knew this, but people said once it makes the carpet if you touch it or a fish touches it, it just floats up chunk by chunk which got me concerned. Could I too off my stratum with a nice thick bed of Eco-Complete and plant the HC in that? I don't want to rip apart my tank and change the whole substrate but I really want to grow HC, but I sadly don't think I will be able to with my substrate so do you think topping it off would work? Or what is a different carpet plant that is compact like HC but is not as light and can root well in the stratum? I already have DHG and dwarf sag so I don't want any of those, and I want to stray from the "needle leaf" look that dwarf sag portrays as well as the dwarf hair grass, and I want something with bigger rounder leaves like S. repens or something. Any ideas?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I use Fluval stratum to top off some Floramax, which is the same as eco complete. My HC does just fine on the stratum and have no complaints about that substrate. I'd buy it again if needed... Check out my 6g rimless build to see...

Anyway, an easier carpeting plant that's not needle leaved is Hydrocotyle Tripartita sp. Japan. You can see how well it's carpeting in on my 26g build.

UG is another popular carpeting plant like HC.

Edit: here's an example of h. tripartita carpet..
http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m570/schraptor/otos2.jpg

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

I use Fluval stratum to top off some Floramax, which is the same as eco complete. My HC does just fine on the stratum and have no complaints about that substrate. I'd buy it again if needed... Check out my 6g rimless build to see...

Anyway, an easier carpeting plant that's not needle leaved is Hydrocotyle Tripartita sp. Japan. You can see how well it's carpeting in on my 26g build.

UG is another popular carpeting plant like HC.

Edit: here's an example of h. tripartita carpet..
http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m570/schraptor/otos2.jpg

So you have had no issues with the HC carpet in your stratum? You se I actually am wanting to raise the level of the substrate in one corner of my tank and I want to know if I should just add more stratum to it or I could add the Eco-complete and just cap my whole tank with it. I'm not sure I like the look of the h. Tripartita...haven't checked out the UG yet so that's what I'm doing now

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

No problems with stratum because i take care to hardly disturb it. I knew from when i was researching that substrate that it's light and disintegrates easy. So i try to be careful when handling it. It's a good looking substrate IMO, but you get what you pay for.. It's not perfect and not for everyone. For that pelletized soil look it beats ADA AS in value but probably not in quality..

I have the stratum on top of EC so i suppose the opposite would be fine IMO. I just find the stratum to be more attractive, but that's subjective.

As for carpeting alternatives, how about Glossostigma elatinoides (glosso)?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Yeah the stratum is attractive to look at I just wanted the best for the plant- I don't want to spend over $50-$100 on a million pots of it and it not grow because of something like my substrate. I think I am going to try to stick with the HC...I like its compact feel and small leaves. Do you think I should stick with the stratum or go ahead and try Eco-complete? I want some other opinions

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

EC is a great substrate.. You'll be fine. Good luck to you.

One last substrate to consider..
http://greenleafaquariums.com/planted-aquarium-substrate/up-aqua-soil-substrate.html

Now que the "other" opinions

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Ah I actually think I will stick with the Stratum...so there are no other "finer" substrates? Like the ADA substrate system I noticed they have a nice fine cap to the bigger round pieces I liked

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah ADA is the cream of the crop.. but it will cost you for sure! How about Fluval "Shrimp" Stratum? It's the same but smaller pellets. I just think anything finer, like sand, would just work it's way down below the larger stuff. Which wouldn't be too bad once the roots of the HC get to it to really anchor itself down.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Oh good idea! The shrimp stratum is the same as the regular? Just smaller? I could cap off the regular stratum with that and plant the HC in it and as the HC roots the shrimp stratum would eventually sink down into the big ones but then it would be already rooted! I feel like I just cured cancer LOL. Now how would I add this to my tank without it clouding so bad? Does Eco-complete cloud like that?

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Ok so they sell the Shrimp Stratum in 8.8 lb. bags- and I have 2 16.7 lb. bags of the actual stratum in my tank so I should get about 3-4 8.8lb. Bags of the shrimp stratum to cap off mine. Sound right?

 

[blert]

Be careful adding anything to Stratum other than more Stratum. You already know it is incredibly nasty messy stuff and if you go adding harder stuff it will just grind it up even more. Handle it with care and as an inside joke I would put one of those little ceramic signs down on it that says "Do Not Disturb!".

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Be careful adding anything to Stratum other than more Stratum. You already know it is incredibly nasty messy stuff and if you go adding harder stuff it will just grind it up even more. Handle it with care and as an inside joke I would put one of those little ceramic signs down on it that says "Do Not Disturb!".

My gosh yes do not disturb it lol. And shrimp stratum would be ok right? I mean it is stratum just smaller.