Substrate questions

[CharlieKlein]

In my 29 gallon, I will have probably 4-8 live plants. What is the advantage of sand or gravel, I'm planning on black gravel. The footprint is 30x12 so Mabye I'll do like 9x3 of it in white sand? So do you thing if I hav a 20 lb bag of gravel and a 5 lb of sand it'd work? Also, when I have mixed substrates, will I use 2 different cleaning methods? I was planning on a gravel vaccume? And which substrate would be best for the bulk if planting?

 

[Rivercats]

Working with 2 types of substrates is very hard. Sand is a much smaller grained substrate than gravel which means it will work its way into the gravel and won't stay nice looking very long. You'd do best, especially as a newbie, to pick one substrate that you like and use it. If you use gravel it's easier on plants if you find one with smaller grains.

 

[CharlieKlein]

I'll plan for getting black gravel. And then Mabye 5 lbs of white? Would that look good?

 

[Rivercats]

The only time I've seen using two different colors that actually works is if it is used to make a path, curved, wide in the front, getting smaller to the back. Just a block of white will look rather strange IMO.

 

[CharlieKlein]

I was planning on something like Brian nano's but i might just do all black

 

[Rivercats]

I think it will look much better and black tends to show the fish's color off much better and actually many species of fish actually color up better with black or dark substrate.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Thanks! And will plants like Anubis and java fern and amazon sword grow in that?

 

[Rivercats]

Anubia and Java fern will do better being attached to a piece of DW but a sword will do fine. You will however have to use root tabs for any plants you plant in the substrate as gravel is inert and cannot hold nutrients like commercial substrates for planted tanks can. Also you will want to invest in a liquid fert such as Seachems Comprehensive to use weekly after WC's.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Well I was planning on getting 2-3 small mopani driftwood, so that's good!