1st time attempting plants. Substrate advice?

[Tim Bradley]

I grew up cobbling together aquarium supplies as I could find them and I never had any luck growing plants. I just took a position managing aquariums at my college and now that I have a budget larger than zero dollars, I want to try growing aquatic plants native to my area (Indiana).

I have been shopping around for substrate and I never dreamed that there was more out there than pea gravel.

Can anyone recommend a good substrate for planted aquariums that will do well with harder water and won't break the bank?

My goal is to set up planted aquariums with native plant species contrasted with invasives for use in teaching students conservation values and practices.

 

[Bert2oo1]

I grew up cobbling together aquarium supplies as I could find them and I never had any luck growing plants. I just took a position managing aquariums at my college and now that I have a budget larger than zero dollars, I want to try growing aquatic plants native to my area (Indiana).



I have been shopping around for substrate and I never dreamed that there was more out there than pea gravel.



Can anyone recommend a good substrate for planted aquariums that will do well with harder water and won't break the bank?



My goal is to set up planted aquariums with native plant species contrasted with invasives for use in teaching students conservation values and practices.

Best substrate will be Ada for hard water. It softens the water abit and is slightly acidic. Get Amazonia and a pack of super clear, bacteria 100 and the other one (can't remember the last one) YouTube how to set it up.

It's ment to be the best of the best and I'm about to use it myself with my new setup

 

[Fresh2o]

Brightwell Aquatics has some decent wallet friendlier substrates in black and dark brown in various grain sizes. Unlike ADA, they will not leach ammonia into the water column.
CaribSea offers a few substrates including EcoComplete.

 

[toolman]

Listen to Bert and fresh, they know their planted tanks, I've learned a lot following them.

Great to have another Hoosier.[emoji106] I'm from Wabash/Peru area, but used to work in Warsaw.

 

[Fresh2o]

This sounds like an interesting teaching tool.
What native and invasive species do you plan to use?

 

[floridaman]

I love ada just pretty costly , I have 4 bags of eco complete in my 75 and my plants are doing great .. what type are you looking into doing or are doing, my tank is setup for high tech, most of my plants are medium to high light with some anubias in certain areas, I'm running co2 and a quad t5 H.O

 

[Mebbid]

Honestly, you can have an absolutely gotgeous tank without planted tank substrate. I used inert black sand for years with excellent results.

The results depend on the work you put into it, not the money.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Brightwell Aquatics has some decent wallet friendlier substrates in black and dark brown in various grain sizes. Unlike ADA, they will not leach ammonia into the water column.
CaribSea offers a few substrates including EcoComplete.

Honestly, you can have an absolutely gotgeous tank without planted tank substrate. I used inert black sand for years with excellent results.

The results depend on the work you put into it, not the money.

+1 for both of these.

I like Eco-complete, but as long as the plants can root-in well to the substrate, and nutrients are provided via root tabs (nutrients will be produced and make its way into the substrate via decaying organic matter as well), the plants will grow just as well. Good luck!