Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
What's the white? A path it different idea of substrate like sand?
8g Fluval Flora Journal
- Thread starter Zimmanski
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
What's the white? A path it different idea of substrate like sand?
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yea sorry, it would be white sand with the plants like I said everywhere else
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
So the little path area would be planted as well as the opposite sides right? So... My question is why the change in substrate then?
I've seen people do paths with white sand but they don't plant it and then you would need to use something like substrate supports so the plants don't grow into the area.
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haha no no no, the white is just a white sand path, and I dont mind picking up some substrate supports. The HC would cover all of ther normal substrate to the right of the path and in the front to the left of the path. The Compacta will probably be moved to the far left in the middle to back left of the tank. Then I was trying to think of some taller background plants, maybe hairgrass?? maybe a red stem plant?? This is the decision I really need help on, I would like something interesting for the background but theres just so many aquatic plants out there to make up my mind.
Sorry if my previous posts were too confusing.
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Get yourself Tahoe disposable cutting boards from bed bath and beyond or online. Check out my planted thread. They work GREAT!! You'll need them so plants so grown into your little sand path 
Check it out! Other wise the only place I know of is the green machine in the UK and you get hammered with shipping.
Check it out! Other wise the only place I know of is the green machine in the UK and you get hammered with shipping.
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Get yourself Tahoe disposable cutting boards from bed bath and beyond or online. Check out my planted thread. They work GREAT!! You'll need them so plants so grown into your little sand path
Check it out! Other wise the only place I know of is the green machine in the UK and you get hammered with shipping.
This morning that's what I was looking for online haha. It's ridiculous what you have to pay to get something so cheap from the UK, I read somewhere else they used the cutting boards too but I didn't know where to get them, thanks!!!
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sorry not sure why my phone wrote Tahoe lol
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Anytime! Not sure why my phone wrote Tahoe lol but those are good too
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haha I thought Tahoe was the brand of cutting board! I'm guessing you meant "those"? So today I think I'm going to try to add some shrimp to the tank, I'll have to see what my LFS has in stock and do some water tests. I'm also going to see if they have anything good for my background plant
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haha yeah... Sounds good! Good luck at the LFS and post some pics of what you get!
Billbug68
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, since you're going for mostly stem plants and HC, a divider won't do much good other than for creating the path. In this case you can just drain the tank, use cardboard to form your path, then pull it out slowly. Since HC grows above the substrate, you'll just have to trim any that start invading that space.
However, if you do decide to use something like hair grass or a vals, it might help to stop runners from heading that way, but whether or not it actually works is speculative. I've never read any positive reports of it actually containing said plants, but it's better than nothing I suppose!
However, if you do decide to use something like hair grass or a vals, it might help to stop runners from heading that way, but whether or not it actually works is speculative. I've never read any positive reports of it actually containing said plants, but it's better than nothing I suppose!
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, since you're going for mostly stem plants and HC, a divider won't do much good other than for creating the path. In this case you can just drain the tank, use cardboard to form your path, then pull it out slowly. Since HC grows above the substrate, you'll just have to trim any that start invading that space.
However, if you do decide to use something like hair grass or a vals, it might help to stop runners from heading that way, but whether or not it actually works is speculative. I've never read any positive reports of it actually containing said plants, but it's better than nothing I suppose!
Thanks for the tip! I think if I can get something cheap enough I might as well give it a shot, even if it just helps keep the substrate separated I'd be happy and it would probably be good to have anyway since I still don't know what the other plants will be, my LFS's plant section was pretty much wiped out. Almost picked up some orange sunkist, but before I pay $6 per shrimp I think I'll double check parameters and care haha
Last edited:
Billbug68
Aquarium Advice Addict
Karay
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You can get frosted vinyl and apply it to the outside of tank. If I remember correctly and thinking of your planted (which is beautiful BTW) you have a Fluval HOB. Take it off use a few drops of dish soap to a squirt bottle spray the sticky side of the vinyl, apply it to the tank and used a credit or debit card as a squeegee to push the water out. Done it a couple of times with great success. You can get the vinyl from a sign place
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
You'll be happy with the DIY substrate supports. They do work, well... According to YouTube, reading forums, magazines and speaking to James Findley himself over the phone. Great guy btw...
I think if you want to add a path of sand you'll be glad you went the substrate support route. Look at my tank the hill I created on the right hand side. I used about 5 pieces of a cutting mat clear on color and it did wonders for my scape.
I highly recommended it proven on paper or not.
I think if you want to add a path of sand you'll be glad you went the substrate support route. Look at my tank the hill I created on the right hand side. I used about 5 pieces of a cutting mat clear on color and it did wonders for my scape.
I highly recommended it proven on paper or not.
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
You've talked to him? That's pretty neat, he seems to me to be just another dude who happens to make really pretty aquariums, doesn't seem too artsy fartsy or full of himself if you know what I mean.
Haha anyway, so got back from the second LFS a little while ago, I decided against the sunkist shrimp for now and I picked up some RCS and dwarf corys, I figured I can always add the sunkist shrimp after I'm done completing the set-up. Parameters all rose and fell like they should thanks to the cycled filter media and I added that fritz-zyme to help with the additions, I'll be keeping a close eye on things anyway. I also picked up a new really good looking stone, I'll have to tweak the position and add some smaller stones that I got too. Here's some pictures, everyone is really enjoying it so far, oh and the tracking numbers say that I should start getting my mystery packages Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!
It's a little cloudy because of the BB additive, it'll clear though
Attachments
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I love the tank and the shrimp! Yeah I did actually. Nice guy, he actually answered the phone lol!! We got to talking and he told me I can send him some pictures of my planted build and he also said he's like to see the cichlid tank. Oh course I was more then happy to send a bunch of pictures to the email he gave me.
Honestly I haven't received an email back yet though lol. Oh well....
Con, he s prob 'busy'.
Zimmanski, love your tank. I put RCS & Dwarf Cories in my 29g, they re pretty cool. One of the shrimp has been sitting on top of the heater all day. Spooked him to make sure he was ok & he crawled right back up there.
Zimmanski, love your tank. I put RCS & Dwarf Cories in my 29g, they re pretty cool. One of the shrimp has been sitting on top of the heater all day. Spooked him to make sure he was ok & he crawled right back up there.
OP
OP
Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you! Yea I have a few RCS in my 20g that are starting to repopulate the tank and I have a few Cory's in that one two, not dwarf though. The GF always thought the dwarf Cory's were cute so I figured this would be a great stock to keep her interested and as the new RCS breed I can mix up the populations to keep inbreeding to a minimum
Billbug68
Aquarium Advice Addict
You're gonna have a lot of fun once you make the sand path, with all the shrimp and cories...
