getting started

[jmstanley]

anyone have any sugestion what kind of substrate i need to start a 220 gal planted tank i have 220 gal with 3 250 watt metal halide with a sump 2 2900 gal an hour power heads and a 900 gal return pump anyone i was doing salt water and i would like go fresh

 

[DJtheFISHguy]

I've found that in most of my tanks over the years the medium to larger sized natural stone's are a little bit easier to maintain and much easier to keep clean and disease free than from past expierience with the smaller stones or rocks or the ol' dreaded glass substrate's that cut your fish up like a chef at Benihana's, plus the slightly larger stones do seem to weigh down plants and air tubing a little better-(I dont like to use those leaded plant weights.)-and the live plants seem to root to the larger stones a little better/faster, plus the larger natural stones look more "natural" to where some fish live (Outside of filling the bottom of your tank with some lake, river or pond mud!).. Personally, I wouldnt use any Sand substrate's in a freshwater tank, great for saltwater not so great for fresh.. I say just go out and get whatever style/color that fits your budget and that you would want to look at every single day. Oh!, 1 last thing, to cover the bottom of a 220gal tank your going to need @ 44-45 bags of 5 pound stones to make your substrate deep enough, Are you absolutely sure that your flooring can handle that much weight-(i.e.,Tank, Stand, Water, Gravel weight)-?..Just something to think about. Dont forget to put up some photos of your tank(s) when it's set up so we all get to see your choice! Best of luck with your tank(s)!

 

[jmstanley]

I all ready have it set up salt water with 300lbs sand 350 lbs rock pluse sump rock about 50 lbs the tank is still running but i would like to go to freash for a while thans for the help

 

[BigJim]

I have sand in my FW tanks and I won't go back to gravel without a very good reason. Laterite under sand makes a fine planted tank substrate.

 

[jmstanley]

what is laterite and what is it purpose and where can i get it

 

[jmstanley]

how deep would will i need it

 

[BigJim]

Laterite is a nutrient-rich clay material. It acts as fertilizer for plants. You have to keep it under your other substrate or else it may lead to algae blooms. You can actually get it at a garden center rather cheaply if you're careful to get pure laterite and not something mixed with fertilizers and other chemicals.

For a planted tank, go with at least 3" of substrate to allow the plants to root. If you want to use laterite, still go with 3" of sand over the laterite, just to be safe.

 

[FishEggs]

I used eco-complete in my first planted tank and had great results. that would be really expensive for that size tank. my larger planted tank i used mineralized soil under pool filter sand and have gotten good results too. using sand is fine you just want to get courser sand so it doesnt get stirred up into your filter.

 

[jmstanley]

thanks for all the info do you guys think i can use the sand and the aragonite i have in the tank if i clean it ind put the laterite under and what about skimmers and water flow

 

[JohnPaul]

thanks for all the info do you guys think i can use the sand and the aragonite i have in the tank if i clean it ind put the laterite under and what about skimmers and water flow

Aragonite is going to skyrocket your pH very high. While there are certain freshwater aquarium setups that like high pH, in general that is not a very good mix if you want a heavily-planted tank. Once you start getting in to pH's in the ~ 8 range, the list of plants you can successfully grow starts shrinking pretty rapidly.

If you have regular sand in there already, yes the regular sand could be used in a FW planted tank. If it is "live sand," then no, as once all the living things in it are exposed to freshwater they will die, decompose, and lead to one heck of an ammonia spike.

Speaking of things dying, also keep in mind that the saltwater bacteria in your filter currently are not going to survive the transition to freshwater (unless you transitioned very very slowly over the course of several months, from saltwater to strong brackish to weak brackish to fresh), so if you just switch over immediately to fresh you are going to have to re-cycle the tank.

If you are independently wealthy (like, Donald Trump's grand-nephew or something) then the ideal substrate would be a specialized planted tank substrate: Eco-Complete, Flourite, Flora-max, etc. But you would probably be looking at $250-400 worth of substrate. By comparison, to put down a thin layer of laterite and then use pool filter sand, you would be looking at probably no more than $50-75. (Note: if you are going to use sand, pool filter sand is what you should use, not child's play sand. Pool filter sand is larger grained, so it is a little better at hold down plant roots and also won't get kicked up and cloud your water nearly as much as a finer sand will. You can buy it, not so surprisingly, at any place that sells pools and pool supplies. Usually runs about $7-8 per 50 pound bag.)

Laterite is a natural clay that provides nutrients, especially iron, to plant roots. It comes in a box and is roughly the size (usually) of small aquarium gravel. You would put it down first...sprinkle it on the bottom glass of the empty tank. You don't even need to "cover" the glass completely, just sort of thinly sprinkle it so there is a single layer of it on the glass, where you can see through it. That's all it takes. Then pile on the rest of your substrate over the top of that.

If you have a lot of time, space, and patience, then making mineralized soil and putting a layer of that below the sand will work wonders. It's certainly not necessary, and the process is not for the faint of heart, but people who have done it rave about the results.

There is no need for skimmers in a freshwater tank.

As for flow, in all likelihood controlling the direction and strength of the flow will be a consideration more based on your fish than on your plants. It's true that some plants prefer areas with moderate flow, other plants prefer areas with minimal flow, but in general most plants are going to adapt reasonably well to whatever conditions are present in that regard.

 

[jmstanley]

thanks johnpaul i will check on a of this but where is the best place to buy the laterite i have look at lowes and lfs but know one has it but foster&smith i plan to start in next few months also where is the best to get plants and a good stock of fish and what kind of fish would guys recomend

 

[krap101]

I think this post will give you a pretty good idea. I think the ada aquasoils are probably the best commercially available substrate

Joe's Planted Tanks - Aquarium Substrate Challenge

I'd suggest a base like Turface has a high CEC.. I'll let someone else explain..

The Captation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is also an important thing to consider when choosing your substrate. CEC is the ability to adsorb positively charged nutrient ions (so high CEC is good). This means the substrate will hold nutrients and make them available for the plant roots. It doesn’t indicate the amount of nutrients the substrate contains.
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Substrate materials for the planted aquarium | Aquariums Life

I would like to point out I think it is "cation" rather than "captation"