AaronW
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Which works best for your plants? How deep do you make it? Is it possible to switch out substrate with out taking everything out?
Substrate questions.
- Thread starter AaronW
- 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.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
i have had eco complete for my 5gal planted tank and it worked good. i'm in the process of turning my 65gal into dirt tank topped with fourite. at least 1.5-2inches of substrate is what i used.
it's possible, but not recommended and it's also more tedium IMO to change substrate without taking everything out. it's up to you but most people would take out everything and re-do the substrate.
Honestly just about any substrate will work. A lot depends on the type of plants and set up you want. If your going low light with a lot of plants that attach to DW and a few plants in the substrate then use what you like best as long as the grain size isn't really large. Sand is cheap and will grow plants just fine but root tabs are needed for heavy rooters such as swords, crypts, and bulbs. Commercial plant substrate is good because it has a high CEC, cation exchange capacity, which means it can absorb nutrients from detris and the water and hold them for use by plants. Dirt also has a high CEC and makes for a nutrient rich substrate. Personally all my tanks are either Eco Complete or Dirted with an Eco cap.
I prefer a 2-1/2" thick substrate except for a dirted tank. With them I prefer 1-1/2" dirt and 1-1/2" cap.
It is much easier and quicker to empty a tank to change out gravel.
I prefer a 2-1/2" thick substrate except for a dirted tank. With them I prefer 1-1/2" dirt and 1-1/2" cap.
It is much easier and quicker to empty a tank to change out gravel.
OP
OP
AaronW
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Just curious cause I've always wanted to go with a dirted tank. I love heavily planted tanks. Right now I have a moderately planted with sand and osmocote tabs. But I was wondering if I could switch out the substrate. Anyway I think I'll just save myself te stress.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
rivercat, what's your secret in keeping the water clear in the dirted tank. i have mine capped witj flourite, and it's so murky. would filter floss work? ps. it's been weeks since i set it up and I'm worried about these particles blocking the light
I have never used Flourite as I had always heard how dusty it was. But I would definitely pack in a lot of polyfill and if your filter has a polishing pad you can use try that. Are you sure the cloudy water is fine dust particles or could you be having an extended bacterial bloom?
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
its the dust particles. last night i was doing anothet massive water change and the water was pristine clear UNTIL i turn the filter on. the current from the output starts a "dust storm" the second the water jets out of the hose
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
maybe that's why it was on clearance, $4.00 a bag
OP
OP
AaronW
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Rivercats said:
Gotta love poly fill I change it every do often. But I've left it in my canister for a few months and my
Water is still crystal clear!
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
Seachem clarity helps with this also.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
so i just got some poly-fil from wal-mart. my question for it is: does it matter where you put in the poly-fil in the canister? i put a handful of poly-fil on top of the canister, just right underneath the Eheim motor.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
how's that different from Aqueon clarifier? i used it and cleared temporarily until the next water change. and i heard i shouldn't add clarifier because it disturbed the chemical balance in the fish tank.
I won't use clarifiers but that's just me. I don't know how the water flows goes through your canister but I put it 2nd in mine. It goes sponge on bottom then polyfill. I also put the polyfill in wet as it condenses down a lot. That way you get a good amount in the basket.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
i have my Eheim 2217 under the tank inside of my aquarium stand. the water intake hose enters the filter from the bottom of the filter and travels upward. the water is then processed by the filter which includes three layers of sponge/pad with activated carbon and biomax. I put some polyfil on the top layer of the filtration stage, right before the motor pushes out the water. the spray bar is aimed horizontally with the holes on the bar shooting right across the tank as oppose to directly downward.
yes, i wet the polyfil with aquarium water before putting it in the canister filter.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
I've not used that kind. I don't recommend regularly using clarifiers but it works great just to help take out clay dust. I remember Eco complete actually comes with a clarifier packet, or at least it used to. Surprised flourite doesn't.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
oh trust me, you know nothing about Flourite surprises. if i could rewind the time, i would rather go with eco complete, since i've had it before for my nano tank. the only reason why i use Flourite this time is because it was on clearance. about $4/bag, significantly less than the originally sell price. it's so dusty/cloudy after so many massive water changes. not worth the effort and the time IME. and yes, i am aware of the fact that there's some sort of clarifier in the eco complete substrate.
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
The last six bags of EcoComplete I have purchased from a local Petco did NOT have a clarifier packet. It was also on sale for $9 bag. Yes, it was VERY cloudy at the start and still clouds up a bit if I disturb it. I used polyfil initially to take out most of the dust.
If I could do it again (this is for my shrimp tank) I would have used the Petco black sand simply because of the consistent black color. The tank has mostly moss on DW and only a few (5) crypts.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
just so that we're on the same page, were you using this? i used it in my nano tank and the water is very clear even if i disturb the substrate when i aquascape.
Amazon.com: CaribSea Eco-Complete 20-Pound Planted Aquarium, Black: Pet Supplies
I have bought countless bags of Eco and have never gotten a clarifier packet in any bag! But I also haven't had any dirt/dust issues after using it either. I actually thought maybe they were just adding something into the liquid portion of the bag.
Similar threads
