What to put under substrate?

[krap101]

I got some turface today, and it looks alot better than my white sand imo. I was wondering if I should put something underneath it like peat or (some people say some mulm) or if I could put some like potting mix? (got a feeling that's a bad idea)

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

You could try that stuff they sell called like flourite or something and it is like what your talking about.

 

[mgamer20o0]

its fine on its own. you could do root tabs just depends on what kind of plants you will be growing.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Not flourite its this stuff.

First Layer Pure Laterite 20oz

 

[joy13]

When I use potting soil I use cuttlebone over the top. I put down about 1/4 inch or so of potting soil then grate a light dusting of cuttlebone over that. Then I cap it with whatever I am using.

 

[jsoong]

I used peat moss & soil under the substrate the first time I set my tank up. With the soil, there is a whole procedure of rinsing & cooking (I found on the web) to get rid of ammonia & baddies. But with the goldies digging, the layered substrate just get mixed up & the soil & peat made a mess of the water so I gave up on that idea when I redid the tank.

 

[joy13]

I used peat moss & soil under the substrate the first time I set my tank up. With the soil, there is a whole procedure of rinsing & cooking (I found on the web) to get rid of ammonia & baddies. But with the goldies digging, the layered substrate just get mixed up & the soil & peat made a mess of the water so I gave up on that idea when I redid the tank.

Was it the mineralized soil that I have read so much about?

 

[underdog5004]

I got some turface today, and it looks alot better than my white sand imo. I was wondering if I should put something underneath it like peat or (some people say some mulm) or if I could put some like potting mix? (got a feeling that's a bad idea)

DO NOT USE POTTING MIX!

I only shout this because I tried this the other day...big mistake. All the wood fibers floated up to the top, turned my water into just a tank of black. 6 water changes later, I dumped gravel over the soil, and the water's clearer now, but I spent about 4 hours getting it clean.

So be careful

 

[krap101]

I decided just to go straight turface and get nutrients in the old fashioned way

 

[fort384]

how about a substrate heater (I know this isn't exactly what you are talking about, but it fits the subject)?

There are a lot of very positive comments, especially in the long term, with using a substrate heater in a planted tanks. The theories are vast, but basically it involves convection helping to replace nutrients in the substrate....

 

[mgamer20o0]

how about a substrate heater (I know this isn't exactly what you are talking about, but it fits the subject)?

There are a lot of very positive comments, especially in the long term, with using a substrate heater in a planted tanks. The theories are vast, but basically it involves convection helping to replace nutrients in the substrate....

tom barr done a study on them and from everything i have ever read is they dont really help with anything.

 

[fort384]

tom barr done a study on them and from everything i have ever read is they dont really help with anything.

I have read (and it makes sense) that they would be beneficial over a long period of time (years, not weeks or months). They can be effective at preventing old tank syndrome in a planted tank. I think if I ever set up a larger tank, I would use 1. Even if the benefit is minimal, they are so inexpensive that I would try it just to see.

 

[jsoong]

Was it the mineralized soil that I have read so much about?

Yes, that was what I read about. It sounded reasonable but is certainly work to set up. It is a cheap replacemetn for flourite or other expensive substrate. But with Schultz Aquasoil (that I switched to) at $10 a big bag, it doesn't seem to be worth while.