What's on your bottom?

[justDIY]

Just curious to see what everyone is using for a substrate / gravel in their planted tanks!

If your kind isn't in the Poll, just attach a message to the topic and share it with us!

If your substrate is a mix of two or more types, vote for the type most benificial or that has the greatest quanity.

If you have multiple tanks, choose the one you're happiest with!

 

[Allivymar]

Oi. Not enough combinations there LOL I've one tank which simply has colored pebbles; the other soon to be planted tank contains a mixture of sand and laterite. Can't vote for a fav yet, as no one is living in the sand/laterite tank, although that is DEFINITELY the prettier of the 2

 

[Biggen]

Flourite all the way in my planted tank. 3-4 inches all the way around.


Never have to add iron with a flourite tank either...

 

[justDIY]

Oi. Not enough combinations there

I know it's terrible to bunch them together like that ... I originally had 8 choices, but the forum would not let me create a poll with so many options

So I had to slim down and group up.

Hope your sand/laterite works out - sounds nice!

I've got a sand / kitty litter mix topped with river pebbles in my 30 long, but I never got a chance to grow anything in it, as the goldfish that were wintering in it ate all my plants!

I'll be throwing out the sand and litter but will try to save the pebbles, and refilling with 3" of Profile when I rebuild it.

 

[Allivymar]

I hope it does too LOL The first of the order should be showing up end of the week. Yay!!! I can't wait to have some greenery (besides the currently lonely amazon sword baby) in with the black sand I purchased. And the dwarf gouramis that I picked up day before yesterday. And the cherry shrimp that should be arriving with the order. LOL

Btw, I think I deserve some credit for not answering the questions "What's on your bottom" with "My husband's hand"

 

[Guest]

Mostly fired clays, but one with soil/gravel.

Might as well break it down:

90, fluorite
45, soil/peat/gravel
25 hex, Schultz covered with play sand
25 long, Schultz covered with river sand

Oh yeah, 20 high Qauarantine tank, blue gravel!

 

[crocodylus]

50% Fluorite / 50% gravel on my 40G and 100% gravel on my 10G

 

[Pacu Man]

Natural Stone all the way its even cheaper then that regular gravel that comes in rainbows colours ( 8O )

 

[Vicshaw]

Who on earth would use regular dirt as substate and why?? 8O

 

[Guest]

Who on earth would use regular dirt as substate and why??

What do you think aquatic plants grow in in the wild? A wide variety of lake/stream/river bottoms, many with MUD!

Soil can be used, but it must be done carefully. Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, by Diana Walstad, is the best reference for explaining how and why this can be done.

My tank with soil gives me no problems, except for when moving plants, it does cloud up badly for several hours.

 

[Vicshaw]

oh!

Oh, I uncerstand now! IThought that the 'regular dirt' was the fish poo. Silly me!

 

[Guest]

IThought that the 'regular dirt' was the fish poo. Silly me!

Well, no, pure fish poo would be a disaster! hehehehehe

however, we generally don't vacuum up as much fish waste as non-planted tanks, leave it in for fertilizer, the plants use the nutrients.

 

[TankGirl]

I have one tank with sand and in that one I use root tabs, and another I have laterite with gravel, and the third planted just gravel. The laterite tank has the best results but the drawback is that it's benefit goes away over time, and after about a year you have to replace it or add root tabs as if it were plain gravel. I think Fluorite is a better choice as in our lifetimes it will not need to be replaced, but it too is expensive. A lot has been posted about kitty litter, and I have not tried that yet, but it is intriguing, and cost effective.

 

[bettagirl]

corvuscorax, I'm using the Ecology of the Planted Aquarium as my guide! Set up a 75 gal about 10 mos ago using potting soil and fine gravel as the substrate. I like the idea of a low-tech tank...we'll see how it does in the long term.