Converting Current Setup to a Planted Tank

[Ghillie115]

Hey, so I currently have a 55 gal setup. It has been slightly neglected for about a year because of college, but I want to start getting it back into shape. I only have two Clown Plecos in there right now.

What I want to do is start turning it into a low tech planted tank, and considering that my current substrate is gravel (approximately less then 0.5 cm in diameter) that has been with the tank since it has been established. So I'm looking into changing my substrate. I'm a little hesitant about doing a total change, since I dont want to loose all of the nitrifying bacteria in the substrate, and was thinking about taking out more then half the gravel, putting in a better substrate, then putting some of the gravel back on top. Any recommendations?

 

[TheSnailMan]

I've had good luck with the Walstad method. Basically just a layer of organic potting soil with a cap of gravel over it. Low light plants, no CO2.
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[TheSnailMan]

I've had good luck using the Walstad method. Basically just a layer of organic potting soil with a cap of gravel over it. Low light plants, no extra ferts, no CO2, daylight spectrum (6500k) bulb.

 

[Ghillie115]

I've had good luck using the Walstad method. Basically just a layer of organic potting soil with a cap of gravel over it. Low light plants, no extra ferts, no CO2, daylight spectrum (6500k) bulb.

That's actually the method I was looking at before. I might end up doing that but using my old gravel.

 

[Fresh2o]

I've had good luck with EcoComplete. It is inert so it will need root supplements at some point. Mine is not capped with gravel or other substrate. It is not too expensive and requires little to no rinsing.


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[Bert2oo1]

+1 for Eco complete, I use that with fourite under it. Works a treat. The bacteria in your filter should be enough to keep it cycled with a full gravel change.


30g planted, 90g Oscar tank

 

[fishenthusiast]

+2 for Eco-Complete. A great substrate for low tech. Crypts and Echinodorus love it. As Fresh mentioned, it'll eventually need root tab supplementation.

This is what my tank looked like a couple months ago. Eco-complete substrate, PPS-Pro, low light, and low CO2 (the tank has pressurized CO2, but on a low setting).



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[Ghillie115]

Another issue with my plans is that I'm going back up to college in 3 weeks, so I have to decide if I want to reset the tank now and then plant later or do it all at once later on

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