I rinsed my substrate. Now what?

[Hawkins409]

When I first converted my tank to a planted aquarium, I bought CaribSea Floramax substrate (black). I read reviews by several people who said that it makes your tank cloudy and that you need to rinse it several times before using it. I did that. When buying plants, I learned that was a big mistake and I had bad advice: those fine particles contain necessary nutrients for the plants and help the roots, I was told.

My first attempt at plants failed, but probably for a lot more reasons than just substrate. This time I'm trying really hard to do everything right.

Is there anything I can do to improve my substrate since u cant undo the fact that i rinsed it? Can i Crush some of it? Add more substrate to it? Do I have to replace it? Add something else to it?

 

[aqua_chem]

You're fine. You almost have to wash flourite, else your tank will cloud up something horrible, and fine dust will coat your tank for along time. I've always washed my flourite extensively before use.

Also, if you haven't learned it already, its important to note that lfs people often know next to nothing about plants.

 

[Wade91789]

I have the same substrate.. I'm having a problem with my plants I had a money wort that rotted from the bottom up?

 

[Hawkins409]

Thanks aqua-chem. Yeah, it is hard to get reliable information about growing aquatic plants locally. AA helps, at least here I can find people who are trying some of the same things.

My plants aren't thriving, they just seem to be doing nothing. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with a green hair algae problem. I have a lot to learn.

 

[Hawkins409]

Wish I could help you Wade. I guess it's not the substrate...?

 

[Sunnystang]

Hawkins, you sound like me. After 30yrs I'm trying live plants and its been along 5 months. At first I had algae, algae, and more algae. It's getting better. Different plants, lighting, lighting times, and CO2 injections. I'm not giving up being its something I've always wanted to try.

 

[Hawkins409]

Yes Sunny, I feel like I'm working on a three legged stool to try to make it level: 1. Light, 2. Ferts and 3. CO2. If things aren't balanced, algae grows and my plants don't. I'm chopping those legs, putting them back on, and trying my best to get it balanced. But it's frustrating.

 

[Wade91789]

Ya I don't think it's the substrate. I have a coralife t5 light so I'm thinkin my next step will be a CO2 system.. I love the look of live plants lol I'm goin on 3 months with mine right now

 

[Sunnystang]

I went to my LFS like a week ago and the one person that knows live plants was working. He turned me onto some hearty plants instead of the ones the worker a few weeks ago sold me. I planted them and have been using the "Jungle fizz factory." These plants are super green and growing. My algae problems are minor and barely noticeable. They called me yesterday and my plant food is in, and I'm going to order a 6500k bulb and continue to use the 10000k.

 

[jetajockey]

One thing to keep in mind that floramax, ecocomplete, etc are not all inclusive substrates. They do have some nutrients in them initially but you still need to fertilize the tank. Their purpose primarily is their ability to hold nutrients and make them available for plants.

 

[Wade91789]

One thing to keep in mind that floramax, ecocomplete, etc are not all inclusive substrates. They do have some nutrients in them initially but you still need to fertilize the tank. Their purpose primarily is their ability to hold nutrients and make them available for plants.

True. I also dose with Seachem flourish and Seachem flourish excel should I add something else?

 

[Hawkins409]

Okay, in case someone comes back to read this discussion because they had the same question I did, what I've learned from this is this: its okay to rinse Floramax substrate, you almost have to do so in order to keep from clouding up the water, so in hindsight, maybe lightly rinsing it is the way to go. Floramax is not an all inclusive substrate, it has some nutrients in it initially. To the extent people question rinsing because it might rinse out some of the nutrients which come initially with the substrate, you are going to have to continue to fertilize anyway.