Plants and Sand?

[octember123]

I have a 20 gallon aquarium. I want to put live plants in it. I don't know if the plants grow well in the sand. Should I use some kind of fertilizer like Seachem Flourite? Or can the plants survive just in the sand? If they can survive in the sand, how much sand would be appropriate for the plants?

 

[CherryBarb123]

It really depends on what plants you are keeping. Most plants will grow better with a plant substrate, but it is not always required. If you list what plants you are wanting to keep and other details about liquid ferts etc, it will be easier to say. Overall, most plants will grow better, and most plants need it, some plants don't.

 

[octember123]

I just ordered dwarf hairgrass and myriophyllum i'm trying to get prepared for their arrival

 

[rkilling1]

You can grow pretty much everything. Here is one of my tanks when I had sand in it:

 

[octember123]

You don't have any plant substrate? just sand? how about your CO2?

 

[rkilling1]

You don't have any plant substrate? just sand? how about your CO2?

That's just plain Pool Filter Sand. Nothing was added that would be benefical to the plants. IE no root tabs, no clay, etc

I run high light setups, so I have to have CO2. I posted that pic to show you that you don't NEED a nutrient rich substrate to grow plants. Right now I am in the middle of cleaning some PFS to replace my 'plant substrate' that I put in many years ago.

 

[Coursair]

I have sand with DIY root tabs. Mine grows great. No CO2 but I do use liquid ferts.

 

[rkilling1]

I have grown many (probably in the hundreds) different plant species with that setup and NEVER had a an issue.

 

[Silverton]

You can grow pretty much everything. Here is one of my tanks when I had sand in it:

Wow! That's amazing!