A LOOK AT PLANTED TANK SUBSTRATES

[Guest ANTHONYRAE]

One of the biggest headaches for planted tank enthusiasts is choosing the right substrate. There is no 'best' substrate as each has advantages and disadvantages. So let's take a look at what is available.

NATURAL SAND AND GRAVEL

Inert sand and gravel can make a perfectly good starting point for any aquarist. My favourite quartz sand is from the Nepean River. Never use beach sand, always river sand. Fine rooted plants like Hc and Hairgrass will grow easily in sand. Their roots are able to make a tight grip in sand and in nature, they are usually found growing on the fine, silty edges of creeks and pools.

When choosing a gravel, go for a grain size around 2-4mm as this will allow roots to grow freely and also allow water to circulate through the root zone.

Quartz gravel is a good choice for people wanting to use Undergravel filters as it will not break down over time and clog the filter. Baby fish and shrimp will not get caught in these filters and cleaning with a gravel filter then topping with clean water achieves a water change and filter clean at the same time. Amendments such as Laterite are also suitable to provide food directly to the roots. The addition of Marble Chip will help avoid problems with Vallisneria, Swordplants, Aponogetons and most of the Cryptocorynes.

If you are planning to use only Mosses and Ferns, Natural Gravel is possibly the best choice.

MANUFACTURED SUBSTRATES

These are designed to provide a good media for heavily planted tanks. When you choose a brand of soil, I suggest you stick with the same brand of amendments and fertilizers since these are designed to compliment the substrate. People using these substrates will often spend a lot of time dosing, testing and adjusting their tanks. Good lighting and CO2 injection are necessary to achieve the best results.

DIY SUBSTRATES

Many people these days like to mix their own substrates. Diana Walstad has written articles and books with her findings on home made mixes. Well worth reading her material if you want to have a go. There is also a trend for some of the better aquarium outlets to provide their own specialty mix.

One of these is SMARTSOIL, designed by aquarists to make planted tanks easy. SMARTSOIL will help prevent ammonia spikes during set-up and contains a flocculant to quickly clear cloudy water when disturbing the substrate.

I welcome comments and positive input to the comments I have made here.

AR

[Gbang]

thanks heaps for the info anthony! i really appreciate it

[Guest Benny]

Great work AR! Updated your post format for easier reading.

[Dean]

very informative write up.

why dont you tell us a little more about the "Smart Soil" and where it can be purchased?

sounds like a winner :)

[NoGi]

Great stuff. I'll promote this into a library article if that's OK?

[Guest ANTHONYRAE]

Wow,thanks guys....you're a bunch of Flatterers.Nogi I would be honored to have my post used as a library article....thank you.

Dean,this is very kind of you....I will start another thread called SMARTSOIL so it is easy to identify.

[Jag Aquatics]

Wow' date='thanks guys....you're a bunch of Flatterers.Nogi I would be honored to have my post used as a library article....thank you.

Dean,this is very kind of you....I will start another thread called SMARTSOIL so it is easy to identify.[/quote']

I used smart soil and no doubt it works and do exactly what Anthony mentioned.

Great to see you Anthony on this forum :)

[Guest ANTHONYRAE]

Thanks my friend.I couldn't ask for a better testimonial than yours. PS.Give me your bank details and I'll deposit your bribe asap.wink