**Substrate**

[youngdiscus]

Is there anything too look for when buying a substrate, certain chems, ingredients.mixs etc..

I was planing on 2inchs soil with inch of sand ontop... Lots of bog wood, , and lightly/modertly planted:)

Can a tank be completly planted all at once, or should plants be added slowly?

Thank you cody

[phidelt85]

If you're using soil you want to make sure it isn't spiked with fertilizer; you just want regular unfertilized potting soil.

[Apistomaster]

I would try the natural soil in a set up you can afford to have go wrong.

You might consider Corallife Flora Base. It is safe and plants grow very well in it. Place other substrates over a layer. It can be used alone but it is expensive.

[midazolam]

look into soil master select from lesco. Don't expect the sand to stay on top though.

These are all things I've read over on the planted tank forum.

[Apistomaster]

I agree with you, Midozolam, and would add; don't expect the soil to stay in the bottom layer.

[phidelt85]

If you use soil ie. potting soil it will stay on the bottom of the sand layer as long as you don't have diggers. You only want to siphon along the top of the sand layer. Soilmaster select and sand don't go well together. I've had it and will end up mixed together.

[Discus-Hans]

I'm not sure or and were you can get them. In Holland I used pieces of peat, place the pieces in the earia, were you want your plants, under the sand. Those piece stay together and if you want to replace a plant you don't get a mess. If you use soil it will come trough your sand all the time.

Hans

[Apistomaster]

Hans,
That is an excellent idea. Here in the USA the fibrous peat sold for filters might serve the same purpose.

[phidelt85]

This is how I have my potted plants in my 125. I use the peat you can pick up at the hardware store and it's covered with pool filter sand. My radicans and amazon swords are growing like weeds in this substrate.

[Paula B]

Just one thing to be careful of, peat can stain your water a tea color and drop your ph. Its not a bad thing, but just an FYI. Please don't use potting soil, it is full of organics and they can rot and cause ammonia spikes in the tank. If you are going to use peat with sand over it, make absolutely sure you know where the plants will go (and think about how big they will get) because if you start pulling them up to move them you'll have a huge mess on your hands.