Live Plants with pool filter sand?

[xschug3]

I was told that live plants will not grow in pool filter sand as a substrate....is this true?

I haven't tried putting any live plants in my tank but I went with the PFS because I love the natural look that it gives. I'd really like to have live plants in my tank and definitely don't want to dismantle to the tank to change the substrate.

I have 2 54watt T5HO 6700K 48" long bulbs and I do not plan on doing CO2 injection. I would dose periodically if it's necessary.
Any help and advice from people who are having results with plants and PFS would be greatly appreciated!

[Vieira]

Sand is not good for plant because it suffocates the roots.

[DiscusBR]

I have a low-light 80g tank with no CO2 and my anubias lanceolatas are doing very well in my PFS substrate.

[Larry Bugg]

Please don't tell my plants that they aren't supposed to grow in this stuff.........................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gegb3...ature=youtu.be

[rbarn]

^^lol, if you call that "growing".

Pool filter sand has zero nutrients. Some aquarium plants get most of their nutrients out of the water - anubias for example
some plants feed heavily from their roots - most swords. and some from both water and roots - most stem plants.

A good way to offset this is to do a thin 3/4" layer of mineralized top soil under a 2" topping of sand and dose the water column with ferts.

Stick with some anubias style plants and if you really want swords use root fert tabs shoved down into the sand next to the plant's roots. As long as you dose the water column they should do fine.

[Larry Bugg]

"lol" That was pretty rude!!

All substrates eventually end up with zero nutrients. Then you have to either replace it or add nutrients. That said, there is no reason one can't start out adding the nutrients to a substrate like pfs. My intent is not to have great rapid growth of my plants. They aren't planted tanks for the sake of plants but rather the fish breeding in them. Very low light and slow growth. That is all I need in this case. I have done the high light pressurized Co2......not the intent here. Thanks!!

The point is you can indeed grow plants in pool filter sand if that is the substrate you really want. I take a very easy approach with mine but one could go with higher light, Co2 and fert dosing and end up with a very nice planted tank.

[rbarn]

"lol" That was pretty rude!!

lol, I work in the construction industry where ball busting is a fine art and honed razor sharp.

[Larry Bugg]

lol, I work in the construction industry where ball busting is a fine art and honed razor sharp.

Good for you. I didn't appreciate it! That was no "fine art". You could have gotten your point across without making a joke of my tanks.

[Len]

Good job getting yours to grow in PFS. When I went from using flourite to PFS, my plants just withered and rotted My mistake was most likely not using root tabs, but oh well, live and learn.

[discuspaul]

"lol" That was pretty rude!!

All substrates eventually end up with zero nutrients. Then you have to either replace it or add nutrients. That said, there is no reason one can't start out adding the nutrients to a substrate like pfs. My intent is not to have great rapid growth of my plants. They aren't planted tanks for the sake of plants but rather the fish breeding in them. Very low light and slow growth. That is all I need in this case. I have done the high light pressurized Co2......not the intent here. Thanks!!

The point is you can indeed grow plants in pool filter sand if that is the substrate you really want. I take a very easy approach with mine but one could go with higher light, Co2 and fert dosing and end up with a very nice planted tank.

Way to go Larry, and Mauro, and others too, I'm sure ! I fully agree with you.

I sure as heck don't know why some people are negative about growing plants in pool filter sand - all you need do is add some root tab ferts, and they do great......... Maybe it's because some folks don't know how to use it.

I'd like to add a couple of sets of pics of my planted discus tanks, using PFS, to give some idea of how well pfs can do the job.
I wouldn't use anything else in a discus tank - I swear by it & think it looks as good, and does as good a job, as any other substrate:

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/...3RedSnakeSkins
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/...spaul/Sept2011

[Len]

Those look quite nice. Can you name some of the plants you're using?

[Larry Bugg]

Beautiful tanks!! Thanks for sharing them with us.

[discuspaul]

Sure -
Echinodorus (all types of swords); Anubias; Java Ferns; Hygrophilas; Ludwigias; Crypts; Jumbo Vals; Lotuses (Nymphaeas); Rotalas; Bacopas; Limnophilas; & Sags, among others that do well in PFS. and at the higher discus temps.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

My planted tank had a 3" base of pool filter sand and they thrived. The sand is a bit more coarse than other sand which allows "most" roots to travel.

[rbarn]

Good for you. I didn't appreciate it! That was no "fine art". You could have gotten your point across without making a joke of my tanks.

toughen up bunky, you take yourself and your tanks way too seriously.