Need new substrate and look

[1977]

Not very experienced with planted tanks at all. I currently just use white gravel and it seems to work fine but I want a new look for a new tank.Please give me some ideas on what to use for substrate that is easily found. I like the look of sand white or brown but have no idea what is best for my plants and discus

[MonkeeFish]

Lowes all purposes sand works
it's white

[btlethom]

Has anyone tried the Flora base stuff? I've heard good things about it but its a little spendy.

[ChloroPhil]

What kind of plants do you keep now and/or plan on keeping in there? That can make a lot of difference in your choice of substrates.

Best,
Phil

[Paulio]

Good question Phil. FOr the most part I say you cant beat Flourite.

Paul

[1977]

I have amazon swords, java fern, and anubius which is all I plan on having. So from what Ive read on hear I understand that I'll need florite under the sand, is that correct? Also as far as vacuuming do you guys normally just skim the surface of the sand so as not to suck it up the vaccum or do you actually get down into the sand? Thanks for the help!

[ChloroPhil]

1977,

For our purposes Flourite is the best substrate. It doesn't require any amendments so we can vaccuum the hell out of it if desired/needed. Another similar substrate, Eco-complete, has come out recently and is supposed to be good too. I can't vouch for it myself, but from all accounts is a good alternative to Flourite.

The other viable option is gravel/medium grain sand with Laterite in the bottom 1/4. This is more of an option for those with fewer plants and/or less money to spend on Flourite.

As far as cleaning, I vaccuum lightly in and among my plants to suck up any mulm that may be sitting in areas I can reach. This is mostly an aesthetic thing, I don't like seeing bits of food floating around. In areas where there are no plants, usually the feeding zones, I'll give the substrate a good cleaning.

Best,
Phil

[JMIZ16]

I'm not a smart man but I know what plants need. FLOURITE is good enough on its own, it's actually excellent. Sand will just muckit up and be a pain to vacume. Besides , gravity should over time pull the sand to the bottom and have the larger particle on top( depends how often you mess with it)( punching in tabs, changing around plants and aquascaping)Sand also has no benefits. Die hard plant guys just vacume the surface and dont mess the substrate. Plants like it muddy. Try and draw a design you will like on paper first. If you keep changing it around in the tank your asking for trouble, most people cant resist. Good luck.
P.S. javas dont use a substrate. they grow like vines.

[discuskrib]

go to your local farm supply store and ask for "chicken grit" it's actually crushed quartz but it's most common use is for farmers to give to their chickens and turkeys to help them digest their food. "turkey grit" is a little larger and is alright for some anubias and java fern but overall the more finely crushed chicken grit is better cause your sword plants will also grow in it.

the color of the stuff i have is mostly white with a tiny bit of black pepperring in it. best stuff i've ever used.

[ChloroPhil]

GraniGrit is good too. It serves the same purpose but is a darker grey color. We use that at the greenhouse mixed with peat moss for our bog plants.

[JMIZ16]

Sorry DISCUSKRIB but I would have to go with phil on this one. Sounds like this chicken and turkey stuff should be left to the birds. White cruched quartz creates a very UN-natural look. Not to mention reflects a lot of light keeping shy fish in the weeds. If you go with Phils idea ,you are still going to need a supplement for you gravel( e.i. peat,laterite, humas, some kind of fert)

[JMIZ16]

The most common mistake made by beginners is to get the cheapest gravel they can find and a month later we ask ourselves why the plants are not growing well. A good quality substrate can be costly but will pay off in the end. All plants need a supply of Iron (Fe) to grow. Substrates such as Flourite and Eco-Complete provide a long lasting supply of Fe to the plants through the roots. While each of these products can be costly per bag to buy, it provides you the best start to growing nice plants. I personally have used both with great success. Plants "will" grow in your average aquarium gravel but the size of the gravel is very important. It needs to be a finer grain in size and it will also need to be fertilized to provide the nutrients to the plants. I would suggest a layer of peat and Laterite under regular aquarium gravel or sand to provide the Fe needed by the plants. When using this method you must take care not to disturb this layer over time. If it is disturbed and allowed to enter the water column you could create "nuisance algae" problems.

[gparr]

So what the "majority" of you guys are saying is that you can get by with just Flourite or Eco-Complete with no need for a top dressing of Gravel?

Gordon