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Hi All...


I want to improve my substrate, so i can better hold down plants and provide nutrients to the roots.

At the moment i have a polished black gravel substrate. They almost look like they are sealed with something which is starting to come off. whilst i supose i would be ok getting rid of the current stuff i don't want to be spending to much on the substrate, and it apears to get very expensive.

I would like at least 1 inch to 1.75 inch in substrate. I have one light a 30 watt light the tank is 36 inch by 12 inch. The tank has about 1w/g, and no C02 so i will only be using low to mid light plants.

Please help me with the following:

Suggestions on substrates and or mixes that would be ecconomical.

Advice on how i clean substrates or don't i vac the substrate if it isn't gravel?

Any other suggestions welcomed.

For plants you need at least three inches of substrate and swords need about 4, they get massive root systems.
You don't need to switch to a more expensive substrate like eco-complete, most plants adopt to taking nutrients in thru their leaves. A 1-3 mm natural gravel substrate would be good for you, I buy Geosystems natural gravel, they have different gravel for each region of the world, tetras from the Amazon, cichlids from Africa etc. It still needs rinsing but it looks very nice and natural in the tank and the plants seem to like it as it contains some of the trace minerals they need. The Geosystems line is a new line from Hagen, it is a very good quality line without costing an arm and a leg, although it may cost more than the fake stuff.

You still vac the substrate, with finer stuff you are a bit more careful with the siphon than with the larger stuff, with plants in the tank you only need to vac the unplanted areas most of the time and just get into the planted areas very carefully so as to not damage the roots of the plants.

Have you chosen your plants yet? If not might I suggest java fern, crypts, java moss, anubias nana petite, corkscrew vals or water onion for height. The nice thing about these are they are all low-light plants, they all look nice together and they need very little fussing over. You will need to add iron and potassium and some excel to keep algae down and provide the carbon, the fish tend to provide the nitrogen, and phosphorus, you just need to worry about the rest. Oh and trace minerals once a month, these often come in during the water change as well, but to be sure look for a good formula like Flourish Trace of Tropica Master Grow.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Hi, If you are going for less demanding plants and less light, you won't need a very rich susbtrate like fluorite or eco complete, i only use fine pea gravel on my tanks and i';m happy with it, great bacterial bbed, easy to vacum clean, and cheap!

I don't think you'll need extra ferts for it either, the waste produced by the fish will be more than enough for your plants, and if you ever see signs of plant mal nutrition, you can add liquid ferts.