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On every tank, no matter the size.

I can't vote because I have an inch or less of eco complete. My root feeders also look great and my amazon sword has tripled it's size in a month. I have giant crypts and all my plants grow wonderfully. The only reason I'd increase the substrate depth is because it's hard to get new plants to stay planted and even older plants are easily pulled up. I think the success of my planted tanks are due to the amount of applesnails I keep. The snails eat dying leaves, left over food, dead fish.. whatever they can get. They also don't digest their food very well leaving nice snacks for tiny critters(infusoria) and plant roots.

Voted for: No UGF - 2 inches

The plants in the substrate:
jungle val
anubias
java fern (growing a little before attaching it to driftwod)
2 crypts
amazon sword

All the above listed plants are in about 2 inches of gravel. The only exception is the sword, which is in about 4 inches. When I planted it, I built up a mound and planted it that way.

My tank is still a work and progress and SOMEDAY I will change out that hideous gravel for plant substrate.

><>Dani<><

About 2 inches, and 4 inches on the sides where I have plants with thicker roots. Could be the reason my plants are not doing too well.

about 3 inches in the back, slopes down to about 1" in the front.....sorry but I think 4" is a bit much might just be because I keep smaller tanks......if you have 4" of gravel on a 10 gallon tank, there goes half of your water volume

oh yeah.....I forgot to say I use plain black aquarium gravel over laterite and root tabs on one planted tank, sand on another, betta tanks have plain gravel with a generous dose of betta poo fertilizing them, maybe a root tab if needed.

Last edited by Gold Digger at 13-Apr-2005 08:38

3 inches river rock pea gravel, minor slope to the front.

Added Corkscrew Vals a week ago, and Dwarf Sag and Wisteria on Sunday. Vals producing runners already
although my lights are about 2 years old now.

Right now I'm lookin at the tank thinkin... Too small.

Last edited by DaFishMan at 12-Apr-2005 21:56

The Amazon Nut...

it's between 3-4 inches, i'm just guessing and saying it's about 3 inches in most parts of the tank.

I have java fern, planted on rocks and in the substrate.

And my substrate is that marine shell grit (i think thats right)

around 2-3" more than 2" tho. plants grow great.

Both tanks are about 2.5", no UGF.

One tank is 100% Flourite, crypts, aquatic clover, Water Sprite, and one baby Java Fern (on driftwood). Flourite is basically in waves throught he whole tank, higher around the water sprite that I finally managed to plant.

The other is a sand/pea gravel mix, Java Fern galore and one bronze wendtii. Mix is even, fine for the one Wendtii, and one floating water sprite.

No UGF - 3 inches

Two tanks are all gravel, another all Flourite, the rest are a gravel/Flourite combo.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

no undergravel filter, running about 3 inches of fine gravel in the ten gallon tank. swords are doing extremely well there, today I had to transplant some over to the 29'. no ugf in there either but running about 2.5 in there to 3.5 around the plants, which are doing well but not as well as the 10

Sorry for two posts on the subject (deleted the last one when I accidentally hit the enter key and posted it before it was done....and, there was no editing)

I just want to know how deep you have your substrate in your planted tank. I also want to compare those who are using UGF's to those who are not.

Please talk about your substrate and list your plants.

Is most of the tank covered, or just spots. Do you vary your depth?

Your answer should reflect your primary base, less any hills/valleys you create.

About 2 inches in the back where I have the plants...however I have a feeling that the lower substrate level is one of the reasons why I have limited plant growth. My argument for this is that I have one container that has 4" of substrate in it. The rotala that's planted in there has been doing excellent. The pieces that are trimmed and placed in the more shallow substrate havent' been growing as well...granted they do need time to establish their roots but...

Anyway I'm working on increasing the depth. I'm using landscaping pea gravel from home depot and shultz's aquatic plant soil.

^_^[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"

About 4 inches of eco-complet

I have 2 inchs of natural black gravel in both my planted tanks. Seem quite easy to plant my plants than before with 1 inch of gravel.

About 4" in the most heavily planted tank, a bit less in the sparser tanks. No UGFs, certainly!

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

4 inches easily in the back, could be more even, about 2 - 3 inches in the front. I used to have less in the front, but the wriggling in the substrate of the cories and gravity caused a bit of movement towards the front

In my ten, I'm at about 2.5", so I'll vote three. My other tanks are either 1" or less, many bare bottomed.

Erm... No option for "other".

My substrate is about 1 inch I'd say, looking at a ruler. Maybe 1.5". Are you guys really serious about that depth, or are you not looking at your rulers or something? 4" inches is a lot!

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

no ugf, 4"

50/50 Flourite base/pea gravel, no variation in depth. I found that anything less was hard to keep the plants in. I have anubias nana, Green hygro, crypt wendtii green, chain swords, a rubin sword, and rotala indica. These plants cover most of the tank, but leave good swimming area for my angels.

Last edited by mattyboombatty at 29-Mar-2005 00:34

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