# Help - My First Planted Tank



## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Hi everyone,
I have recently purchased a used 75 gallon tank which I want to make my first planted tank. I've had aquariums before but not planted. The tank sizes are 48"x19"x19". I have found a specific aquascape online which I want to mimic in my tank. I have attached a picture of the aquascape to this post. The plants I am planning to use are: Dwarf Hairgrass, Valisneria Nana, Anubias Nana, Amazon Sword, Java Moss and maybe some other plants.
My dilema is I can't decide what king of substrate/soil to put in the tank. I want the tank to be low tech and to last a longer time, maybe up to 5 years?

I was initially thinking to put as bottom layer a mix of EcoComplete, ADA AquaSoil and Crushed Lava Rock (especially for the hilly parts), then the top layer just clean EcoComplete substrate and sand for the foreground and middle ground.

What do you guys think will suit better considering my tank and plants? I am really afraid to fail and waste a lot of money. 😞


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Welcome!

That is a lovely aquascape to emulate! 

To my eye the substrate in that aquascape is some kind of coarse sand. With bits of rock mixed in plus larger rocks making up the hills.

If you were to replace the sand with ecocomplete and ada aquasoil you would definitely be looking at hundreds of dollars in substrate. You could go that route but a more cost effective way would be to use some kind of coarse sand. Find a landscaping supplier near you and go looking. You should be able to pick up rocks there as well. Ecocomplete is an inert substrate so it's no different than sand. The ada aquasoil is an active substrate so it has nutrients in it but those will be gone in 1-2 years in a tank planted like the one you wish to emulate. Most people here dose fertilizer into the water and use inert substrate especially for larger aquariums with elevations. The cost is too prohibited otherwise and it's easier to control what plants get that way.

Definitely watch a bunch of aquascaping videos on YouTube before starting as that will really help you figure out how to proceed. 

The only other thing that jumps out at me about your plant list is the Anubis Nana. The scape you want to emulate has a decent amount of it and it's probably the priciest plant on your list. It doesn't grow quickly so you would basically need to buy a lot of it. Everything else you could buy a little and propagate or is relatively cheap. I would recommend buying only a little of the Nana to start off, see how it does and buy more a little at a time to fill in places you want it. It is all tied or glued to stone pieces most likely so you could do that later and add it in wherever.

Just my two cents.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Hi minorhero,
Thank you for your reply. Looks like you didn't fully understand what I am trying to do regarding the substrate.
I am planning to buy about 2 bags 20lb each of EcoComplete which goes for about 20$ on Amazon, then I am going to buy one bag of lava rock from HomeDeopot which is only 5$ and one bag of ADA Amazonia which is about 30$. I am planning to make the two hills in the hardscape out of two mesh bags filled with lava rock then I am going to crush the remaining lava rock into small rocks about 1/2" and mix it with one bag of EcoComplete and one bag of ADA and make the bottom substrate out of it. Then I am going to take the remaining EcoComplete bag and put it on top of the previous layer, then I am going to cap it all with sand like you see in the picture.
The sand alone doesn't have any nutrients but the EcoComplete is supposed to have some nutrients and minerals good for plants. The ADA bag is supposed to add nutrients to the substrate, at least in the beginning for plants to settle. I also want to add ADA because it leaches Ammonia in the beginning so it will help to kick start the Nitrogen cycle. The lava rock in the mix is more for filling, to add some CEC value to the substrate and it is also good for bacteria.

Do you see any problems with my planned substrate?


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> Do you see any problems with my planned substrate?


I see lots "on the go" with that plan.

1) Eco-Complete is virtually crushed lava rock. Eco-complete does not contain any significant amounts of plant available nutrients. Eco-complete does not have a high CEC. 
2) Lava rock does not have a high CEC. It has deep pores capable of de-nitrification (anoxic zones).
3) ADA soil will buffer your waters pH, and should be used with gH boosted 100% RO or 100% distilled water. It does have higher CEC and contains nutrients, but that is no excuse to skip a water column dosing regime. 
4) All these layers will mix eventually, and the sand will work its way to the bottom. It will be a real mess after a few months.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

I see your point about the sand sinking to the bottom.

What would you recommend then? 

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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Buceplant has a really nice sand called "Natural Sand" that would be very close to the look in that aquascape design. 

https://buceplant.com/products/natural-sand?variant=3582364647464


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

So, you guys suggest using sand alone? Are plants Ok with sand? Sand doesn't have any nutrients for plants what will they feed onto? 
How will I make up the hills out of sand?

This completely blows me away.


What if I do something like this? : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJDgMFcaBQ
Potting soil capped with sand?


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> So, you guys suggest using sand alone? Are plants Ok with sand? Sand doesn't have any nutrients for plants what will they feed onto?
> How will I make up the hills out of sand?
> 
> This completely blows me away.
> ...


Potting soil / Backyard soil or ADA style active substrates are the only nutrient rich substrates. Eco-Complete / Flourite etc. contain no nutrients. They will eventually mix.... and pulling up any plant will result in a mess of soil / organics being brought up into the water column.

Many of the most successful tanks you will see on here use 100% inert sand / Eco-Cmplete / Fluorite and dose the water column only. 


My vote, 100% sand or a finer inert gravel. 

Black DIamond Blasting sand, pool filter sand, silica sand, quartz sand etc. are the most popular options.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Ok, I am fine with sand. Sand is not very expesive and it looks good, especially considering my aquascape is mostly sand. I just thought there is some sort of soil under that sand. It will be tricky to do the hills but I will come up with something.

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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Considering I have a 100% sand substrate, what fertilizers would you guys recommend me? For start up and then for maintaining the plants. 

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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> Considering I have a 100% sand substrate, what fertilizers would you guys recommend me? For start up and then for maintaining the plants.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk



Us substrate supports (google them) to build hills with sand. 

I suggest DIY fertilizers. 

KNO3 - For NO3 and K
KH2PO4 - For PO4 and K
K2SO4 - For additional K (may not be required)

CSM+B for micro's
DTPA 11% Iron if your pH is above 7.0

You can use Flourish Comprehensive + Flourish Trace for micro's as well. No additional Iron needed. 

You might also want to pick up some CaSo4 and MgSO4 for Ca and Mg if your gH is low... 

Or, skip all that and use Thrive - But you are limited to the quantities / ratios of Thrive.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Quagulator,

Huh, this looks like Chinese to me right now. I guess I will stick with Thrive for now. 

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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

[email protected] said:


> Huh, this looks like Chinese to me right now. I guess I will stick with Thrive for now.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


The fertilizer stuff gets super deep super quick. I have been very regular on this forum for the past couple of months and I am almost completely lost with what to do and when.

Since this will be a low tech tank you might want to try NilocG Aquatics ThriveC. The "C" is for carbon because it has a liquid carbon component. (I am assuming you do not plan to run CO2?)

What do you plan to do for filtration and lights? Lights can end up being its own crazy rabbit hole. But it doesn't have to be if you use an off the shelf option. Since you want a dwarf hairgrass carpet you will need a decent lighting solution and of course a timer.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

minorhero said:


> The fertilizer stuff gets super deep super quick. I have been very regular on this forum for the past couple of months and I am almost completely lost with what to do and when.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Minorhero,

For filtration I bought two (2) SunSun 402B https://www.teich-tip.de/sunsun-aquarium-fish-tank-external-canister-filter-1000-9w-uv-402b.html

For lighting I am planing to buy the Koval 45" LED light fixture and a timer. https://kovalinc.com/products/led-aquarium-lighting-78-129-156-leds?variant=48626845958

Filter media: Lava Rock only

I don't plan to add CO2 in the beginning but I might consider a DIY CO2 system based on Citric Acid and Baking soda in the future.

How about adding some CEC value to my sand substrate? Can I mix the bottom layer with other substrate that has a higher CEC value? Will it add any benefits? If Yes, what should I use?


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> Huh, this looks like Chinese to me right now. I guess I will stick with Thrive for now.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


Lol! So true! That still looks like Chinese to me after a year of having a low-tech set-up with plants myself.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Adding things like clay or clay based products (kitty litter springs to mind) can add cec but its not needed to grow lush healthy plants. Balancing nutrients, plants, and light is everything. The nutrients will come from your fish (if you have fish) and fertilizers. You don't need clay for this. 

I am not familiar with your light or lights in general to comment on it. If you have seen people growing similar plants with this light in similar sized tanks than its probably fine. I didn't notice on that website any mention of par values or cri which would be a nonstarter if it was my tank. But it is significantly cheaper than a fluval 3.0 which seems like the popular off the shelf choice these days so /shrug.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## KZB (Jan 3, 2018)

+1 on inert substrate. Others maybe not agree.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

I looked pretty hard at pea gravel from home Depot when researching substrate. It's 3/8" which is around 9mm. Ideal size for plants is around 2-3mm. While you will find that size in the bag it won't be the majority or even a sizeable minority. To put 2 inches of substrate down you need about .86 cubic feet. With elevations made of rock with substrate over top call it 1 cubic foot. More if elevations are made only of substrate. A bag of pea gravel contains .5 cubic feet. So you would need two to cover your tank if you used everything. To get the right size substrate of 2-3mm you might need 10 bags.. maybe 20. Not sure but you would spend days sifting the stuff. 

This is why I recommend going to a landscaping supplier. You will get everything you need in one place for extremely little money and you won't need to sift through hundreds of pounds of substrate.


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

@[email protected] 
I've been using this sand pretty exclusively for a while now in several tanks. It's clean and requires minimal rinsing, it's white, and it provides great contrast for plants and fish and, in my opinon, looks lovely. 
https://www.intheswim.com/p/pool-filter-sand

Here's another option if you'd prefer something more along the lines of the sand you posted a photo of. Haven't worked with this one, but others have and it's pretty popular. 
https://www.acehardware.com/departm...pa-and-supplies/swimming-pool-equipment/83029

Stick to 100% inert, don't mix. I've tried mixing stuff a couple times, and it can be made to work, but it has never panned out well for me and at some point, things start to mix. It doesn't look real good when your aqua soil balls start to show up on your nice white sand, I can tell ya that haha.

For low tech dosing, an all in one like ThriveC should be fine. If you want to tinker with DIY ferts, you can pickup an EI fertilizer packet from nilocg.com or greenleafaquariums.com (GLA). I like GLA's fert jars vs bags, so I buy those and then buy bags to refill them over time. Lots of info can be found on this forum about dosing low tech, but many here can offer you helpful tips and advice. I'm strictly high tech, so I'm not one of those people. Just wanted to chime in with some good sand options for ya and advise against mixing substrates.


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

I'd also add - you need to look at a different light. That LED is going to be severely lacking in a 21" deep tank. The total wattage of the LED's is 19 watts, which is nothing for a 75 gallon. You're going to have a very dark tank. I'd look into a Fluval 3.0 - it's very customizable, and though it has a much higher price tag, you're getting a lot more for your money. Look into it, see what you think. The 48" has just over 3x the wattage of the Koval, and cost about 3x as much...but again, vastly superior light. It's waterproof and has a 3 year warranty to boot.

@jeffkrol should be able to provide other options for a tank your size.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> Minorhero,
> Thanks a lot for your input.
> 
> Regarding the pea gravel, I guess you might be right. I haven't gotten a real close look at the bag yet. I am going to go to HomeDepot this weekend and check it out. I will also try to check on some landscaping companies around the town but I have a gut feeling they won't have 2-3mm size pea gravel either. Also I am afraid they won't be happy with me looking for just a bag or two since they usually sell this stuff in bulk.
> ...


Even 2x Koval =/= the Fluval 3.0. The Fluval will give you the ability to customize the light spectrum and intensity, and again has 3x the output. You can set sunrise and sunset as well so it ramps up and down. Totally up to you what you want to do, just offering my two cents here, but I think you're going to be very disappointed with that Koval. I've had a very similar BeamsWork light, it was garbage unfortunately.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

You really don't want gravel so much as coarse sand. Check out the landscaping supply, you will probably be pleasantly surprised so long as they are well stocked. You will need to wash the sand but that's better than sifting. 

Don't skimp on the light if you want a good looking tank. If the plants aren't getting enough light and the right type of light than they won't grow well and you won't be happy with the tank. Buy a proven solution. Also, you measure from the light to the substrate not from the water line. Light spreads out over distance so the few inches the light stand adds matters.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

OK, if I end up saving on the substrate I will spend more on the light.

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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> OK, if I end up saving on the substrate I will spend more on the light.


Exactly, saving money on substrate is the best way to allocate cash to something that will have a way better impact on tank health - Lighting, CO2 etc. 

Put the money in to where you will see the most value.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Gentleman,
I visited a bunch of landscaping companies around the town today and had no luck. They all carry pretty much same stuff. The best sand I could find was the white masonary sand. It's coarse and has good texture but it's white... No one carries yellow brownish sand. I am falling back to pea gravel from HomeDepot... 

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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

I am interested to know how this works for you please keep us informed!

Another idea is stones fed to chickens. They call it chicken grit. A good farm supply store will sell it. Chickens eat small stones when given a chance because they aid in their digestion. I have never tried it myself but there are reports on this forum of folks having good luck with it and it is exceptionally cheap. If you decide the pea gravel is a no go then you could try this as another option.

It is also possible to go finer than the grit used in your posted tank and just use straight sand. Something like play sand works well. Lots of folks use this as their substrate of choice. You need to gravel vac it differently but it grows plants just fine.

No matter what you will want substrate supports (purchased or home made) for the hills.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

The HomeDepot pea gravel in reality doesn't look like in the picture. It's not yello brown, its mostly black and its too coarse. No good...

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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

*I think this looks good! *


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

I dropped some Nitrate test solution on it and it doesn't react.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

minorhero said:


> I am interested to know how this works for you please keep us informed!
> 
> Another idea is stones fed to chickens. They call it chicken grit. A good farm supply store will sell it. Chickens eat small stones when given a chance because they aid in their digestion. I have never tried it myself but there are reports on this forum of folks having good luck with it and it is exceptionally cheap. If you decide the pea gravel is a no go then you could try this as another option.
> 
> ...


I will keep you guys posted for sure  

Regarding vacuuming the substrate, I don't think this will be possible at all for me since it's going to be carpeted with Dwarf Hairgrass. 

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## Desert Pupfish (May 6, 2019)

Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants

Bump: Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants

Bump: Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

Desert Pupfish said:


> Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants
> 
> Bump: Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants
> 
> Bump: Have you considered SafeTsorb? It has the high CEC ratio you said you were looking for, and is cheap: >$7 for 40 lbs at Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight. I'm using it in my new tank, and like it a lot--as do my plants


Can you show me a picture of how it looks like? Color, texture, grain size? 

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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

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## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

[email protected] said:


> Can you show me a picture of how it looks like? Color, texture, grain size?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


There is also turface which is also calcined clay. 

You lay down clay/saftsorb, lightly pepper it with some coco peat for hint of organic matter as you build it up, keeping it pulled away from outside glass so you don’t see it. 1/2” thick at low areas, deeper for higher. Then you cap it all with sand. Use some cheap clear corrugated plastic and pvc cement if you need to build retainer walls.

Like this you don’t see anything but sand. It will give a nice long lived substrate. I would pre-soak clay in mild fert/nutrient solution for couple days ahead of time. Then any future water column dosing will keep it up if *tank circulation is setup properly*.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Mesh 30 is finer then is ideal but it will work to grow plants. People use pool filter sand and play sound quite often and get good results. There are a LOT of options available to you. If you like the sand you bought then your done. You can dress it up as others say or use other options entirely.


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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

*update*



minorhero said:


> Mesh 30 is finer then is ideal but it will work to grow plants. People use pool filter sand and play sound quite often and get good results. There are a LOT of options available to you. If you like the sand you bought then your done. You can dress it up as others say or use other options entirely.


So, I found a company down in San Carlos that sells 2/16 mesh Cemex sand for about 16$ for 100lb bag.
I think 2/16 should be pretty much perfect grains size for plants.
I need to plan a ride to San Carlos since it's about 130 miles away from Sacramento...


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## [email protected]mail.com (May 22, 2019)

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## [email protected] (May 22, 2019)

It's Ok, I will figure it out. 

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