# Aquatic soil/gravel mixture substrate experiences?



## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Cheapest.. Next to sand, yes, absolutely.

The best? Probably not. Aquarium gravel has a very low CEC rating and has very minimal ability to actually bind nutrients near the roots of the plants. Once the gravel has become well seeded with mulm then the mulm itself can compensate for the gravels inadequecies. 

Aquatic soil is pretty good however, especially if it contains the right clays. It has a pretty high CEC rating and does what its supposed to do.

The only problem in layered substrates like this is that things get mixed up pretty easily over time. I fyou are the kind of person (like myself) who likes to plants and replant quite often you will find your substrate gets pretty stirred up. Digging fish and snails can also compound this problem.

In short, yes you can grow plants with this set up. But I do see a couple of minor problems you will want to consider.

1.) You will need a LOT of DIY bottles to generate any appreciable amount of CO2 in a tank this big. I really wouldnt recomend this option at all, compressed CO2 would be a better way to go (unless you are willing to run a half dozen or so DIY setups)

2.) If you do Add CO2 you will need to modify or replace your HOB filters to reduce your suface agitation, especially if you are only using DIY.


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

Okay, so what would be the NEXT cheapest aquarium substrate for plants (and safe for cories), to cover a 100g tank?


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

wonder woman said:


> Okay, so what would be the NEXT cheapest aquarium substrate for plants (and safe for cories), to cover a 100g tank?


I did a mix of about 30% flourite and 70% sand in my 120g tank and am very happy with the results and it didnt cost two much... 

my 2 cents
Jason


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## Dean (Nov 12, 2003)

Jason, do you have any pictures of your tank? And do you find that the sand finds its way to the bottom of the tank?


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

Me too!
But, I've heard that the sand compacts, and makes root growth difficult. Do you have this problem?


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

Dean said:


> Jason, do you have any pictures of your tank? And do you find that the sand finds its way to the bottom of the tank?


Check out http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2671

No not really... There is some settleing... but it seems the sand stays on top..... for the most part....


Jason


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

I'll have to admit, it does look really nice. And your cories must be really happy on it. Maybe if I can find black sand somewhere cheap...where did you get yours, and was it expensive?


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

wonder woman said:


> I'll have to admit, it does look really nice. And your cories must be really happy on it. Maybe if I can find black sand somewhere cheap...where did you get yours, and was it expensive?


The cories do love it, as do my loaches... I got it at home depot for $1.98 for a 50lb bag... There is two bags in the tank.


Jason


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

Can't beat that. Wonder if they have darker colored sand. Do you ever get sand in your filter?


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## wellbiz (Aug 6, 2003)

wonder woman said:


> Can't beat that. Wonder if they have darker colored sand. Do you ever get sand in your filter?


No sand in the filter, my pick up tubes are up about 5 inches from the bottom.... 

Never seen the cheap stuff in any other color that is darker.... You have to watch some sand as it can effect your water chemistry... If you want darker sand try some landscape suppliers they might have it... The only other possiblity its Tahitian Moon sand which is black, but pricey. But I alway suggest adding a little to a bucket and letting it sit for a few days and see if it changes your Ph, Kh, Gh..... It shouldn't  

Jason


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

I do get sand in my filters from time to time. My balas love to take mouthfulls of it and spit it around the tank. Thankfull my oto's do a great job of brushing it off plant leaves.. lol


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## AW0L (Jan 15, 2004)

hi i use a 70% schultz aquatic soil 20% aquarium gravel and 10% sand . over time the sand will sink to the bottom. the gravel and sand are pretty much used to hold down the plants. and yea corries love the stuff. for etimated 150 g tank. cost me altogether less then $40 for 3" substrate

schultz did change my ph. it dropped it but my tetras spawned from the resulting ph drop but i slowly raised it back up.

i delt with compaction using MTS and banjo cats. the sand and light consistancy of the clay made it easy for the banjos and mts to easily swim into the gravel. and get as deep as 2 inches into the gravel. i have 4 banjos planining to get 5 more. my loches and cories deal with the upper substrate. 

since i think schults isnt realy high in nutrients but high in CEC over time the stuff will get as good as florite just have to fertilize a bit till it gets there.

basically how i set it up. filled the tank with schults then powdered sand above it to hold it down then filled the tank. the sand made planting much easier. then used the aquarium gravel only around the heavly reooted plants and plants tha tend to get uprooted easily. and the left over gravel on the top of the rest of the substrate. this allows the banjo free movement in the substrate. and man they are hard to catch when you need to get them out. they just dig right into the substrate


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## AW0L (Jan 15, 2004)

ill try to post a pic of my setup its a estimated 150g.


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

Bought 1 bag of Schultz's Aquatic Soil (I think it's also called Profile). It's actually very pretty. I thought it was going to be grey, but it's a nice reddish shade. I hope 1 bag will be enough for the bottom layer of my 100g tank. Anyone else have any ideas on what else I should add in while I'm re-doing it? What about an iron source like Flourite or Laterite?


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

Is the bag of shultz a 40 lb bag? If it is, I would think it would be enough. I would recommend and 50/50 mix of shultz and fluorite.


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## wonder woman (Oct 30, 2003)

Already threw out the bag, but it DEFINITELY wasn't 40 lbs. Bag size was about 12" x 18" or similar, approx. 5-10 lbs. at most. Fills a Home Depot 5g bucket about half way. The bag was $10 at Armstrong Garden Centers.


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## NFish (Nov 5, 2002)

You will need more than the 10 lb bag


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## AW0L (Jan 15, 2004)

theres actually a much bigger bag (the size of lawn compost bags) 40 lbs but its under the name schultzs profile soil conditioner. the aquatic soil i think comes in 10-5 lbs bags. some one said its the same thing. walmart sells them for 6 bucks a bag and home depo sells them for 5.50 a bag for the schultzs aquatic soil. ace hardware sells the 40 lbs profile for 15 bucks.

a 100g of pure schultzs will be like 4 or 5 bags or one bag of profile.


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