# Anything that WON'T grow in Blasting Sand?



## AguaScape (Oct 28, 2018)

I have not experienced any problems with growing plants in BDBS that I could not attribute to other issues. I have around 40 varieties of plants and the ones I struggle with most is Mermaid Weed, HC, and Dwarf Baby Tears. I believe most of that is due to my tech level and water conditions.


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## Doogy262 (Aug 11, 2013)

as long as your feeding the water column just about anything will grow in bdbs I have two tanks with about 18 varieties and all grow very well...


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

It's an inert sand with low CEC. I think the only parameter that would matter would be grain size. Other than that, it's the same as any inert sand with low CEC. It will hold the roots in place just fine.


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## Grobbins48 (Oct 16, 2017)

Love using BDBS- It is clean, easy to move and replant things. I have nothing bad to say about it after about a year of using it.


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

I could never get frogbit to grow in BDBS...... No matter what I did, that was the ONLY plant that I couldn't grow in it


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## Cichlid-140 (Sep 28, 2018)

Quagulator said:


> I could never get frogbit to grow in BDBS...... No matter what I did, that was the ONLY plant that I couldn't grow in it


Now the you mention it, that would sorta tough.


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

Lol, I'll remember that about the frogbit. I suspect duckweed doesn't do well either.

My big worry was the stuff like the crypts and swords, that the roots might smother in the denser substrate.

Good to know everything seems to do ok. I like my EcoComplete most of the time, but it's no good for thin carpet plants until they get good and established, and the MTS in my gravel are so out of control after several years of unchecked breeding I either need 20 assassin smails or new substrate.

Cheap, pretty blasting sand it is. 🙂


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## AguaScape (Oct 28, 2018)

I have Eco-Complete capped with BDBS. I wish I had listened more closely to advice (here) on the Eco as it is pretty much inert despite the name. Flourite black (as advised) capped with BDBS, or just BDBS alone would have probably been better. I got caught up in the price per pound and did not realize that I was paying for water. On the plus side, it required virtually no rinsing. The BDBS does require a lot of rinsing though. Despite feeling like I could have made a better choice, it seems to work quite well. From what I understand, the Eco has the capability of absorbing and holding nutrients from the water column to provide to roots which is a good thing. Capping your existing Eco with BDBS could be a great option for you. The Eco will come to the surface when you pull out rooted plants, but it is pretty easy to push the big chunks under the sand to make things pretty again.


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## FranklyFish (Jan 4, 2019)

Make the switch. You wont regret it. Just be sure to give it a light rinse to get rid of the dust. It is a great substrate!


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## annabel1066 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hi MissCris,

I started with eco-complete in my low tech planted tank, but I switched to sand because I find it much easier to keep clean, especially in a tank that's primarily a fish tank, and if you move plants around much (guilty, still getting the hang of arrangement), you don't have to deal with the cloudiness that you get when you disturb larger particle substrates.

I love the look of black sand, and to address your concern about swords, the majority of my plants at the moment are crypts and swords, all doing well. Since swords are such heavy root feeders, I put a root tab directly under every single plant, I dose the water column with flourish with iron twice a week and that seems to do the trick.

annabel


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## shaonrahman (Jan 10, 2019)

Oh man I see this post just in time. I just got an email that my order of a bag of BDBS is ready to pick up. Cant wait!!!


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## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

Late to the party - but now that I've started using sand - I am probably never switching. I have been fantastically pleased with how excellent my sand tanks have been. My favorite feature is when I uproot plants for topping and replanting - there is little to no cloud of detritus blowing all over the tank.

I don't use root tabs, just dry dosing npk and csm+b.


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## Leeatl (Aug 8, 2015)

I use BDBS in all my tanks and crypts , vals, java ferns , any plant I have tried have done well . The crypts and vals spread like wildfire through the soft substrate . I recommend it and it is cheap .....lol


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

The cheap is the best part. I'm going to change over my 20g this weekend if it's not too ugly outside for washing the sand. If that goes well, I'll get a few more bags to do up my 60g.

Is there a pounds per gallon ratio that you guys found works well, or a specific target depth? My 60g is a 24" cube, and it took about 70lbs (3 1/2 bags) of ecocomplete to get a decent depth bed for planting.


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## Glyphic (Feb 4, 2012)

I used Eco-complete and Flourite prior to using BDBS. Once I switched I realized all my planting woes of keeping stuff in the substrate and plants randomly floating up before getting established was due to the substrate. I have had zero issues with growth and keeping things planted. Root growth is just as good if not better. Plus Eco seems to break down after some time and causes massive brown clouds when moving stuff around.


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## Noctivagant (Nov 5, 2018)

Depending upon how I want to scape the tank I prefer between 1.5 and 2lbs per gallon. For highs I would go with less. This gives me a nice 2-3” depth of substrate.


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## Cichlid-140 (Sep 28, 2018)

FYI - For those not looking for a black substrate, simple Pool Filter Sand has similar pluses and minuses. Makes for a brighter tank. Down side is you need to work at keeping it clean to keep it presentable. Up side is it makes you clean it more often.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Black diamond is not an issue to grow in. If you are having problems its either lack of nutrients (black diamond is inert you need something else to feed plants-root tabs/liquid ferts/dirt below sand/etc), improper lighting, or lack of co2 (some really need it to do well). Temp and pH/hardness could also play a factor in some more delicate plants.


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