# Mixing your substrate, sands and gravel



## fatfei (Aug 13, 2011)

Hi gang,

In the past i have always been told that you can not mix or shouldn't mix different bottoms i.e gravel with sand and substrate with sand or gravel.

I've also read this on substrate labels but today whilst looking on how to get Echinodorus Tennellus or Mini Amazon sword growing like a carpet in my very fine black sand i read that i should mix substrate with the sand :confused1:

So now i am very confused, can certain substrates be mixed with sand?

Cheers

Fei


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

IMO, substrate products are labeled like that so you can buy more of the same product from the same company. All about profit.

Now, mixing substrates of different color and sizes might make it unpleasant to the eyes, so it's all preference. Also, the larger grained substrate could make it's way above the finer grains over time. Some substrate you just don't mix with others, like ADA, because it's too expensive and hard to separate.


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## fatfei (Aug 13, 2011)

PinoyBoy said:


> IMO, substrate products are labeled like that so you can buy more of the same product from the same company. All about profit.
> 
> Now, mixing substrates of different color and sizes might make it unpleasant to the eyes, so it's all preference. Also, the larger grained substrate could make it's way above the finer grains over time. Some substrate you just don't mix with others, like ADA, because it's too expensive and hard to separate.


Okay thanks very much, do you know of any substrate for mixing with sand you can recomend for me from tetra or fluival etc.

Cheers


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

I've mixed the two and would suggest you don't do it. I'm guessing you have a picture in your mind of what a riverbed or pond bottom looks like. That's what I envisioned when I did it. It just doesn't look right. But apart from aesthetics, there's no reason you can't mix them if you like the look.


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## fatfei (Aug 13, 2011)

5BodyBlade said:


> I've mixed the two and would suggest you don't do it. I'm guessing you have a picture in your mind of what a riverbed or pond bottom looks like. That's what I envisioned when I did it. It just doesn't look right. But apart from aesthetics, there's no reason you can't mix them if you like the look.


Okay thanks for the tip, ill have a think about this.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I have Schultz's Aquatic Soil aka Turface mixed with two sizes of smooth natural gravel and it looks great, much better than any of them alone. The tan SAS has rough edges and the brown/black/white/tan pea gravel is very smooth. The SAS is about the size of raw rice grains and the gravel is split pea and green pea sized. 

I suspect mixing two colors in awkward amounts that are the same size and texture would look odd. If the colors don't blend well then it would odd looking. If you want to mix something with what you have then it needs to have some black or dark gray in it.

If you mix sand and gravel I am sure the sand will sink between the gravel if the mixture is less than half sand by volume not weight. The small particles fall into the voids of the gravel. If it is mixed up it should stay better.


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## fatfei (Aug 13, 2011)

Kathyy said:


> I have Schultz's Aquatic Soil aka Turface mixed with two sizes of smooth natural gravel and it looks great, much better than any of them alone. The tan SAS has rough edges and the brown/black/white/tan pea gravel is very smooth. The SAS is about the size of raw rice grains and the gravel is split pea and green pea sized.
> 
> I suspect mixing two colors in awkward amounts that are the same size and texture would look odd. If the colors don't blend well then it would odd looking. If you want to mix something with what you have then it needs to have some black or dark gray in it.
> 
> If you mix sand and gravel I am sure the sand will sink between the gravel if the mixture is less than half sand by volume not weight. The small particles fall into the voids of the gravel. If it is mixed up it should stay better.



Cheers.


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