# Recommend a dark substrate for black sand nano tank?



## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Hi! I'm new to the whole planted tank thing, but I've been reading voraciously as I prepare to set up my Fluval Spec (2g) for a betta and snails (and probably some ghost shrimp and perhaps an African Dwarf Frog?).

This tank will be at my desk at work, so ease of care is key. The self-cleaning action, beyond water changes, of a planted tank seems ideal!

Appearance is also key, of course, since this will be in a business environment. I'm thinking I can set up a very slick-looking tank if the top layer is black sand, like the black diamond blasting powder? (assuming I can find it, else perhaps the Tahitian Moon black sand from Petco, or some other similar brand from a LFS)

So the question is what to do for the substrate layer? Obviously something as dark as possible, so any rearranging will minimally impact the appearance. I was initially thinking that the Micracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix seemed fairly perfect (and comes in small bags, since I won't need much!). Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time tracking it down, locally. I'll keep trying, but meanwhile, are there any other commercially-available soils, or other substrates, that I can look at as an alternative? This is LA, so there are tons of nurseries around, but of course tiny local organic brands aren't well-known nationwide, so it's hard to field recommendations that "travel" well. If possible, I'd love to stick to reasonably well-known commercial brands, for repeatability.

Since this is a small tank (2 gal, perhaps 1.5 given all that's going into it), we're not talking large quantities so cost isn't likely to be a big issue. But something straightforward and simple to use for someone completely new to planted tanks (and, frankly, traditionally VERY bad at keeping plants alive in general). There's a lot of terminology and a lot of acronyms that I'm unfamiliar with that are bandied about, so please, use small words. 

Any assistance is very much appreciated!


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

If you're planning to rescape a lot, dirt is gonna be messy. You can try using Eco Complete with root tabs.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I'm not _planning_ to rescape a lot, ideally I'll be happy with the tank appearance and won't need to rescape for a good long time. 

I just don't know for sure, because I've never done this before. :/

I'm not against Eco Complete, but I've read that you can't put a fine sand on top, because the finer material will always work its way down into the coarser material. 

Is there a FAQ on root tabs somewhere? I don't know how to apply them, or how much/many to use, where, or how often. I assume SeaChem Flourish tabs I see on Amazon is the right sort of product?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Dirt takes a bit of work and research to get right but it shows results if you plan to keep things stable and not move things around. Alternatively, you can go with black diamond blasting sand and root tabs. Check the planted nano tanks subforum for examples of what people can do with their small tanks.

Seachem root tabs are pretty lackluster. They're lacking the macro nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) needed for good plant growth. Osmocote+ capsules which are sold here on the forum are a superior alternative and are a fraction of the price. For application rates, it all depends on how densely you plant and how high of a nutrient demand your plants will have.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Black diamond blasting grit.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

20/40 Grit black diamond blasting media. (Hardware store).


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> Dirt takes a bit of work and research to get right but it shows results if you plan to keep things stable and not move things around. Alternatively, you can go with black diamond blasting sand and root tabs. Check the planted nano tanks subforum for examples of what people can do with their small tanks.
> 
> Seachem root tabs are pretty lackluster. They're lacking the macro nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) needed for good plant growth. Osmocote+ capsules which are sold here on the forum are a superior alternative and are a fraction of the price. For application rates, it all depends on how densely you plant and how high of a nutrient demand your plants will have.


I do hope to keep things stable, but I guess it remains to be seen how well everything works out.

I wonder if I could lay down a layer of Eco Complete (black) with the Osocote capsules you mention (how often do those need to be replenished?), and layer the black blasting powder on top of it? I know the fine sand will eventually filter down into the large EC chunks, but that shouldn't be an actual problem, just more of a mixed substrate, and then I can layer more black sand on top to maintain the appearance. Would that get the job done without needing to go fully over to dirt?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

The Osmocote capsules would need to be replaced every 3-4 months. It should work but if you like the black sand so much, you can ditch the eco complete and just use black sand with Osmocote capsules.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> The Osmocote capsules would need to be replaced every 3-4 months. It should work but if you like the black sand so much, you can ditch the eco complete and just use black sand with Osmocote capsules.


This has good results, the only thing I hate is the osmocote balls make there way to the surface


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

^^ Hmm, based on these, maybe I'll just go with the Eco Complete with sand over it. I know straight sand is simpler, but having a variety of textures underneath seems like a good idea to me. Plus I think the EC is heavier than sand, so perhaps it'll do a better job of pinning the Osmocote capsules down?

Where do I find the Osmocote capsules here? In the For Sale forum?


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

Skip the sand, just go straight Eco. You don't need the sand and it will just migrate to the bottom anyway


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

jbrady33 said:


> Skip the sand, just go straight Eco. You don't need the sand and it will just migrate to the bottom anyway


I know I don't NEED the sand, but I like the look. I know it will settle downward, but I realized I can always just add some more sand on top, especially given how cheap a big bag is (in comparison to this tiny tank).


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

MGOPS capped with eco is a good combo. With root tabs embedded in the soil, it's even better. the soil, I am sure Home Depot or Lowe's has it. I have my 5.5g tank on my desk at work with eco as an example. Check it out, you might pick up a thing or two from it!


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I know the coal slag blasting grit is probably the best bang for the buck as far as black substrate goes, but at a tank that small, it doesn't really matter.

Unless you already have (or are planning on having...) several other larger tanks and using the same substrate, you might as well just get the Petco or whatever black sand - you wouldn't even need the big bag.

As to dirt, I've used the MGOCPM, but I think most of it's popularity is that it is (or was?) widely available, needs little-to-no prep, and is relatively inexpensive. People have used other types, including dirt just dug up out of a yard. That isn't an option for everyone, especially people in urban areas, but then again, for a tank of that size, you probably wouldn't need more then literally a handful or two. If you can find someplace that isn't treated with pesticides or polluted, it might be worth just filling a baggie or two with dirt.

If you do go with a mix of sand and eco-complete (I personally don't get this, but whatever), I wonder if making a sand/eco-complete mix might help to avoid the sand settling. You will have a much reduced rate of water-flow and pore-space, but if you can sorta fill the existing gaps with sand, and then add straight sand on top of that, I think it will take quite a bit longer before any noticeable separation happens. There may be other drawbacks, and I haven't tried this (either capping a gravel with sand, or making a gravel/sand mix), so I don't have any actual experience, and am just guessing, basically...

If you can make a routine out of it, maintaining a tank that small could be pretty easy. -every day, when you come in/go get coffee/take lunch/leave/whatever, and use a turkey baster (or even coffee cup) to take out a bit of water, and then replace it (from the water cooler maybe?), and that would probably cover your water changes for you.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Well, I got the tank started tonight! Pretty pleased so far, but wow, it's a LOT smaller than it seems in the pictures, LOL. I over-bought on plants and may need to return a couple, if they'll let me. I bought plain black sand from the LFS, along with the newest Eco-Complete. Interestingly, the EC is now biologically live? It comes in a sealed bag, and wet, ready to go, no rinsing needed. That should help kick the tank off, so I'm fairly pleased with that... although now I need to find a sealed container of some sort to keep the rest of this stuff wet! 

Given the tiny tank size, for now I'll bow to conventional wisdom and skip the sand on top. I can return it, as it's unopened. I did NOT rinse the Eco Complete, and while it was cloudy at first, it has cleared up nicely. There is very little haze left in the water now. (Water was just tap water treated with Tetra AquaSafe Plus, which has been working well for my other tank so I'd think it should be fine here, too.)

The pump is on the lowest setting with the outflow directed along the wall, which is giving quite a swirl to the tank. I may need to partially block that to throttle the outflow a bit once I bring in the betta.










At the moment, here's the list:

*Hardware:*
















*Substrate:*
CaribSea Eco-Complete (20 lb)


*Decor:*
Slate "terrace" divider (although the terraced effect is not as pronounced as I had hoped, and I may tweak this)
Small red rock, stratified
ZooMed "Mopani" african wood/driftwood (on the back "terrace")

*Flora:*
Crypt Parva (_Cryptocoryne parva_) (behind the driftwood where you can't see it at all from this angle... it may or may not get enough light there, so we'll see. My hope it it grows out enough to get the light it needs, so all good.)
Peacock Fern (_Selginella willdenowii_) (front left)
Anubias Barteri (I _may_ not have planted this! Honestly I was hurrying and I can't recall if I had bought or two! It's entirely possible that I just split the crypt in two pieces in the back corners)
Duckweed (just a little floating around the top. It spins around with the current. If it gets so thick it starts blocking light, I'll dump it out)

*Fauna:*
Golden Mystery Snail
(3x) Ghost Shrimp

I'll probably tweak the layout a bit over the next week or two while it stabilizes, before I bring in the fish. Move the red rock to the right of the tank, and perhaps another plant to fill in the open space a little (see below).

Mystery snail is visible in the back right of the photo. Two shrimp are visible, but not easily in this shot. One is just to the right of the plant in the back right, the other is in the extreme front left corner, under the fern. The third seems to love hiding under the wood.

I bought some dwarf hair grass, and might put a little in the front right corner, but I may be crowding things too much... not certain what all will work and what won't. The Peacock Fern was a total whim because it was on closeout for $1.00. It's really pretty, but I have NO idea how suitable it is to the tank. Does anyone have any experience with that fern? I have an Anubias barteri on standby, ready to in it's place, if it's inappropriate.

Once the tank is established and the holidays are over, I'll add in a Betta splendens (I'm partial to crowntails), and _maybe_ an African Dwarf Frog, and that should do it.

Do I need burrowing snails with the Eco Complete substrate? I didn't see any hiding among the plants that I put in, and one of them was from Top Fin and "guaranteed" to have no snails. Where would I get them, if I do need them?

I have the LED light on a timer for now. I'm turning it off from 12:30am to 7:30am, otherwise it's on so we can see and enjoy the tank while we're awake. (plus ambient light is going to kick in around then anyway) At some point I may get a supplemental blue LED light to copy the night scheme on some tanks I've seen. But meanwhile, will this lighting timeline suffice, or do I need to turn off the light sooner to give more "night" to the plants?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Looking good so far. You should attach the anubias to the driftwood. Selginella willdenowii is non-aquatic so you can place the anubias in it's spot. The dwarf hairgrass may or may not grow in your tank. It did alright for me in low light but I did a dry start before hand. You should move the crypt parva to the front IMO. It stays small and grows extremely slowly. You don't need malaysian trumpet snails but a few wouldn't hurt. Just don't overfeed and your population won't explode. The red rock is a bit distracting. Maybe if you move it to the side it will look better.

Try not to keep the lights on longer than 8 hours. If you keep it on for too long, you'll get algae. Also, for a tank this small you should be doing water changes each week. At least 50-60%.


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## rininger85 (Jun 30, 2013)

my 10 gal work tank in my signature I did miracle grow potting soil capped with gravel and didn't like the gravel look so I capped it with the black Tahitian moon sand and really liked the look of the black Tahitian moon sand... unfortunately once I added my algae eater / ghost shrimp they have made a big mess and I have a lot of the gravel showing again, so would have been nice if I had removed the gravel instead of capping over it, but I had already redone the tank a couple times before planting it so didn't want to redo it again... I'm considering setting up a 5 gal at home (because it was the sump for my 10 gal salt tank at home, but no longer using it so its sitting empty)... thinking I may plant it with miracle grow potting soil / black sand... also considered white sand though too because I am considering doing a sand fall after seeing one on here =)... idk haven't decided yet...guess I could do a sand fall with black sand but not sure how it would look...


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## AHP (Sep 10, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> You should move the crypt parva to the front IMO. It stays small and grows extremely slowly.


 
I can vouch for this. I have about 3 pots in my 75g and it has been 6 months now and they are just starting to perk up and spread out.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> Looking good so far. You should attach the anubias to the driftwood. Selginella willdenowii is non-aquatic so you can place the anubias in it's spot. The dwarf hairgrass may or may not grow in your tank. It did alright for me in low light but I did a dry start before hand. You should move the crypt parva to the front IMO. It stays small and grows extremely slowly. You don't need malaysian trumpet snails but a few wouldn't hurt. Just don't overfeed and your population won't explode. The red rock is a bit distracting. Maybe if you move it to the side it will look better.
> 
> Try not to keep the lights on longer than 8 hours. If you keep it on for too long, you'll get algae. Also, for a tank this small you should be doing water changes each week. At least 50-60%.


ARGH!!! You're totally right. I just re-checked the plastic tube the fern came in, and despite selling it in the aquarium section, it does indeed say "semi-aquatic" and in teeny tiny print at the bottom, it says the top of the plant has to remain above the water. Oh, well, it was worth a buck for the experiment, I guess. *grump*

Good to know about the lighting duration. That's a shame, because it's certainly really pretty lit up. I'll keep the lights on a wee bit more just to start things growing, but cut back to 8 hrs after a few days. Disappointing, since the tank looks great lit up, but it's pretty dark when not. Although I guess that doesn't matter as much for this particular tank since it will be living at the office anyway, so 8 hrs is pretty perfect.  I have a timer for the light.

Looks like I have some rearranging to do this weekend! I think I'll put the anubias in the back, as you suggest, and perhaps use the Java fern I had bought after all, also in the back, opposite corner. I'll yank out the fern, and the crypt can come up front into one corner, and then I'll give the dwarf grass a try in the other front corner. I'll have to play with the red rock. I like the pop of color, but I agree the current placement isn't good.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Ok, here's take 2.

I pulled the semi-aquatic fern, rearranged all the plants, added some more, and re-landscaped a little more to make the terrace effect a little more clear. I re-directed the pump outlflow a little, to point a little more down along that wall. Seems to have lowered the water current a bit... at least, the duckweed is no longer spinning around as frantically at the top.










Here's the updated list:

*Hardware:*
















*Substrate:*
CaribSea Eco-Complete (20 lb)


*Decor:*
Slate "terrace" divider
Small red rock, stratified
ZooMed "Mopani" african wood/driftwood (on the back "terrace")

*Flora:*
Crypt Parva (_Cryptocoryne parva_) (front left)
Anubias Barteri (back right)
Dwarf Hair Grass (front right)
Java Fern "Narrow Leaf" (_Microsorium pteropus_) (back left, barely visible behind the driftwood)
Duckweed (just a little floating around the top, spinning around with the current. If it gets so thick it starts blocking light, I'll dump it out)

*Fauna:*
Golden Mystery Snail (_Golden bridgesii_)
(4x) Ghost Shrimp (_Palaemonetes paludosus_)

Mystery snail is clearly visible on the left sidewall. One shrimp is pretty clearly visible in on top of the slate terrace, just to the left of the red rock. The others are chilling in back, they seem to like the shade of the Anubias leaves.

The driftwood started leaching tannins, quite a bit. The water was getting pretty stained from it when I drained it about 80% to move things around today. Water changes should help keep that down.

I also have an activated charcoal insert for the filter. I thought I read somewhere that charcoal will negate your ferts (or something along those lines), and that you don't really want it in planted tanks? I also read a report that they do a good job of knocking down those tannins, however, and I'm not using ferts just yet, so perhaps I'll stick it in there to help get things nice and clean, while we're still establishing everything. I can pull it later, once I start doing things that it affects negatively... unless I totally misread something and should just leave it in place.

Once the tank is established and the holidays are over, in early January I'll add in the Betta splendens, and _maybe_ an African Dwarf Frog, and that should do it.

I have the LED light on a timer for now. I'm turning it off from 12:30am to 7:30am, otherwise it's on so we can see and enjoy the tank while we're awake. I'm only going to keep this schedule for the first week, then I'll dial it back to a more reasonable 8 hours. I still want a supplemental blue LED light to copy the night scheme on some tanks I've seen, though. I gather that doesn't affect the growing cycle?


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Looks better. I thought you would attach the java fern to the wood. Make sure the anubias rhizome isn't completely buried. Also, Try burying the hairgrass some more. You shouldn't be able to see the roots.

Activated carbon does not pull ferts from the water. So it should be safe to use it in the filter and to dose fertilizers.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> Looks better. I thought you would attach the java fern to the wood. Make sure the anubias rhizome isn't completely buried. Also, Try burying the hairgrass some more. You shouldn't be able to see the roots.
> 
> Activated carbon does not pull ferts from the water. So it should be safe to use it in the filter and to dose fertilizers.


Hmm, interesting thought with the java fern. That would put it pretty high in the tank, though, wouldn't it? Not much room for growth from there, although it would likely look nice and first, and draw the eye higher.

The Anubias rhizome (stem that the leaves grow from?) is just visible, not completely buried. Should I pull it a smidge higher?

I'll push the hairgrass a little deeper in, thanks, I was wondering about that.

So no problem using activated carbon in any circumstance? Or just no issue with ferts?

I'm going to get some Osmocote capsules (two should do it, for a tank this small) and shove them under the substrate, too. (from a member here)


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

You can't even tell that you have java fern because the wood is blocking the view. As long as it's not buried you could leave it alone. The activated carbon should only be used for the tanins. In planted tanks, the only time you should be using carbon is when you're removing meds from the water column or if you're removing tanins from newly submerged driftwood. Most of the time it is unnecessary. Two osmocote capsules should be fine. One right next to the crypt (which doesn't look like C. parva IMO) and one between the hairgrass and anubias.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> You can't even tell that you have java fern because the wood is blocking the view. As long as it's not buried you could leave it alone. The activated carbon should only be used for the tanins. In planted tanks, the only time you should be using carbon is when you're removing meds from the water column or if you're removing tanins from newly submerged driftwood. Most of the time it is unnecessary. Two osmocote capsules should be fine. One right next to the crypt (which doesn't look like C. parva IMO) and one between the hairgrass and anubias.


Ok, good, I wasn't imagining there being a reason not to use the charcoal. Just temporary, gotcha. 

Yes, the wood is definitely blocking the java fern, but my thinking was that it will grow out and be more visible one it gets bigger. I'll ponder my options a bit. Perhaps replace the java fern with some java moss if I can locate some? That would be good to tie to the wood, for sure. Frankly I wouldn't mind a less chunky piece of wood but it's hard to find good wood here, and size is critical. 

I hear you re the c. parva, but this plant had a little tag and everything, at the shop. *shrug* I guess I'll call it c. parva until someone can definitively ID it otherwise. 

I appreciate all your help, by the way! Thanks for all the great advice.  Speaking of which, however, this advice is no longer really substrate-related... Perhaps I should start a new thread in a different sub-forum?


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