# 55 gallon substrate



## Piranha (Nov 18, 2007)

Cant go wront with eco-complete you'll have bacteria from the start and if your lighting is high enough you wont have to worry about the tank looking too dark.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

If you're within a couple of hours of driving to Lancaster, you could pick up gravel at That Pet Place. They tend to have extremely good prices on substrates. With fuel prices lower again it becomes a bit more reasonable to make the trip and therefore saving substantially on both shipping and the substrate itself.

I suggest against layering different substrates if you intend to keep the aquarium up for any length of time, they'll inevitably mix together and that mix tends to be unattractive. If you like the look of the various substrates blended together, then of course, it would be fine.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Have you looked into Turface? Has a high CEC similar to Flourite, and is also a fired clay, but there are several lighter colors available. www.Lesco.com and see if you can find a local distributor. (John Deere stores are usually Lesco distributors if there's one of those nearby.) Pretty cheap, too.


----------



## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

That's a good suggestion. I thought they had discontinued it? ...or maybe that was the other company, Soil Master? It's been a while.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

They discontinued the charcoal color SMS, for whatever reason. As of a few months ago, they were still making other colors of the SMS, and I think they're calling it "Pros Choice" or something similar. (All still made by Oildri and distributed by Lesco.)


----------



## cjmcnamara (May 25, 2008)

ok thanks for all the replies. how does eco-complete compare to the flourite plantwise. which is better for plants or does it depend on your opinion? and i was recently at that fish place(a couple months ago) and i didn't know i would be getting a 55 so i didn't get the gravel, and i doubt my parents would drive me down there now:icon_sad:. but ill see what i can do. i decided that i probably will not mix regular gravel with the flourite. i could not find the turface either?? do you have a link to the product?

edit: ok so i was just looking at pictures of tanks with flourite red in it and a few looked really good because they had great lighting. how many watts should i aim for in a 55g if a want it to be bright?


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Wow they have completely changed their website! I wonder if they stopped carrying Turface? I'd try putting in your zipcode and finding the closest store. You can then call and ask if they carry or can order in either Turface or ProsChoice. This is what replaced SoilMaster: http://www.proschoice1.com/products.html (found this page by going to the manufacturer's website, www.oildri.com)


----------



## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

Here is a new planted tank substrate. It is called Activ-Flora. http://www.activflora.com/

"ActivFlora™ Planted Aquarium Substrate is a Bio-Activ NUTRIENT-ENRICHED™ gravel specially developed and suited for planted aquaria. ActivFlora™ gravels are naturally abundant in trace elements that instantly provide a nutrient-rich environment in which your aquatic plants will thrive and achieve optimum health and growth."

It comes in 5 colors.
Floracor Red
Floracor Black
Floralite
Floragems
Lake Gems

Here are some places that carry it. You get two 20 lbs bags per case. All the sites are practically the same??
http://www.petessentialsdepot.com/p...=3&PHPSESSID=e5d404a6b09892505767af3db72dae1e

http://www.airmailpetsupplies.com/products.php?cat=96&

http://www.wagster.net/products.php?cat=96&sc=3&PHPSESSID=940159943fd0cef52b358213b02271f2

http://www.superpetmall.com/products.php?cat=96&sc=3&PHPSESSID=45650af19d24abeebe16f3a807e560c0


----------



## DataLifePlus (Nov 4, 2008)

Left C said:


> Here is a new planted tank substrate. It is called Activ-Flora. http://www.activflora.com/
> 
> "ActivFlora™ Planted Aquarium Substrate is a Bio-Activ NUTRIENT-ENRICHED™ gravel specially developed and suited for planted aquaria. ActivFlora™ gravels are naturally abundant in trace elements that instantly provide a nutrient-rich environment in which your aquatic plants will thrive and achieve optimum health and growth."
> 
> ...


Has anyone here used this?


----------



## cjmcnamara (May 25, 2008)

unless i see anyone else using the other substrates, i think i am just going to use flourite red. thank you everyone!!


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Rinse it REALLY well first!


----------



## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

Im setting my 55G planted with regular flourite up monday, ive been rinsing substrate this evening. I worked over an hour on 1 bag, and it could have used some more rinsing...just to give you an idea of how much rinsing it requires


----------



## cjmcnamara (May 25, 2008)

yeah i had sand in one of my 10 gallon tanks and i rinsed it out for a few hours, and i could have gone longer but i got too bored! good luck with your tank MCHRKiller.


----------



## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

MCHRKiller said:


> Im setting my 55G planted with regular flourite up monday, ive been rinsing substrate this evening. I worked over an hour on 1 bag, and it could have used some more rinsing...just to give you an idea of how much rinsing it requires


has anyone else not done this? i literally just filled my tank and the light makes it about 2" into the murk. i'm hoping it will settle at some point, as i would like to put fish in and see them by christmas. i didnt know if running the filter would help or leave it off to reduce agitation. i washed it for about 15 minutes or so. help/reassurance would be appreciated.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Spachi said:


> has anyone else not done this? i literally just filled my tank and the light makes it about 2" into the murk. i'm hoping it will settle at some point, as i would like to put fish in and see them by christmas. i didnt know if running the filter would help or leave it off to reduce agitation. i washed it for about 15 minutes or so. help/reassurance would be appreciated.


Yes. Once. It was a nightmare. My advice- go ahead and take it apart now before you get too much further in, and rinse that Flourite really well, AND let it dry if at all possible, and start over.

Otherwise every time you disturb it, you'll get that same dust cloud, and I've killed tons of plants that way b/c it coats the leaves and kills them.


----------



## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Yes. Once. It was a nightmare. My advice- go ahead and take it apart now before you get too much further in, and rinse that Flourite really well, AND let it dry if at all possible, and start over.
> 
> Otherwise every time you disturb it, you'll get that same dust cloud, and I've killed tons of plants that way b/c it coats the leaves and kills them.


ok not exactly what i wanted to hear but thanks. i've got flourite mixed with some fine black gravel, 2 bags total. 
why let it dry? whats the best way to rinse it? and getting it out of the tank:icon_cry:


----------



## mpodolan (Mar 27, 2007)

I've always rinsed mine using Rex's method with a paint strainer. 
http://www.rexgrigg.com/substrate.htm
I've never had any trouble with this method. I've never spent more than 15mins total rinsing a whole bag , and I've never had problems with clouding. Just put some of the flourite in the paint strainer (I usually put this inside a bucket), run water through it as you mix it up with your hands, occasionally dump the bucket, and it cleans up really nicely

Lots of people advocate the drying method as well, and I don't doubt that it works. I've never tried it, but Laura is a knowledgeable source:thumbsup:


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'd probably drain the tank, then use a hand spade and scoop it into buckets, and spread it outside on a big tarp, if that's possible for you.

IME letting it dry out afterwards really cuts down on the dust; my theory is b/c it's clay-based, the smaller particles stick together but IDK that this is true.


----------



## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

thanks everyone. i guess i know what i'll be doing this weekend.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

My experience is that you only need to clean the top inch or so of substrate. So, you can scoop that out, clean it well, then put it back and carefully fill the tank with water. Just don't leave more than a quarter inch or so of water in the tank when you add it back. If there is a lot of water there the silt from the lower level just ends up on top of the clean substrate.


----------



## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

Here is another way to wash Flourite. It has been around for a few years. It involves drying it too.
http://www.vickisaquaticplace.com/fluorite.html


Here is a link to 083365 - PRO'S CHOICE SOILMASTER SELECT (CHARCOAL) 50#:
http://www.lesco.com/Default.aspx?PageID=27&ItemNumber=083365


----------



## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

Left C said:


> Here is another way to wash Flourite. It has been around for a few years. It involves drying it too.
> http://www.vickisaquaticplace.com/fluorite.html
> 
> 
> ...


well i scooped everything out and its been drying in the basement since friday night. i have a couple of q's, probably not worthy of their own thread. i'm starting from scratch and have no access to any water or substrate from existing tank that may contribute bacteria. 
i've read that some advocate planting immediately from the start, is this a good idea with a new "sterile" tank, as it is for fish? 
are plastic plants a bad idea (algae, etc.) for any reason other than live plant snobbery? thanks


----------



## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

You could plant the aquarium very thickly with many plants including fast growing plants from the start and your aquarium will either cycle very quickly or it can even go through a "silent" where you don't detect any ammonia and nitrite. Then you can take out after a while what plants that you don't want and then do your aquascaping.

Many times you can add some fish & critters if you plant thickly from the start. On the other hand, some people like to let the plants get a good start before they add their fish & critters. Usually the "algae squad" is added first.

Dispose of your plastic plants properly in your recyclable garbage container. :hihi:


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Left C said:


> Dispose of your plastic plants properly in your recyclable garbage container. :hihi:


I'm not sure this will work well. Perhaps burying them in a graveyard, at midnight, with a new moon, will help you avoid future BBA and GDA problems. No, I haven't tried this, but I do have BBA and GDA problems, so that is at least suggestive that I should have done the midnight thing. But, back when I used only plastic plants I was too new at this hobby to realize how important this could be.


----------



## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

Left C said:


> You could plant the aquarium very thickly with many plants including fast growing plants from the start and your aquarium will either cycle very quickly or it can even go through a "silent" where you don't detect any ammonia and nitrite. Then you can take out after a while what plants that you don't want and then do your aquascaping.
> 
> Many times you can add some fish & critters if you plant thickly from the start. On the other hand, some people like to let the plants get a good start before they add their fish & critters. Usually the "algae squad" is added first.
> 
> Dispose of your plastic plants properly in your recyclable garbage container. :hihi:


well the water is crystal clear!:thumbsup: and i was plenty nervous because the dried substrate was very dusty when i got it off the towels. 
what "algae squad" plants are best for the first planting?
-appreciative noob, spachi


----------



## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

It depends on what algae that you have and how much algae that you have. Some people suggest waiting a week or so (some people suggest even longer) before you start adding any algae eaters. Here are some of the algae crew:
algae eating shrimp
otos
bristlenose plecos
rubber lip plecos
SAE's ???
algae & dead plant eating snails
MTS for the substrate


----------



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Left C said:


> ...algae & dead plant eating snails
> MTS for the substrate


Zebra Nerite snails do not reproduce in freshwater and are known to be the best algae eating snail around. They do deposit eggs which do not hatch. They look like salt crystals and some find this to be a real turn off. Also, you need a tight fitting lid, they are know to sneak out of the tank if there are escape routes. 

Amano Shrimps are supposed to awesome algae eaters, place minimal bioload demands, and pretty hardy in my experience. Named after the great Amano Takishi, Amano is known to use them in his planted tanks to keep algae at bay.


----------

