apbane

I've heard lots of different things..i am wanting to have my substrate be black. I've heard that for a planted tank you need fertilizers and such? what is the best fertilizer and is it necessary? I'm wanting a 75 gallon planted tank. please help thanks

Amanda

Eco-Complete is a good substrate for planted tanks.

apbane

I've heard that is increases water hardness is that true?

Amanda

I honestly don't know, I've never used it.
Hopefully someone who has will be around shortly.

Fla_Larry

would have to test but not to my knowledge

agabr123

i'm not sure about the hardness, but eco complete or fluorite/sand is best for planted tanks. if you decide to just have a normal substrate like sand or gravel without the "fertilizer" then you should get gravel. sand compacts really easily and will kill the roots of your plants.

Alasse

I have an Aquatic Plant Mix (RichGro brand, states on packaging safe for fish) under plain red gravel, can use any colour gravel of course.

I add no ferts to the water column, nor do i add any other under gravel spikes or such. Tank has been running since May - June and plants are doing really well.

Big Rich

Greetings Apbane,

I am new to this myself so i purchased this book called the mini encyclopedia of aquarium plants. It is great for the types of plants from easy to hard. Most of all it shows you how to set up a substrate using a heat wire sand along with clay. I found this book to be very informative just like the members here. But i also find that sometimes you need to hold it in your hand to understand it... It is written by Peter Hiscock


Happy Planting,
Big Rich

charzar-g

I have three plants and they're all planted in sand, and i wouldn't really recomend it to be honest, they haven't grown much at all, also, i have never used a fertilizer, so that might have something to do with that :/ but they don't have fertilizers in the wild do they??

tom28

my plants are fine with no fretilizes, ive got a few java fern and anuebus and they've been shooting off new leaves ever since i got them..but thats all for low light and easy going plants. im suprized no one has given you this website yet. it helped me a bit to knwo which plants were good for my light http://www.plantgeek.net/. but as for substrate i hav no idea. im just running with standard gravel. for light i use this website http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Tech/Lighting/ sorry if you already knew that stuff just thought id throw it in there since you sounded like you were starting off with plants. good luck with it all

mathas

I use pool filter sand as my substrate, and my plants do just fine. It's all about meeting their nutritional needs... if you supply them with the necessary amount of carbon, light, macronutrients and micronutrients, they will grow.

A substrate like EcoComplete or AquaSoil can offer an advantage, but by no means is using something like that a requirement.

coffeebean

in my 20 gallon tank i have a few small plants just stuck in the gravel. they can grow alright that way.
in my 55 gallon tank i wanted a more heavily planted tank. two bags of rinsed flourite on the bottom and 2 bags of small rounded gravel on top.

Gent

Eco-complete is best...
Flourite and Gravel also shown good results in many situations.
As far as the hardness is concerned, different people have different views about it and personally i have no such experience...

SurfCityFish

ADA soil is top notch...but it comes with a price...

Nate McFin

This thread was from February. The OP most likely found something already.
Having said that, I agree with the ADA vote. If Takashi Amano uses it in his tanks it must be good.
DIY mineralized topsoil would also be very good, especially if you dont want to have to dose ferts.

SurfCityFish

hahaha i totally missed that whole February thing...this is a perfect example of why you do not post past midnight

harpua2002

If you are located anywhere near metro Atlanta, I have 40 lbs. of Eco Complete mixed with 20 lbs. of natural colored aquarium gravel that I'm no longer using. I'd be happy to give it away.

matt11390

I have used eco complete in a large tank where the pH was around 6.6 and in a smaller tank where the ph is around 7.6 so the hardness will vary also. My experience has been the hardness has not been affected.