Soil Substrate For Aquascape

MrsMontoya
  • #1
I am looking for some advice for an aquascape I am planning. I would like to grow some carpeting in my tank with dwarf baby tears but am not sure what substrate would be best. I read that you could layer a finer substrate over fine gravel for rooting, but I am new to this and thought it best to check recommendations here. I was thinking about planting with fluval stratum and sand on top? I have some neo shrimp in the tank and one male betta.
 

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Zigi Zig
  • #2
 

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techfool
  • #3
The sand will end up underneath unless it has the same particle size or bigger. Just go with the stratum
 
MrsMontoya
  • Thread Starter
  • #4
thanks for the video. super informative. so if I used fluval stratum, I would put it on top of the soil?
The sand will end up underneath unless it has the same particle size or bigger. Just go with the stratum
Are you familiar with the stratum? Will it be good for rooting for the carpet plants and larger plants like my pink telanthera?
 
Zigi Zig
  • #5
thanks for the video. super informative. so if I used fluval stratum, I would put it on top of the soil?

Are you familiar with the stratum? Will it be good for rooting for the carpet plants and larger plants like my pink telanthera?
I use fluval stratum as the first layer about 2 inches from bottom and on top ECO plus planted SUB.

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-Mak-
  • #6
You don't need to cap fluval stratum with anything. It's not the best aquarium soil but it's definitely better than sand or gravel.
 

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JamieXPXP
  • #7
aniroc
  • #8
I used Fluval stratum mixed with Amazonia soil.
Fluval stratum is a fairly light substrate: hard to vacuum without sucking it out, messy when you have to uproot plants and difficult to make slopes with it.
The guy at the store told me it is actually peat moss granules (poor nutrient content), not a soil. It lowers the KH and pH of the water.
 
JamieXPXP
  • #9
I haven't had any troubles with it being messy or dropping the pH drastically. It only drops it a little since it's also made for shrimp which generally like low phs. It depends on preference and experience
 

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MrsMontoya
  • Thread Starter
  • #11
You don't need to cap fluval stratum with anything. It's not the best aquarium soil but it's definitely better than sand or gravel.
What would you suggest? I am looking for something that will work well for both small carpet plants but also larger plants like telanthera.
 
MrsMontoya
  • Thread Starter
  • #12
MrsMontoya
  • Thread Starter
  • #13
I used Fluval stratum mixed with Amazonia soil.
Fluval stratum is a fairly light substrate: hard to vacuum without sucking it out, messy when you have to uproot plants and difficult to make slopes with it.
The guy at the store told me it is actually peat moss granules (poor nutrient content), not a soil. It lowers the KH and pH of the water.
Good to know. Looking to build a small slope so that impacts the decision a bit.
 
-Mak-
  • #15
What would you suggest? I am looking for something that will work well for both small carpet plants but also larger plants like telanthera.
It works for both, but like aniroc said is suspected to be less nutrient rich than other soils. Controsoil and tropica soil are probably better, and if you don’t mind an ammonia spike for the first few weeks ADA aquasoil is considered the best. But with regular fertilizer dosing, stratum will work.
 
MrsMontoya
  • Thread Starter
  • #16
Hey everyone, thought I throw up an update real quick. Went down to Lfs to look over substrate options. Ended up going with the fluval stratum and the Seachem fluorite coarse clay. I did a mix with a bit more stratum than clay. It turned out well. Gave me the weightier substrate but also much finer for my carpeting plants. This scape was designed around my spiderwood which after MONTHS of soaking and boiling still floats hence the ugly out of place rock. Looks okay though. I have planted: dwarf four leaf clover, pink telanthera, (which was suffering in my other tank from low light and not enough iron) anubias nana, two crypts, a pygmy chain sword I got at the lfs, and of course, java moss. Hoping the plastic grid fills in nicely. I have a colony of blue velvet shrimp coming soon that will go in my new fluval ebI and am hoping to eventually move a colony into this tank when it fills in a bit more. Really hoping the dwarf carpet comes back also. It got a little temperamental while planting. Anyway, thanks for all of your input. Helped me decide what I needed!!
 

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