# substrate



## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

ok iam allmost to the point of putting in my substrate.i just need to what i can do with this.

i have flourite and complete substrate,i need to no what to do with it should i do a bottom layer of sand and complete substate then think final layer of flourite.or just use flourite .iam not sure plz help.


----------



## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

What exactly is complete substrate?


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I would stick to 100% flourite.


----------



## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

ok cheers .i think complete substrate is just a diff brand of like eco complete or whaever.looks like black sand but has loads of good stuf for plants init.heres a pic of complete substrate

View attachment 122046

View attachment 122047


----------



## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

I would only use one... but thats just me.


----------



## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

yeh what one

lol flourite or this stuff ?


----------



## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Personal preference, I dont like the color of Flourite, so I would use the other one... thats me though.


----------



## jackburton (Nov 25, 2003)

i allways like sand bottom tanks tbh
iam not sure what to do

if i new this complete substrate stuff was as good as flourite i would use it

but dunno.WHAT WOULD U DO LOL help


----------



## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

jackburton said:


> i allways like sand bottom tanks tbh
> iam not sure what to do
> 
> if i new this complete substrate stuff was as good as flourite i would use it
> ...


I cant really say much more than I already have, Ive never dealt with the complete stuff so I am not sure.

I konw a lot of people use flourite and are very happy with its performance, I am just not a fan of the color, but that is just personal preference.


----------



## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

put laterite mixed with regular gravel. COurse you need to change the laterite every 2-3 months, but yeah, it works. O you could put those fertilizer pellets, but you have to replacee them. Or oyu could use peat, but because its organic, it gives good growth to algae.


----------



## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

> you need to change the laterite every 2-3 months


I've never heard that. Where did you hear that?

I would like to say that as long as your gravel is on the fine side, it's ok to use.
True, some substrates have lots of good stuff in there, but proper water column dosing should really be all you need besides light. (and also CO2, if your light is on the bright side.)


----------



## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

fiine side? fine is fine as long as you have snails and catfish and fish/stuff like that whichll stir the fine gravel.

a gravel with about the size of a pea or about 2-3mm should do fine. If it is too fine, it wil pack together and the plants will not get hte nutrients they need. too loose will pick up all the nutrients and your plants will lose out.

I forget where I read the laterite changing thing, lemme see if I can find it.


----------



## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Quantum_Theory said:


> fiine side? fine is fine as long as you have snails and catfish and fish/stuff like that whichll stir the fine gravel.
> 
> a gravel with about the size of a pea or about 2-3mm should do fine. If it is too fine, it wil pack together and the plants will not get hte nutrients they need. too loose will pick up all the nutrients and your plants will lose out.
> 
> I forget where I read the laterite changing thing, lemme see if I can find it.


This is like saying plants grow better in gravel than they do in dirt... it just doesnt make sense... pea size gravel is not ideal for plants at all in IMO.


----------



## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

no, the reason they grow well in dirt is because there are insects and worms to stir the dirt around. In an aquarium, if oyu don't have those, the sand gets packed and the plants get no nutrients.

Aquarium snails work in the aquarium like insects in the wild (or so I've heard)

I'm sure about the packing and sand stuff, just the snaiils I haven't tried yet.


----------



## Morpheus (Feb 12, 2004)

I use a 1" bottom layer of flourite and then about 3" of quartz gravel on top of it, and heating cable on the base of the tank.


----------

